A criminal group that used a phishing site to extort money from people was exposed

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Now it is established about the losses caused to citizens in the amount of almost 119 thousand UAH. Investigators informed the defendants about the suspicion. They face up to 8 years in prison.

The illegal activity was stopped by employees of the Department of Countering Cybercrime in the Odessa region of the NPU Cyber Police Department together with employees of the investigative Department of the Odessa region Police with the power support of the special purpose police battalion of the GUNP in the Odessa region under the procedural guidance of the Odessa Regional Prosecutor's Office.

A resident of another region, temporarily residing in Odessa, who was previously convicted of property crimes, organized the fraudulent scheme. Together with their cohabitant and a mutual acquaintance, they created a website-a double of one of the popular online services for selling goods.

In the future, posing as buyers, the attackers searched for and convinced citizens of their intention to purchase goods from them and immediately offered to follow the link to a pre-created fraudulent resource for registering free delivery of goods.

Trusting citizens, wanting to sell goods, agreed to these conditions and switched to a phishing web resource, visually similar to the real one, where they entered their personal data and bank card details (number, CVV code, card validity period). Thus, the attackers obtained the data they needed and performed unauthorized interference in Internet banking and conducted transactions from the victims ' bank accounts.

The police have now identified four citizens who were deceived by malefactors for almost 119 thousand UAH.

During the authorized searches at the place of residence of the offenders, law enforcement officers seized mobile phones, computer equipment, SIM cards, bank cards, and other material evidence of illegal activities.

All three defendants were informed by investigators of suspicion under Part 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine of taking possession of someone else's property by deception, that is, fraud committed repeatedly, by prior agreement by a group of persons, under martial law, through illegal operations using electronic computing equipment. This crime is punishable by imprisonment for a term of three to eight years.

In relation to the organizer, the issue of choosing a preventive measure in court is now being resolved. Two other participants of the fraudulent scheme have already been given a preventive measure in the form of house arrest.

Law enforcement officers identify other persons who may be involved in criminal activities, as well as citizens who may have suffered from illegal actions.

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Investigators of the Investigation Department, with the operational support of the cyber police of the Odessa region for the procedural leadership of the Odessa Regional Prosecutor's Office, stopped the illegal activities of an organized group, which during July-November 2023 used phishing to steal funds from citizens' bank accounts.

The organizer of the scheme attached a previously convicted acquaintance and his minor cohabitant to the criminal group. The attackers created a phishing page that looks like one of the online services of a popular online trading platform in Ukraine.

In the future, posing as buyers, the attackers looked for sellers and convinced them of their intention to purchase the goods. The defendants offered to follow a link to a pre-created fraudulent resource for free delivery of goods. Wanting to sell goods, people entered their personal data and bank card details (number, CVV code, card expiration date) on a fake resource, and also provided information for entering Internet banking.

Thus, the attackers received the information they needed to access the accounts of the victims and withdraw funds from them.

The police found that as a result of the fraudulent activities of the defendants, 21 people were injured. The total amount of damage caused exceeds a million hryvnias.

During the searches carried out at the places of residence of the defendants in Odessa and Kyiv, computer equipment, mobile phones, SIM cards of mobile operators, bank cards and cash were seized. During the inspection of the seized equipment, it was established that it was with its help that the administration of the fraudulent group, the creation of phishing links, the cashing of funds, and so on were carried out.

Now law enforcement officers have completed the investigation and sent to court an indictment against three members of the group and one involved perpetrator under Parts 4 and 5 of Article 190 (Fraud), Part 1 of Article 304 (Involvement of minors in illegal activities) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The punishment provided for by the incriminated articles is up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.

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