Cyberpolice dismantled car “hijacking” scheme: scammers “earned” over two million hryvnias

The National Police of Ukraine, together with their Moldovan colleagues, have exposed a criminal group that was engaged in fraud under the guise of delivering cars from the USA. The criminals defrauded at least five Ukrainians of over 2 million hryvnias. The leader of the gang, a citizen of Ukraine, was detained in Moldova.

This was reported by the press service of the cyber police.

As a result of a joint special operation by law enforcement officers of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, it was possible to stop the activities of a transnational criminal group that systematically extorted money from Ukrainian citizens under the guise of importing cars from the USA.

The Kyiv Cyber Police, the Investigation Department of the Main Police Department in Kyiv, the Prosecutor’s Office of the capital of Ukraine, as well as the National Inspectorate of Investigations of the Republic of Moldova and its Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime have created a joint investigative group.

According to the investigation, the organizer of the scheme was a 36-year-old Ukrainian citizen who had been living in Moldova for the past few years. He involved his wife and acquaintances in the criminal activity.

Fraudsters created dozens of fake accounts on social networks, through which they offered “favorable conditions” for the delivery of cars from the USA. To place an “order”, customers were offered to make a prepayment – the funds were transferred to the accounts of the group members or transferred in cash.

The scammers then demanded additional transfers, supposedly for “unforeseen expenses” related to customs clearance. When the victims stopped paying, the scammers simply disappeared from sight without providing any services.

The operation included 14 searches in Moldova and Ukraine: at the suspects’ residences and in their vehicles. Law enforcement officers seized computer equipment, mobile phones, cash, and a premium car.

To date, at least 5 episodes of fraud have been documented, and the total amount of losses caused exceeds 2 million hryvnias.

The organizer of the group has already been detained in Moldova. He is charged with part 5 of article 190 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova – fraud on a particularly large scale, committed by an organized group. Currently, the formation of an evidence base regarding other members of the group is underway. Law enforcement officers also do not exclude that the number of victims may increase. The investigation is ongoing.

We will remind you that the prosecutor’s office in Lviv reported suspicions against the director of a charitable foundation who implemented a fraudulent scheme and seized funds intended for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , Twitter , Telegram , and Instagram.