A group of fraudsters who were defrauding military personnel under the pretence of selling cars has been exposed in the Odesa region
The investigation established that three local men, aged between 35 and 41, had organised a scheme to make money illegally. They posted advertisements for the sale of luxury cars at below-market prices on a popular online platform.
Buyers were told that the vehicles would be imported from abroad. To convince potential customers, they sent video reviews of the cars taken from the internet and assured them that the cars were in good condition and required no additional expenditure.
To maintain secrecy, the men used other people’s names and changed their phone numbers after each sale. Military personnel who agreed to the purchase transferred a deposit of between 500 and 1,500 dollars, ostensibly to cover the cost of delivering the car to Ukraine. Once the funds were received, the fraudsters ceased all communication.
The suspects converted the money into cash via bank terminals and used it as they saw fit.
The illegal activities were documented by investigators from the regional police investigation department, together with staff from the Cybercrime Prevention Unit in the Odesa region of the National Police’s Cyberpolice Department. Following operational measures and investigative actions, the suspects were detained with the support of officers from the Special Purpose Police Battalion of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Odesa region and the Patrol Police Directorate in the Odesa region of the Patrol Police Department of the National Police.
During searches of their homes and vehicles, mobile phones, SIM cards, bank cards and cash were seized.
The three suspects were served with notices of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 190 and Part 2 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. These charges relate to fraud committed by a group of persons acting in concert, on a repeated basis, and the legalisation of property obtained by criminal means.
The maximum penalty under these articles is up to eight years’ imprisonment, with disqualification from holding certain positions or engaging in certain activities for a period of up to three years, and confiscation of property.
The court has imposed preventive measures on the suspects in the form of detention, with the right to post bail in the amount of 2 million hryvnias.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. The Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office is overseeing the proceedings.
