In Ukraine, fake law enforcement officers tricked a guy out of $250,000 in cryptocurrency

[✨ Megiddo]

The attackers introduced themselves as law enforcement officers, intimidated the man with criminal liability for a fictitious crime, and forced him to transfer $250,000 in cryptocurrency to the cryptogamer. This was reported by the press service of the National Police. In May, a 20-year-old founder of an online business contacted the police and reported that unknown men, introducing themselves as law enforcement officers, intimidated him and forced him to transfer $250 thousand in cryptocurrency. Operatives of the internal security and cyber police of the National Police established that four attackers, having calculated the entrepreneur's estimated income, decided to make a profit. The conspirators introduced themselves as law enforcement officers and brought fictitious charges against the victim of collaborating with Russia. They intimidated the man with a long prison term for a fabricated case of treason and offered to "resolve the issue" for $250 thousand, promising to close the fictitious "case". The fraudsters forced the victim to hand over his own crypto assets in the amount of 250 thousand USDT, which is equivalent to more than 10 million UAH. On the same day, the attackers cashed out their funds using one of the exchange services. Employees of the internal security unit and cyber police specialists identified the extortionists, who, as it turned out, had no relation to law enforcement agencies. Cyber police traced the movement of crypto assets from the victim to the defendants themselves and recorded digital evidence of illegal activity. Searches Police conducted a number of simultaneous searches in Kyiv, Kyiv and Cherkasy regions at the places of residence and registration of the scammers and their family members, as well as in their vehicles. Bank cards, computer equipment, mobile phones, premium cars, detailed ID cards of journalists and members of public order protection groups, ammunition, cash totaling almost $7,000 and more than UAH 63,000 were confiscated. The police announced suspicion under Part 4 of Article 189 (Demand) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The defendants face up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. The court is currently deciding on the choice of measures in the form of detention for the suspects. Their involvement in other similar crimes is being checked. Investigative actions are being carried out to identify possible accomplices of the defendants. Based on the results, additional qualifications are possible," the report says.