A new wave of fraudulent schemes has been recorded in Ukraine, related to fake payments disguised as the ‘School Package’. Malefactors create counterfeit websites and spread links on social media, particularly on Facebook, promising financial assistance to parents of schoolchildren. After entering banking details on such websites, users risk losing significant amounts from their accounts.
This is reported by Finway
How the Fraudulent Scheme Works
A resident of the Kolomyia district in the Ivano-Frankivsk region became a victim of a similar scam: she came across an advertisement on Facebook about a ‘government payment’ of 5,000 UAH for parents of schoolchildren. The woman followed the link, filled out a form with her banking information on a fake resource that had the appearance of an official portal – Ukrainian symbols and familiar program names. However, shortly thereafter, 20,000 UAH disappeared from her account.
“The woman saw a link on Facebook for what appeared to be a government payment of 5,000 UAH for parents of schoolchildren. After clicking the link, she filled out a form, providing her bank card details. Everything looked plausible – typical signage, Ukrainian symbols, familiar program names. However, within a few minutes, 20,000 UAH was deducted from her account.”
Police Advice on Protecting Against Fraud
Law enforcement officials warn that such crimes are becoming widespread, especially during periods of social activity, such as the preparation for the school year. The police have opened a criminal proceeding under Part 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – fraud committed on a particularly large scale or by an organized group.
- Never click on suspicious links, even if they appear official.
- Carefully check the website address – fraudsters often change one or two letters or add extra symbols.
- Official social payments in Ukraine are made exclusively through state platforms.
- Do not enter banking details on third-party or little-known websites.
If you become a victim of fraudsters, you should immediately take screenshots, save the links and transaction details, and contact the police at 102. In Ukraine, there are indeed social support programs for parents of schoolchildren, but all official information is only posted on government portals.