Law enforcement in the capital has dismantled a large criminal organization that, under the guise of online micro-lending, organized a system of blackmail, extortion, and cyberbullying. Dozens of Ukrainians, including servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, have fallen victim to the criminals. Officially confirmed losses have already exceeded 5.3 million UAH.
This is reported by Finway
Fraud Scheme: Fake Companies and Cryptocurrency
The perpetrators have been operating since 2023, hiding behind shell companies from the United Kingdom and Cyprus. They used online platforms Bitcapital and Crypsee to carry out their illegal activities. A key feature of the scheme was the provision of microloans in the cryptocurrency Tether (USDT), which allowed them to evade Ukrainian legislation and complicated the tracking of transactions.
During the loan application process, the organizers immediately deducted 7% from the amount, and subsequently charged an additional 0.6% daily. Even if the borrower repaid the debt in full, the fraudsters invented additional fines and penalties, artificially inflating the debt. When a victim refused to pay, a specially equipped call center in Dnipro intervened. Call center employees employed aggressive psychological pressure tactics, using a bot farm with 6000 SIM cards for mass messaging, and created and distributed humiliating content featuring photos of borrowers, their relatives, and colleagues.
Details of Criminal Activity and Punishment
From two to six operators could simultaneously work on one victim. They used voice-changing software, made threatening calls, and took into account each individual’s personal vulnerabilities. Each call center employee received a percentage of the collected funds. Preliminary estimates suggest that over 1500 individuals have been affected by the criminals’ actions.
“The organizers deducted 7% from the amount, and then charged an additional 0.6% daily. Even if the client repaid the loan on time and in full, the fraudsters simply invented new non-existent fines and penalties, artificially driving the person into an unmanageable debt pit.”
At this point, seven members of the group, including a co-organizer, have received notifications of suspicion for extortion, which caused particularly significant material damage and was committed under martial law. Six of the suspects have been taken into custody with the right to post bail, while one is under house arrest. The perpetrators face up to 12 years in prison with full confiscation of property.
It is worth noting that throughout 2025, the number of cases of fraud involving bank cards has decreased, but the total amount of losses for Ukrainians has risen to 1.4 billion UAH.