A resourceful Lviv resident deceived dozens of people: he “sold” non-existent goods and services

Law enforcement officers of the Lviv region sent an indictment to the court against a 27-year-old Lviv resident.

The criminal posted ads on the Internet in which he offered his services for buying, repairing or replacing gearboxes in their cars. However, having received money from customers, he did not fulfill his obligations. As investigators found, the accused defrauded 26 people.

The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings opened under Part 1, 2 of Article 190 (fraud) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine has been completed, the indictment has been sent to the court for consideration. The defendant faces a penalty of up to three years in prison.

To protect yourself from fraudsters, follow these simple rules:

• When buying online, use marketplaces whose administrators guarantee a refund if the goods are not shipped or are of inadequate quality.
• Do not agree to offers from strangers to receive «easy» money, goods or services at a price significantly lower than the market price – in this case, you have most likely come across scammers.
• Check the identity of the seller on the cyberpolice  in the fraudsters' database, which contains phone numbers and bank cards whose owners have defrauded people.
• Do not follow dubious links that come to your email, messengers or in the form of SMS – they can lead you to phishing sites, where the bank details you provide give fraudsters access to your accounts.
• Do not disclose confidential information and details of your card: the three-digit number on the back of the card, bank and mobile operator codes, online banking passwords.

If you realize that you are being scammed, or have already become a victim of fraudsters, immediately call the police hotline 102.