“Protected” bank accounts: two women gave over 121 thousand hryvnia to scammers

The victims thought they would save their money, but instead became victims of scammers who presented themselves as employees of financial institutions.

Do not share passwords and codes with anyone – be vigilant and do not let yourself be deceived, the Ternopil region police communications department emphasizes.

A 40-year-old local resident contacted the Ternopil District Police Department. The applicant said that she had received a phone call from a bank representative who offered to protect her bank accounts from attackers. The woman dictated the combination of numbers that she received in the message. Within a few minutes, she received a notification that 38,000 hryvnias had been debited from her electronic wallet. In addition, the scammers were also able to issue a loan in the amount of 30,000 hryvnias, which were also transferred to other accounts.

Another 51-year-old victim fell into the trap when she was informed that unknown persons were trying to pay for goods with her bank card. For «protection» she must urgently transfer the funds to backup cards. Following the interlocutor's instructions, the woman transferred more than 83,000 hryvnias.

Based on these facts, police investigators opened criminal proceedings in accordance with Article 190 (fraud) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Operational and search measures are underway to identify the persons involved in the crimes.

The police urge citizens to be careful and not to trust telephone calls, especially if they offer you confidential information. Remember that official institutions never request such data.

If you have been a victim of fraud, call the hotline 102. For prompt assistance from employees of the Cyber ​​Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine, please call: 0 (800) 50-51-70.