In Transcarpathia, a cybercriminal who “buried” himself to escape as a result of a $100 million scam was arrested

Ukrainian law enforcement officers conducted a special operation and detained a person suspected of participating in an international cybercriminal group that had been hiding in Ukraine for years, using forged documents and a fictitious death story.

The arrest was the result of the joint efforts of the Department of Internal Security, the police of the Zakarpattia region, and the investigators of the SBI, the National Police of Ukraine reported.

According to the investigation, this group was engaged in stealing personal and corporate data through malware, forcing victims to pay to preserve their privacy or return the information.

The total amount of damages reached more than 100 million dollars.

To avoid responsibility, the suspect resorted to falsifying documents, registering his “death”, after which he lived in Ukraine under a new name.

Funds obtained through criminal means were legalized through the purchase of real estate for relatives. Law enforcement officers found significant discrepancies between the declared income and expenses of these persons.

The perpetrator was detained in the city of Uzhgorod, and two of his accomplices were also found.

During the raids, significant assets were seized, including cash and cryptocurrency. All suspects were remanded in custody.

In addition, the cyber police of Cherkasy region exposed a former bank employee who robbed a 78-year-old woman, the grandmother of a fallen serviceman, in the amount of over one million hryvnias.

The court also decided to keep this person in custody, and if found guilty, she faces up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.