In just three days, a young woman managed to deceive five residents of Odessa, causing them financial losses exceeding 20,000 hryvnias. Investigators have filed charges against her, and she faces imprisonment.

At the end of March, five locals reported to the police that significant amounts of money had disappeared from their bank accounts.

Following the investigation, law enforcement identified a 23-year-old Odessa resident as the perpetrator.

She created a fake website for parking payments and placed a QR code next to one of the parking spots in the Peresyp district. The site looked official, but it required users to input bank card numbers, CVV codes, and other confidential information for authorization.

By scanning the QR code, individuals unknowingly provided their confidential details, which fell into the hands of the fraudster. Utilizing this information, she accessed the victims' bank applications and transferred money from their accounts to hers. The amounts ranged from 4,000 to 5,100 hryvnias. The total losses amounted to 22,700 hryvnias, which the fraudster spent on personal expenses.

Police confiscated her mobile phone, laptop, and bank card, which she used for her fraudulent activities.

"Having gathered sufficient evidence, investigators have charged her under Part 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine for acquiring someone else's property through deception, specifically fraud committed via illegal electronic operations. The indictment has been forwarded to the court. She admitted her guilt and has already compensated the victims for the damages. Under current legislation, the maximum penalty she faces is eight years of imprisonment," stated Valentina Istomina, head of the investigative unit.

We caution guests and residents of Odessa: the cashless parking payment process involves scanning a QR code located on traffic signs and subsequent authorization through the Diia application or your banking service. Entering your bank card number, CVV code, username, or password is not required by the official website. Be vigilant, keep your confidential information private, and do not let fraudsters take advantage of you.

Source: https://od.npu.gov.ua/news/stvoryla-feikovyi-sait-oplaty-parkuvannia-aby-zavolodity-hroshyma-vodiiv-v-odesi-politseiski-vykryly-shakhraisku-skhemu-23-richnoi-divchyny