In Kyiv, scammers are robbing pensioners under the guise of ‘UN assistance’

In Kyiv, scammers are robbing pensioners under the guise of “UN assistance.”

While previously, fraudsters impersonated bank employees and called pensioners to remotely confirm their information, withdraw money from their bank cards, all under the guise of “security measures,” recently cybercriminals have become more inventive.

Taking advantage of the fact that aid from UN funds is indeed provided to low-income individuals in Ukraine, perpetrators have started using this sensitive topic to gain access to the bank cards of unsuspecting people, mostly pensioners.

Scammers have become more active on messaging platforms, particularly on Viber, by mass distributing false information about international charitable aid to the Ukrainian population.

According to the National Police of Ukraine, these messages can come in the form of regular SMS as well as via the Viber messenger, and elderly people are often the victims of these scammers.

For instance, according to police sources in the capital, just yesterday, two victims from the Pechersk district of Kiev filed complaints to law enforcement about having all their money stolen from their card accounts, totaling around 60,000 hryvnias (approximately 1,417 euros).

In both cases, they received a message on Viber about the opportunity to receive “financial assistance from the UN” in the amount of 6,600 hryvnias (approximately 156 euros). To claim it, they were asked to follow a link in the message and accept a call from a “Oschadbank employee,” supposedly authorized to make such payments.

After accepting the call, during which the “bank employee” requested their bank card details and CVV code for electronic payments, as well as following further voice prompts, all the money disappeared from the accounts of both victims – around 60,000 hryvnias (approximately 1,417 euros).

The police have initiated an investigation under Article 190, Part 4 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code – “Fraud committed using computer technology in conditions of wartime.” In the event of uncovering the fraudulent call center, its “employees” could face up to 8 years in prison.

It was previously reported that the number of fraud cases in the Ukrainian banking system has increased by a quarter.