Ukrainian refugees in Moldova solicited donations for drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and used the money to buy gold for themselves

In Moldova, nine suspects have been arrested for fraud involving the sale of vehicles and drones intended for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF), amounting to more than 46 million hryvnias (€1,017,800).

This information was reported by the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office.

According to their data, the fraudulent scheme was organized by two families from the Odesa region. At the beginning of the war, they fled to Moldova as refugees and began posting ads for the sale of vehicles and drones from abroad, purportedly for the needs of the UAF. The scammers would then request an advance payment and disappear. A total of 67 such incidents have been identified.

After deceiving their victims and obtaining the money, the group engaged in money laundering. The stolen funds were used to purchase luxury cars and gold jewelry. The authorities have seized an entire fleet of vehicles from the group.

The prosecutor’s office and police reported that those arrested are aged between 28 and 43, and the group includes a woman. All of them are members of the criminal organization that had been operating since 2022.