In just three days, a woman deceived five residents of Odessa, causing them losses exceeding 20,000 hryvnias. Authorities have charged her, and she faces a potential prison sentence of up to eight years.

At the end of March, five local residents reported to the police that money had disappeared from their bank accounts.

During the investigation, it was revealed that a 23-year-old Odessa woman was involved in the crime.

The young woman created a counterfeit parking payment website and placed a QR code near a parking spot in the Peresyp district. The site looked official, but required users to enter their bank card numbers, CVV codes, and passwords for authentication.

By scanning the QR code, citizens entered their confidential information, which the fraudster used to access their banking apps and transfer money to her own account. The amounts ranged from 4,000 to 5,100 hryvnias, totaling 22,700 hryvnias that the woman spent for personal use.

Police seized her mobile phone, laptop, and a bank card used in the fraud.

“After collecting sufficient evidence, investigators charged her under Part 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine for theft through deception and illegal operations using electronic computing technology. The accused admitted her guilt and has already compensated the victims. According to current legislation, the maximum penalty she faces is eight years of imprisonment,” said Valentyna Istomina, head of the investigative unit.

We urge visitors and residents of Odessa: the cashless parking payment process involves scanning a QR code placed on a road sign and subsequent authorization via the Diia app or your banking app. The official website does not require entering a bank card number, CVV code, login, or password. Stay vigilant, keep your confidential data secure, and do not let fraudsters deceive 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