In Kharkiv, a man deceitfully posing as a volunteer in 2022 gathered funds meant for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, only to squander them in online casinos.
According to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office reports, the scammer published his ads on social networks. He falsely promised to purchase crucial military supplies such as drones, bulletproof vests, walkie-talkies, helmets, batteries, and other essential equipment for the troops
Exploiting Goodwill
The scam artist skillfully exploited people's desire to support the military, using compelling headlines to appeal to their sense of patriotism, such as "for the fighters who are standing under Kharkiv" and "for the soldiers who defend Bakhmut."
Instead of allocating the donations for their intended purposes, he diverted the funds for personal use, gambling them away online.
Despite his guise of raising funds for essential military equipment, he managed to defraud over 20 individuals, amassing a total of 150,000 hryvnias (approximately 4,050 US dollars) under false pretenses.
The authorities have apprehended the man, who is now set to face trial at the District Court in Kharkiv.
The preliminary investigation was conducted by the Head of State Department No. 1 of Group No. 3 of the National Security Service in the Kharkiv region, with operational support from the staff of the SBU Office in the Kharkiv region.
