Careers of six false bankers ended - damage over Br2.5 million

June 20, MINSK. The investigation department of the USC for the city of Minsk continues to investigate an unprecedented criminal case on embezzlement of funds from bank accounts of residents of Belarus. BelTA was informed about this by Ekaterina Garlinskaya, official representative of USC in Minsk.

According to the investigation, the attackers organized call centers, after which they made calls to Belarusians for several years using the subscriber numbers of foreign telecom operators or the Viber messenger. Posing as employees of banks or law enforcement agencies, they reported false information to citizens about the alleged theft of money from their bank accounts, to prevent which they either need to provide the details of their payment cards or transfer funds from their account to the supposedly safe account provided by them. In some cases, the callers asked for access to the remote banking system, provide codes,

Subsequently, using the information received from the victims, the attackers committed theft. They also asked some citizens to issue bank loans in their name, and then transfer money to the provided accounts.

To date, over 3,000 criminal cases against 63 persons have been joined in one proceeding, of which 30 defendants are in custody. The total damage caused to the citizens of Belarus is over Br2.5 million. Investigators seized the property of the defendants for a total amount of over Br200 thousand, as well as over $480 thousand in cryptocurrency equivalent.

The Investigation Department of the USC for the city of Minsk has now completed an investigation into 6 men aged 19 to 25 years old, who are natives and residents of Minsk and the Minsk region.

The defendants were the so-called drops and helped the organizers cash out the money stolen from the Belarusians. More than 490 victims have been identified, and material damage is more than Br700 thousand.

During the investigation, other episodes of criminal activity of men were also documented. In February 2021, one of the defendants, on the basis of personal hostile relations, had a conflict with a visitor to a nightclub. The defendant, in a state of alcoholic intoxication, delivered one kick to the opponent's HEAD area. According to the conclusion of the examination, the victim suffered less serious bodily injuries.

In December 2020, the 21-year-old defendant, also under the influence of ALCOHOL, took Br40 from another drop. The man knew that this money had been stolen shortly before from the apartment of another defendant in the criminal case. In March 2021, the same 21-year-old boy stole gold earrings worth more than Br200 from the apartment in which he lived with his friend.

Depending on the crimes committed, they were charged on the established episodes of criminal activity under the following articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus: Part 1 of Art. 149 (intentional infliction of less serious bodily harm); part 2 of article 205 (theft); Part 4 of Article 209 (fraud); part 4 of article 212 (theft by modifying computer information); part 1 of article 236 (acquisition of material assets knowingly obtained by criminal means). A preventive measure in the form of detention was applied to 5 of them. it should be noted that the three defendants had previously been prosecuted for malicious hooliganism, bodily harm and theft.

The criminal case against the said persons was separated into a separate proceeding and transferred to the prosecutor of the city of Minsk to be sent to COURT.