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The Prosecutor General’s Office has referred to court a criminal case against a 21-year-old Gomel resident accused of stealing funds from bank accounts and committing fraud, including as part of organized groups. More than 1,000 people were affected by the scam groups’ activities, and the total damage exceeded 370,000 rubles.
According to the case file, the accused joined three scam groups operating in Belarus in 2021, while still a minor. One of the schemes involved sending phishing links to sellers on online marketplaces under the pretext of receiving payment for goods. After victims entered their bank card details, the perpetrators gained access to their accounts and stole money.
In other cases, group members posted advertisements for nonexistent goods and services and asked potential buyers to make advance payments to a bank card. After receiving the money, they stopped communicating.
Investigators established that the accused acted as a “drop handler,” “Vbiver” and “financier.”
“Drop handlers” are individuals who, among other things, registered bank accounts and phone numbers, including in the names of nominees (“drops”), and passed the relevant details to other members of an organized group.
“Vbiver” are members of an organized group who made unauthorized transfers of money from victims’ bank accounts after the victims entered their details on phishing websites.
“Financiers” are individuals who found payment instruments to collect stolen funds, informed other members of the criminal network about them, exchanged stolen money for cryptocurrency and distributed it among other members of the organized group.
He is also charged with theft through the modification of computer information and fraud committed by a group of individuals acting in prior agreement.
The criminal case was investigated by the Main Directorate for Digital Development of Preliminary Investigation of the central office of the Investigative Committee. The accused is in custody. He has been charged under Parts 2 and 4 of Article 209 and Part 4 of Article 212 of the Criminal Code of Belarus.