From “for treatment of children” to “the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”: how scammers adapted to war

Fraudsters who before the war collected money supposedly to help seriously ill children have adapted to the new reality. Now they are collecting for “the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” Recently, the police began checking the activities of one of these funds. Focus found out the circumstances of the case and found out why this type of business is still thriving.

Near the capital’s “Heroes of Dnepra” metro station, people in military uniform, posing as volunteers, were collecting money supposedly to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, a volunteer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleg Simoroz, drew attention to them.

“We visited one of the cash collection points of the fraudulent organization “Save Your Native Country,” headed by Nikolai Osaula. I can't tell you anything good. As a veteran, I am overwhelmed with emotions, because during these few hours that we were on the spot, there were threats, ridicule of the wounded military, titushki,” Simoroz said on his Facebook.

The young people collecting money for the Armed Forces of Ukraine were not military personnel, but they wore uniforms. As it turned out, the men work for a salary that the fund pays them from money collected from passers-by.

“Given that it is cash, it is impossible to account for it, which is why scammers like cash collections so much. Then part of the money is for your pocket, and not much for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, because you have to beg gratitude from the guys, because the business has to work. The scheme is as dumb as a door,” the veteran added.

Old scheme, new reasons

In a conversation with Focus, Simoroz noted that after a wide response, the National Police began an investigation into the legality of the activities of the charitable foundation. Volunteers, according to the veteran, may in the future be suspected not only of fraud, but also for threats against a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

According to law enforcement officials, on November 16, police brought five representatives of the charitable foundation to the territorial police department. Their activities were classified under Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - fraud. As part of criminal proceedings, all representatives of the foundation are checked, as well as the documentation of the institution.

Pseudo-funds that raise money for the needs of shelters, treatment of seriously ill children and other socially sensitive topics have been working in Ukraine for years. Usually, volunteers with transparent boxes with a photograph of those who need help are pasted near the entrance to the metro, shops, and pharmacies.

This is the simplest fraud scheme, former police criminalist and lawyer Viktor Chevguz tells Focus. Most often, such volunteers do not have documents confirming the activities of their foundations. And if there are, they are fake.

“Recently in Vinogrador [Podolsky district of Kyiv] near the Retroville shopping center there was a jeep with volunteers. I drove up and asked to see the documents - I never saw this car again. The problem is that law enforcement simply doesn't do a good job. They see volunteers collecting money for unknown reasons, but they don’t react. But they must ask to show documents on behalf of which organization the money is being collected, and to check where this money went,” says Chevguz.

It's easy to go to court

In 2023, Ukraine recorded an anti-record for the number of criminal proceedings initiated for fraud. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, over eight months, 59,605 criminal proceedings were opened under Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. This is more than in the last two years. At the same time, only 14% of the total number of open proceedings were sent to court. For comparison, in the corresponding period of 2021, 30% of 23,847 criminal proceedings related to fraud were sent to court.

According to the lawyer, it is not difficult to bring the investigation of fraud to court. It only takes two victims to confirm that they donated money to the “fund.” After that, law enforcement officers will check where the money came from.

“As an investigator with 25 years of experience, I guarantee that such cases are not difficult to investigate. Law enforcement officers simply do their job poorly,” continues Chevguz.

A former forensic police officer notes that if there are no applicants, an operational worker who services the territory, when he sees a pseudo-volunteer car, can ask a person in civilian clothes to record on his phone what the company is doing. Next, passers-by who gave money to the “volunteers” and were caught on video can be called to the police station, shown the recording, and find out the details.

According to Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the punishment depends on the amount of fees. Fraud on an especially large scale or committed by an organized group is punishable by imprisonment for a term of five to twelve years with confiscation of property.