According to law enforcement, a 28-year-old resident of the Berezovsky district established a "pyramid scheme," involving acquaintances who are women aged 55 and 61, as well as other unidentified individuals.
As stated in the report, to deceive citizens out of their money, the accomplices created the illusion of a limited liability company named VinEco, which they later rebranded to the supposedly diverse Vinex Trade, primarily focused on investments, promising extraordinary profits.
"By artificially constructing a façade of a successful business, the perpetrators convinced individuals to invest in their company, assuring them of high returns on their funds and the guaranteed return of deposits at any time. Additionally, investors were promised extra payments for attracting new investors. The accomplices 'worked on' clients, disseminating false information about their entrepreneurial activities through social media, messengers, websites, and public meetings. To fully deceive people, at the beginning of their involvement in the 'pyramid,' they paid out minimal amounts using a portion of the illegally obtained funds from others. The money from investors, which was transferred to electronic wallets, was spent by the fraudsters on personal expenses," notes the press service.
Between 2022 and 2024, the scammers deceived hundreds of citizens who invested tens of thousands of dollars into the financial "pyramid," the police communication department specifies.
The names of seven victims are already known, with a total damage amounting to over $200,000.
Police reported that they conducted a series of searches in the Odessa and Kyiv regions, during which they seized evidence of the illegal activities of the suspects, including computer equipment, documentation, phones, money, vehicles, etc.
As of now, three individuals have been detained and are facing suspicion under Part 2, 4, 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (theft of another's property through deception (fraud), committed by a group of individuals in conspiracy, particularly repeatedly, in large and especially large amounts). The crime is punishable by imprisonment for up to 12 years with confiscation of property. A decision on the measure of restraint for the suspects is being made.
The police urge victims to contact law enforcement at the following numbers: National Police hotline – 102; duty unit of OP No. 3 OROP No. 1 – (04877) 9 42 52; Cyber Police of the Odessa region – (067) 910 35 29.
Efforts are underway to identify all individuals involved in the financial "pyramid." The investigation is ongoing.