«"Hello! Please lend me some money." This message may come from a friend, relative, or acquaintance on messenger. However, do not rush to transfer funds - scammers could have hacked his account. This scheme remains one of the most common among Internet scammers.
A 32-year-old man who became a victim of fraud contacted the Chuguiv District Police Department. The applicant said that he received a message in one of the messengers from his friend asking him to urgently borrow money.
Not suspecting fraud, the man transferred 9,500 hryvnias to the specified bank account. A few hours later, another message came from the same account asking him to transfer an additional 7,000 hryvnias. Only later did the victim learn that his friend's page had been hacked and that she had not sent any messages.
Currently, police are identifying the individuals involved in the fraud within the framework of criminal proceedings opened under Article 190 (Fraud) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Law enforcement officers remind: before transferring funds at the request of friends or acquaintances via social networks or messengers, be sure to make sure that the message really came from them. The best way to check is to call the person personally and clarify the information.
Do not make hasty decisions about transferring money and remember: hacked accounts are often used by scammers to extort funds.
If you are a victim of fraud or notice suspicious activity, contact the police immediately by calling 102.