Cases of fraud have increased in Ukraine, where criminals call citizens posing as officers of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and other law enforcement agencies. They intimidate victims with fabricated criminal proceedings and demand money, using psychological pressure and causing panic. This was reported by the Security Service of Ukraine.
Source: OBOZREVATEL
According to the intelligence service, people are most often told about allegedly opened cases for:
“treason”
“financing Russia”
“purchase of prohibited goods”
“collaboration with the enemy”
To make the scheme more convincing, scammers send fake summons for interrogation via messaging apps, and also use forged IDs and documents.
They then offer victims to “resolve the issue” and avoid liability, demanding urgent money transfers allegedly for “verification,” “confirmation of non-involvement,” or “closing the case.”
The SBU emphasizes: real officers do not demand money, do not ask for bank details, and do not conduct any “remote checks” via messengers.
Law enforcement urges citizens not to give in to pressure and to follow basic security rules. In case of suspicious calls or messages, it is recommended to:
write down the phone number
save screenshots of correspondence
do not share bank card details
do not make urgent transfers
verify information only through official sources
The agency emphasizes that information should be checked via the official SBU website and verified social media pages. In case of fraud or suspicious contacts, citizens are advised to contact:
SBU hotline: 1516
email: callcenter@ssu.gov.ua or sbu_cu@ssu.gov.ua
chatbot “Spaly FSBshnyka”
Similar schemes are also being recorded abroad
Such scams are used not only in Ukraine. In Poland, for example, criminals send SMS messages pretending to be the Central Bureau of Investigation Police (CBŚP) and claim that cases have been opened.
Clicking such links can lead to theft of personal data or banking information, law enforcement warns. Fraudsters may then contact victims by phone or messenger and extract money under psychological pressure.