Ukrainian law enforcement has collaborated with American counterparts to uncover a scheme involving the theft of millions of dollars from US government agencies and subsequent money laundering. Under the coordination of prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General, in partnership with US authorities, a scheme was revealed that involved embezzling funds from a US government institution and laundering them through a network of shell companies.
According to the press service of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, the scammers created phishing sites and utilized malware to capture keystrokes. By gaining access to user logins and passwords, they executed fraudulent money transfers, which were later laundered.
In response to a request from US law enforcement, searches were conducted in Ukraine targeting an individual involved in developing web resources for money laundering. Computers, mobile phones, data storage devices, and financial documents were seized.
In the USA, his actions were classified as laundering proceeds from criminal activities. Penalties for this crime include a fine of up to $500,000 or double the value of the illegal transaction, as well as imprisonment for up to 20 years.
“The operation was carried out by prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General in conjunction with the Main Investigation Department and the Cyber Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine. The disclosure was made possible through effective international cooperation between the Office of the Prosecutor General and US law enforcement agencies,” the Office of the Prosecutor General clarified.