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A Ukrainian-Hungarian cybercrime gang caused nearly 400 million HUF (around 1 million EUR) in damages to bank customers, based on a statement released on Tuesday by the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County Police Headquarters. The gang was uncovered by investigators specializing in online fraud.
Investigators identified 55 perpetrators who are suspected of committing 109 crimes. Most of the suspects are Hungarian citizens acting as straw men, reads the statement.
At the same time, the organization’s “manager,” 32-year-old Ukrainian citizen D. H., was arrested by local authorities in Alicante, Spain, on the basis of an international arrest warrant issued by Hungarian investigative authorities. The man was handed over to Hungarian police on June 17.
According to the statement, the fraudsters contacted their victims by phone and pretended to be bank clerks. Through convincing communication, they gained the victims’ trust and persuaded them that their money in their bank accounts was in danger.
The suspects transferred the money, which in many cases amounted to tens of millions of forints, to a bank account referred to as “secure,” and then the straw men withdrew the money from the nearest ATM.
Photo: Pexels
In some cases, they installed the AnyDesk remote access software onto their victims’ computers, which allowed them access to their victims’ bank details, after which they easily transferred the money from the victims’ bank accounts to their straw men.
Starting with the straw men, investigators identified the recruiters and intermediaries as three individuals: Ukrainian, Hungarian, and Ukrainian-Hungarian dual citizens, and were taken into custody.
Via MTI; Featured photo: Pixabay