In Lviv, a 40-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman have been exposed and, according to the investigation, are suspected of running a fraudulent scheme involving the sale of residential property. They posed as employees of an estate agency, showed people homes that did not belong to them, signed preliminary agreements and took deposits, after which they stopped responding to any contact.
The investigation established that between 2024 and 2026 the suspects gained access in various ways to flats and houses that were in fact not on the market, and showed them to prospective buyers as if they were genuinely for sale.
In October 2024, they agreed with the owner of a house in Vynnyky to assist in its sale. Having obtained access to the property, they arranged a viewing for a prospective buyer and, without the owner's knowledge, signed a preliminary sale and purchase agreement with her. The woman handed over 6,000 US dollars, after which the “agents” cut off all contact.
In November 2025, using the same scheme, they offered another victim a flat for sale on Lychakivska Street in Lviv. The property belonged to relatives of one of the accomplices, which gave them unrestricted access for viewings. For the supposedly forthcoming purchase of the flat, the woman handed over 490,000 UAH.
Another episode was documented in April 2026. A prospective buyer was shown a relative's flat on Taras Shevchenko Avenue in Lviv, and they took 3,000 US dollars from him under the pretext of selling it. In total, according to the investigation, the accomplices defrauded three individuals of an amount equivalent to almost 870,000 UAH.
Under the procedural guidance of the Halytskyi District Prosecutor's Office of Lviv, both individuals have been notified that they are suspected of fraud committed by a group of persons acting in prior collusion, repeatedly, under martial law, causing significant damage to a victim, and also on a large scale (Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the investigative unit of Lviv District Police Department No. 1 of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv Region.
Pursuant to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and may not be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt has been proven in the manner prescribed by law and established by a guilty verdict of a court.