Fraudulent Currency Exchange Scheme Uncovered in Lviv
Under the procedural guidance of prosecutors from the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, a 20-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman have been exposed and detained.
Organization of the Fraud Scheme
According to the investigation, in April of this year, a group of individuals organized the operation of a simulated currency exchange point in the central part of Lviv. To do this, the suspects rented a non-residential premises, which they accordingly equipped. After researching the currency market, the subjects set the most advantageous exchange rate at their location. Consequently, under such conditions, a client with a large sum of money approached them at the exchange. The suspect, acting as a ‘cashier’, received foreign currency from the man and fled with it through a pre-prepared special exit hidden in a niche of a cabinet in her office.
This way, the subjects unlawfully seized $50,000.
Detention and Investigation
However, thanks to the coordinated work of law enforcement agencies, the suspects were promptly detained under Art. 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. The man and woman have been informed of their suspicion of fraud (part 5, Art. 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The detained individuals have been assigned preventive measures in the form of detention. The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by investigators from the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv region, with operational support from the UCR in Lviv region of the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine in Lviv region.
Note: according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt is proven in a legal manner and confirmed by a court verdict.