Ukraine Busts Kyiv Crypto Drainer Ring Moving Up to $1M Monthly
Ukraine’s National Police and Security Service shut down a large scam network operating fake crypto investment platforms and stealing from victims in more than 20 countries. Investigators have identified 62 victims so far, including people in Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Spain, France, the UK, Canada and Israel. The group was allegedly led by a 25-year-old IT specialist who recruited more than 46 Ukrainians and ran offices in Kyiv and nearby regions. The operation used Telegram ads to lure users, then faked trading activity on dashboards to show profits. When victims tried to withdraw, staff redirected them to a “test transaction” that activated a drainer and emptied their wallets. Police traced a server in the Netherlands containing victim data, wallet addresses, stolen sums and internal records, plus passport and login details gathered during registration. Searches in Kyiv and the region led to major seizures of computers, phones, SIM cards, cars and cash. The case remains under investigation.
