A conversation that began in a Telegram dating bot turned into a request for access to an Odesa student’s bank account. On November 6, Ukraine’s Cyber Police said the case had been sent to court. Investigators allege that a man from Kyiv obtained her card details and online banking credentials, then moved or withdrew about UAH 700,000. The case concerns alleged fraud and the court has yet to determine guilt.
The crypto pitch ended at the bank login
The two met through the bot in early March 2025. Police say the man presented himself as a cryptocurrency specialist and offered to help the student earn money from virtual assets. After gaining her trust, he asked for her card details, online banking username and password. The bot was where they met. The request for banking credentials came from the person she met there.
That handoff is what made the pitch dangerous. Someone who explains how an investment works can do so while you keep control of your account. A person with your bank login can try to use it directly. In the police account, cryptocurrency was both the pretext for obtaining access and one way the suspect later moved part of the money.
Investigators followed the money beyond the chat
Police say the suspect made unauthorized transactions over several days. Investigators describe transfers to other people’s accounts, cash withdrawals at ATMs and retail checkouts in Kyiv, and conversion of part of the proceeds into virtual assets. A substantial share of the money came from state payments the student’s family received after her father was killed while serving in Ukraine’s armed forces.
The November statement lists chat and voice messages alongside banking records, IP addresses and the movement of funds to crypto wallets. Together, those records can connect the conversation that secured access with what happened afterward. Police also say they seized phones and computer equipment during a search. They reported an arrest in May 2026 and announced the court referral in November.
If you already shared bank details
Contact your bank using the number in its official app or on your card. Tell the bank exactly what you shared, including whether you gave out an online banking login. Ask it to secure access, block an exposed card and review any transfers you did not authorize. Save the conversation, voice messages and transaction details for the bank and investigators. For other signs that a chat has shifted from an introduction to a request for access, see our guide to Telegram scams.
References
- Cyber Police of Ukraine. Court referral in the UAH 700,000 fraud case. National Police of Ukraine, November 6, 2026.
- Cyber Police of Ukraine. Arrest announcement in the UAH 700,000 fraud investigation. National Police of Ukraine, May 20, 2026.
