A man has been detained in Kyiv after posing as an NABU officer and, under the pretext of helping with tax inspections, taking $280,000 from an entrepreneur.
As the National Police reported and the Office of the Prosecutor General said, the man was detained in September 2026 during the handover of $200,000.
The 29-year-old learned about tax inspections of the entrepreneur and his wife, as a result of which they were assessed around 32 million hryvnias to pay. The suspect was introduced to the victim by his father, who had maintained friendly relations with the entrepreneur for a long time. He assured him that his son held a senior position at NABU and had connections that would help resolve the issues.
The suspect introduced himself as a bureau employee, used legal terminology, spoke about meetings with management and carrying out special assignments. He arranged meetings near the NABU building, explaining changes of location by the specifics of his work. At the same time, he never showed the victim any official ID. Police established that the man had never served in law enforcement.
After receiving the first $25,000 and learning about the entrepreneur’s assets, the suspect began inventing reasons for further payments. In particular, he claimed the tax inspections were a “commission” by influential individuals, and that the Bureau of Economic Security was investigating a criminal case against the victim. Supposedly to counter these individuals and stop the criminal prosecution, he asked for additional funds each time.
Between September 2025 and March 2026, the victim handed over a total of $280,000 to the suspect. He claimed the money was being spent on appealing the tax decisions, reaching arrangements with officials, dismissing certain tax service employees, postponing court hearings and closing the BES proceedings. According to investigators, the man used the money as he pleased.
The entrepreneur did not receive the promised help in the court cases. The suspect also did not provide any documents confirming the closure of the proceedings, although he repeatedly assured the victim that he had them. The victim contacted law enforcement.
In September, the suspect offered, for an additional $200,000, to organise a sham bankruptcy for the entrepreneur and his wife, cancellation of fines and the release of assets from seizure. At the final meeting, he brought a forged document from Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyy District Court allegedly stating that the criminal proceedings against the entrepreneur had been closed. Investigators did not establish the existence of the BES proceedings the suspect referred to.
The man was detained while receiving the money. A preventive measure was chosen for him in the form of detention in custody, with the alternative of posting bail in the amount of 998,000 hryvnyas. Prosecutors had sought detention with the option of bail set at 11 million hryvnyas.
He was served with a notice of suspicion for fraud on an especially large scale and attempted fraud, committed repeatedly, on an especially large scale (Part 5 of Article 190 and Part 2 of Article 15, Part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The suspect faces up to 12 years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property.
During a search of the suspect’s home, police found documents that may indicate other victims. This information is being checked.