The Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Gdańsk charged six people. It’s about laundering money from fraud. Cryptocurrency thread appears in the case.
Cryptocurrencies in the hands of fraudsters
Press spokesman for the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Gdańsk Mariusz Marciniak told the media that a group of criminals was broken by officers of the Central Bureau of Cybercrime from Gdańsk, Łódź and Warsaw. The indictment has already been received by the court in Płock, and six people heard the charges. Two of them, Łukasz R. and Kamil W., are from Płock and the surrounding area.
But what exactly did the criminals do? They were looking for Darknet willing to set up bank accounts. In this way, three other accused joined their criminal duo. In 2019, they set up bills in four banks, for which they were to receive money. R. and W. finally deceived them: they received from them documents regarding bank accounts, ATM cards and data that enabled them to log into electronic banking.
Accounts were needed because they were influenced by money from fraud. R. and W. sold electronic equipment in fictitious online stores. Of course, the transaction ended when the money was received – the buyers did not receive goods. In total, 112 people were cheated on almost 40 thousand. zloty.
Cryptocurrencies appeared in the next stage. Investigators paid cash using ATM cards or BLIK codes, then they paid to Bitomats, and so they conquered BTC.
For the money paid out, the accused bought cryptocurrencies in bitomets, and then on the cryptocurrency exchange settled with unjustly partners in Bitcoins, sharing the revenues obtained in half
– Prosecutor Mariusz Marciniak, spokesman for the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Gdańsk.
It is worth adding that the whole group could not be arrested: investigators claim that the fact that it was operated in Darknet meant that so far not all people who were involved in the practice were not identified. It is only known that the sixth accused is Mariusz K. from Płock, who founded two bank accounts, which received over 36 thousand. PLN from 101 victims. He was to earn on “selling” products in a fictitious online store with electronics.
What threatens criminals?
The investigation was divided into two separate proceedings, although the current indictment regarding only money laundering from criminal activities. The files have 346 volumes and 20 volumes of attachments. The accused faces a year to 10 years in prison. Mariusz K. was to have other crimes, so he faces up to 15 years imprisonment.
