What to do if you have been a victim of fraud: step-by-step instructions

Fraud is taking possession of another’s property or acquiring the right to property by deception or abuse of trust (Article 190(1) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, hereinafter — the CC). Below is what a victim should do, step by step. Punishment for fraud under all parts of Article 190 of the CC and for other cybercrimes is covered in the article on liability for cybercrime.

In brief

• Save the correspondence, phone numbers, account details, receipts and statements.
• If money has left your account — notify the bank immediately.
• A report to the police cannot be refused; information is entered into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations (URPI) no later than 24 hours later.
• The victim’s rights arise from the moment the report is filed.
• If the information was not entered into the URPI or the proceedings were closed — a complaint to the investigating judge within ten days.
• Compensation — a civil claim in the criminal proceedings (when there is already a suspect, before the start of the trial) or in a civil court.

Step 1. Record the evidence

Even before going to the police, save screenshots of the correspondence showing the profile name, phone number or page address, links to the advertisement, receipts and statements, details of the cards and accounts to which money was transferred, recordings of conversations and the contacts of witnesses. Do not delete the correspondence: the originals on your phone may be needed by the investigation. You attach these materials to the report: the victim has the right to submit evidence in support of it (Article 56(2)(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, hereinafter — the CPC).

Step 2. If money has left your account — notify the bank

Ask the bank to block the card or online banking and save the reference number of your request. The payer is obliged to notify the bank immediately, as soon as the payer learns of it, in the manner defined by the contract, about an improper or unauthorised transaction in order to receive compensation (Article 87(4) of the Law of Ukraine “On Payment Services”). A transaction made without the payer’s consent is considered unauthorised unless the Law provides otherwise, and the bank bears the liability provided by the Law for it (Article 42(4) and (5) of the same Law). But if you yourself gave someone the card details or a code, the bank may refer to non-compliance with the information protection requirements — then it is released from liability to the payer (Article 87(3) of the same Law). If you made the transfer yourself, having believed the fraudster, the main way to get the money back is criminal proceedings and a claim against the guilty person. For more on cards, the bank’s liability and transfer documents, see the article on unlawful acts with payment cards.

Step 3. File a report of a criminal offence

Most often the report is filed with the police — it is more reliable in writing, with a copy for yourself. Describe when, where and how you were deceived, what you lost, what is known about the fraudster (the name in the messenger, number, details), attach a list of evidence and ask for the information to be entered into the URPI.

The report must be accepted and registered; refusal to accept and register it is not allowed (Article 214(4) of the CPC). You have the right to receive a document confirming the acceptance and registration of the report (Article 56(2)(2) of the CPC) and a memo on procedural rights and obligations (the second paragraph of Article 55(2) of the CPC). The investigator, inquiry officer or prosecutor, without delay but no later than 24 hours after the report is filed, enters the information into the URPI, begins the investigation and, 24 hours after the entry, provides the applicant with an extract from the register (Article 214(1) of the CPC).

If the amount does not exceed two non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens, the act may be classified as administrative petty theft of another’s property by fraud (Article 51(1) and (2) of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences). The report is filed in the same way; the limits of administrative liability are covered in the article on petty theft.

Step 4. Use the rights of the victim

The rights and obligations of the victim arise from the moment a report of a criminal offence committed against you is filed (Article 55(2) of the CPC). The most important of them:

• Motions. You can ask for specific procedural actions — to interrogate witnesses, to obtain information. A motion must be considered within no more than three days from the moment it is filed and granted if there are grounds (Article 220(1) of the CPC).
• Information and materials. The victim has the right to know the essence of the suspicion and to be notified of the end of the pre-trial investigation (Article 56(1)(2) of the CPC), and, on a motion, to familiarise themselves with the materials, except materials on security measures and those the familiarisation with which at this stage may harm the investigation (Article 221(1) of the CPC).
• Representative. The victim has the right to have a representative and at any moment of the criminal proceedings to refuse the representative’s services (Article 56(1)(8) of the CPC).

The specifics of cases where fraud was committed on the internet are covered in the article on the rights of the victim and the suspect in a cybercrime case at each stage.

Step 5. If the investigation stands still — appeal

• The information was not entered into the URPI or the investigator does not perform actions that the investigator is obliged to perform within the time limit set by the CPC — the applicant and the victim may appeal this inaction (Article 303(1)(1) of the CPC).
• The proceedings were closed — the victim may also appeal the decision of the investigator, inquiry officer or prosecutor to close them (Article 303(1)(3) and (4) of the CPC).

A complaint is filed within ten days from the decision, action or inaction, and if the decision is issued as a resolution — from the day a copy of it is received (Article 304(1) of the CPC). It is considered by the investigating judge of the local court (Article 306(1) of the CPC). If the investigation is simply being dragged out, the victim may appeal the failure to comply with reasonable time limits to a higher-level prosecutor, who is obliged to consider the complaint within three days (Article 308(1) and (2) of the CPC).

Step 6. Claim compensation

A person who has suffered property and/or moral damage from a criminal offence has the right, during the criminal proceedings and before the start of the trial, to bring a civil claim against the suspect, the accused or the person who by law bears civil liability for damage caused by their acts (Article 128(1) of the CPC). So such a claim is possible when there is already a suspect in the proceedings. Plaintiffs in cases on compensation of material losses caused by a criminal offence are exempt from paying the court fee in all court instances (Article 5(1)(6) of the Law of Ukraine “On Court Fee”). To secure the claim, the civil plaintiff may apply to the investigating judge or the court with a motion for attachment of property (Article 171(1) of the CPC).

A person who did not bring a claim in the criminal proceedings, or whose claim was left without consideration, may bring it in civil proceedings (Article 128(7) of the CPC). Whether the money can actually be recovered depends on whether the guilty person is identified and has property: a court decision in your favour does not in itself guarantee this.

What not to do

Notify the administration of the website or social network where the fraudster operated — but this does not replace a report to the police. Publicly naming a specific person as a fraudster before a court judgment is risky: if the accusation is not confirmed, the person about whom false information was disseminated has the right to a reply and to a refutation of that information (Article 277(1) of the Civil Code of Ukraine). Do not pay those who contact you themselves after the deception and promise to “return the money” for a prepayment — it may be repeated fraud.

If the investigation is not moving or you need to prepare a claim and a motion for attachment of property, you can engage a representative. What an attorney in a criminal case helps with is described on the page of our service.

The provisions are cited as currently in force as of 13 October 2026.