The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War is warning about a surge in fraudulent activity. Scammers posing as representatives of Russian authorities allegedly responsible for prisoner exchanges have been calling the relatives of Ukrainian defenders, urging them to send electronic appeals to state and international organizations.
This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters on Telegram, according to Ukrinform.
“A new wave of calls has been recorded targeting the relatives of Ukrainian prisoners of war. Unknown individuals, introducing themselves as ‘representatives of Russian bodies responsible for exchanges,’ are attempting to apply pressure and manipulate the trust of the defenders’ loved ones,” the message states.
These individuals are encouraging people to send mass email appeals to government and international organizations, share evidence (such as photos or screenshots of the letters) in private messages, and spread these “instructions” in group chats among families of missing persons.
For “convenience,” they provide sample texts for the appeals and a list of institutions to contact, allegedly including: the Coordination Headquarters, the National Information Bureau, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the U.S. President’s Administration (the White House).
The Coordination Headquarters emphasizes that these actions have nothing to do with official prisoner exchange mechanisms.
“This is yet another information and psychological operation by the aggressor, aimed at spreading panic, destabilizing society, and discrediting government institutions,” the Headquarters stressed.
The Coordination Headquarters urges people not to trust such callers and to immediately contact law enforcement authorities and the Coordination Headquarters itself in such cases.
As Ukrinform previously reported, relatives of Ukrainian POWs have also been warned about scammers posing as employees of international organizations, who extort money supposedly for the “delivery of parcels” to places of detention in Russia.
Source: Coordination Headquarters warns POWs’ relatives about increased scammer activity
