Fake about 652 million UAN found in cash during the search of an employee of the TCC
False information is circulating on social media claiming that law enforcement officers discovered 652 million UAH in cash during the search of an employee of the Centre for Territorial Recruitment and Social Support in Lviv. The post is accompanied by a photo showing a large pile of money and the logo of the State Bureau of Investigation.
This is a fake.
The misinformation appears to have originated from a low-profile account called “MAX engineering Fella,” which has fewer than 500 followers. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the fake news initially reached only about 30 users.
The next day, however, the story was picked up by an account named “Prophet of the Antichrist — 4,” which has over 3,000 followers. This significantly amplified the reach of the post, resulting in over 100,000 views, 1,800 likes, and nearly 400 reposts.
Refutation
The second account, “Prophet of the Antichrist — 4,” was created in August of last year. Its profile notes that three previous accounts were banned. An analysis of the content shows that most posts are critical of the Centre for Territorial Recruitment and the government, with some displaying signs of manipulation or outright fakes.
As for the claim regarding 652 million UAH, the original post on the official website of the State Bureau of Investigation tells a different story. According to the SBI, its officers, working alongside the Security Service of Ukraine, uncovered a case in which a battalion commander of a military unit extorted money from soldiers in exchange for the opportunity to serve in Zakarpattia.
In one documented case, the commander accepted $1,300 from a subordinate to include him on the list of “rear-guard” soldiers. Investigators also found that the commander’s accomplice received 300,000 hryvnias via bank transfers and held approximately $30,000 in cash.
NOWHERE in the official statement is there any mention of a Centre employee or 652 million UAH in cash.
While there have been documented cases of corruption among individual employees as well as facts of abuse of power by the Centre’s employees, russian propagandists have exaggerated these issues, portraying them as widespread and amplifying the negative image of the Centre in the media through fake news and online manipulation.
For instance, “Behind the News” previously reported that since the beginning of the year, russian propaganda had produced a number of fake stories, including allegations of civilians murdering Centre employees in Ukraine
Prepared by Pavlo Novyk.