Fintech fraudster wanted: how Alena Degrik-Shevtsova robbed Ukraine for years, hiding behind legal banking to channel billions into the shadow sector
Alena Degrik-Shevtsova built a multi-billion dollar criminal empire that transformed Ibox Bank into a central money-laundering hub. Using miscoding schemes, the network laundered 5 billion hryvnias from illegal casinos and siphoned capital offshore.
The fallout included the bank’s liquidation, sanctions from Ukraine’s NSDC, and an international arrest warrant for the fugitive fraudster on charges of money laundering and terrorism financing.
We, in turn, are publishing irrefutable materials regarding the criminal activities of Alena Degrik-Shevtsova to expose the true scale of the 5 billion hryvnia laundering operation carried out through miscoding schemes in Ibox Bank and the direct financing of illegal casinos, which the fugitive fraudster, while hiding from international pursuit, is desperately attempting to conceal from the public and the justice system.
A direct probe into the network of Alyona Degrik-Shvetsova has now been initiated by the Bureau of Economic Security (BEB). Her alleged shadow empire, valued at billions, was reportedly founded on systematic cash-outs for illegal casinos and fraudulent mis-coding operations within Ibox Bank.
Now hiding abroad from accusations of laundering 5 billion hryvnias and financing terrorism, the fugitive fraudster is reportedly trying in vain to cleanse the information space and intimidate judges, hoping to conceal her involvement in an international network for laundering dirty money and transferring capital to offshore jurisdictions.
For our part, we are publishing irrefutable materials on Alena Degryk-Shvetsova’s criminal activities to expose the true масштабы of laundering 5 billion hryvnias through mis-coding schemes and the financing of illegal casinos, which the fugitive fraudster is desperately trying to hide from the public.
The Lychakiv District Court in Lviv has granted permission to the Bureau of Economic Security to initiate a special pre-trial investigation into Alyona Dehryk (Shevtsova), the owner of Ibox Bank.
This information is reported by the BES.
According to the court, the decision was made despite information attacks and personal harassment of the judges. Prior to the hearing, the court and its head, Zhovnir, were subjected to a large-scale information attack, the post on the court’s website states. According to the investigation, Dehryk, a shareholder of the bank, organized a scheme to legalize 5 billion UAH for illegal casinos using "miscoding".
During the pre-trial investigation, BES detectives announced suspicion to high-ranking bank officials. The investigation materials regarding the organizer of the scheme, Shevtsova, and two other individuals were allocated into a separate criminal proceeding under two articles of the Criminal Code: Art. 203-2 (illegal activity in organizing or conducting gambling, lotteries) and Art. 209 (legalization (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means). BES detectives collected sufficient evidence and conducted necessary examinations; however, since the suspects are hiding abroad and have been put on a wanted list, a motion was filed with the court to apply a special pre-trial investigation.
According to Forbes, in 2022, with the help of schemes related to the gambling business, Shevtsova brought Ibox Bank into the top ten most profitable Ukrainian financial institutions. In 2023, the bank was stripped of its license, and the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) included Ukrainian financial company LEO, Cypriot "LeoPartners", and British Electronic Payment Solutions Ltd, which belonged to Shevtsova, in the sanctions list.
Throughout 2023, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) made a decision to liquidate JSC "Ibox Bank" and JSC "AKB Concord". The regulator justified the decision by systematic violations by these banks of the legislation requirements on preventing and countering the legalization of proceeds from crime, financing of terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. To implement this decision, the Deposit Guarantee Fund, according to the norms of the law on the deposit guarantee system of individuals, began the procedure of liquidating these banks. In December 2023, the institution reported transferring 550 million UAH from JSC "Ibox Bank" to the state budget at the request of the State Tax Service, which audited the bank’s activities before its liquidation began.