Up to 6 years in prison for “drop” schemes: The Verkhovna Rada passes the law

Author:
Anastasiia Zaikova
Date:

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, in its second reading and as a whole, adopted Bill No. 16013, which strengthens liability for financial fraud, in particular with "drops".

This is stated in the bill card No. 16013.

270 MPs voted for this decision. For the law to finally come into force, it must be signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Law No. 16013 provides for criminal liability for illegal actions with payment instructions, messages, cards, and other means of access to bank accounts and electronic wallets.

In particular, the bill provides for a fine of between UAH 5 100 and UAH 17 000 for citizens who transfer their own cards, credentials, or account access to participate in an illegal scheme.

At the same time, those who receive, buy, store, or sell access to other peopleʼs accounts may be fined from UAH 51 000 to UAH 85 000 or imprisoned for a term of two to four years.

If the perpetrator violates the law again or does so in collusion with a group of people, the fine will range from UAH 85 000 to UAH 170 000. Those involved may also face four to 6 years in prison.

At the same time, the law may exempt from criminal liability a person who violated the law for the first time under this article, voluntarily reported such a crime, and actively contributed to its disclosure.

The law also expands the list of cases in which companies can be subject to criminal penalties. In addition, it determines which law enforcement agencies will investigate crimes related to the use of other peopleʼs bank cards and accounts.

  • “Drops” are people who give their bank cards, accounts, or access to them to others. Fraudsters use them to hide illegal payments and the true recipients of the funds.
  • In July, the State Financial Monitoring Service reported that in the first half of 2026, it detected almost UAH 200 billion of suspicious financial transactions and identified more than 12 000 "drops".

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