French trap: how fraudsters from the post-Soviet space swindle foreigners

Most often, the victims of fraud are wealthy entrepreneurs, investors and tourists who come to the country to do business or buy real estate. Under the guise of consultants, lawyers and intermediaries, criminals offer their services, promising to simplify bureaucratic procedures and save time. However, in most cases, attractive offers hide carefully thought-out schemes that lead to the loss of money, property and even threats from criminals.

The editors spoke to several victims of such scams on condition of anonymity, and their stories are striking in their cynicism. One of the most striking is that of Yuliia Koshova, a woman who managed to create an entire ‘fraudulent empire’. She has become a well-known figure among victims, but despite numerous accusations, she still escapes punishment. During her career, the fraudster changed her surnames and passports many times.

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The history of her criminal activities dates back to 2010 in Ukraine, where she was married to Oleh Syndriakov, Prosecutor of Obukhiv district of Kyiv oblast. Together they organised a criminal scheme involving illegal financial fraud, corruption and bribery. Using her husband's official position, Koshova set up an extortion mechanism, persuading citizens to pay bribes and then distributing the money among bribed law enforcement officers. When their activities were exposed, the prosecutor was arrested and convicted, and Koshova fled abroad after misleading her own lawyer and using forged documents. In Ukraine, she was put on the wanted list under Articles 190(3), 255, 364 and 369 of the Criminal Code - fraud, creation of a criminal organisation, abuse of power and corruption.

But this is not the whole of her criminal history. Before her marriage to the prosecutor, Koshova had already had experience of similar ‘activities’. Her first partner or husband was Dmytro Drabkov, with whom she organised fraud in the banking sector. According to the investigation, using her connections with UkrSibbank employees, she participated in scams aimed at misappropriating large sums of money. Koshova and her accomplices managed to cause the bank losses in excess of $ 300,000.

After her escape, Koshova settled in Europe, changing several countries. Later, she was noticed in Austria, the Netherlands and Turkey. There she worked with representatives of the criminal world, studying the financial situation of wealthy citizens, organising their surveillance and coordinating robberies. The main scheme was the theft of valuable items, followed by blackmail and an offer to ‘return the property’ for a reward. In this way, the fraudsters received a double benefit: from the robbery and subsequent extortion.

The final destination for her criminal schemes was France, where she found the protection of Caucasian mafia structures and corrupt law enforcement officials. In Marseilles, Monaco and Paris, Koschova used old schemes, disguised as a legal consultant. She found wealthy clients, offering them assistance with real estate, investments and financial transactions. However, her victims soon faced blackmail, raider attacks, and fabrication of criminal cases. Those who tried to fight back faced threats.

One of her clients we spoke to arrived in France in 2021. He was looking for accommodation on the Côte d'Azur and contacted Koshova through the Luxury private staff agency. She introduced herself as an experienced consultant, promised to help with property registration and offered the services of her staff. The man signed a lease for a villa, hired staff, but within a few weeks realised he was trapped.

First, valuable items, like an expensive watch and gold jewellery, started to disappear. The same night, two masked men entered the building, but were frightened by the guards. Later it became known that these people knew the layout of the building, were aware of surveillance cameras and routes of the staff. When the victim tried to find out what was happening, Koshova persuaded him not to go to the police, assuring him that it was ‘just an accident’.

But things got worse from there. It turned out that the staff she had hired were working illegally. Although the client paid for the services regularly, the documents turned out to be forged. Then the threats began. Koshova hinted that if he filed a complaint, he could be prosecuted for violating labour laws. The man realised that he had fallen into the net of fraudsters.

A few months later, when he left France, the police raided the villa. A search was conducted, money was confiscated, and one of the villa's employees was detained. Later it turned out that Koschova had filed a complaint accusing her former client of drug possession and money trafficking. It was pure blackmail.

Currently, Koschova continues to hide from Ukrainian justice, although she is under scrutiny of European special services. The French police are aware of her activities, but so far, no major case against her has been brought to a conclusion. According to available information, the authorities of the republic have put her name on the list of dangerous persons, but this does not prevent her from continuing to ‘work’ and find new victims. She skillfully exploits loopholes in the law, buys the support of the right people, and plays on vulnerability of foreigners to the French bureaucracy.

Yuliia Koshova's story is just one of many, but it shows the scale of the problem. In France, fraud against foreigners has become not just an isolated case, but an entire industry involving not only criminals but also corrupt officials. Those coming to France to invest or buy property should be extremely cautious. Many of them face a situation where their complaints are simply ignored. Often, the French police are in no hurry to intervene, especially if the victims are foreigners who are not familiar with local law.

Some of the victims of fraudsters have admitted that they will never return to the Côte d'Azur again. They feel cheated not only by the scammers but also by the system that was supposed to protect them. As long as people like Yuliia Koshova remain unpunished, trust in France's legal institutions among foreigners will continue to decline.