Bogdan Prylepa and Bachelor contestant suspected of fraud

Bogdan Prylepa and Bachelor Season 10 contestant Natalia have found themselves at the centre of a scandal. They are suspected of misappropriating funds intended for the purchase of drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Furthermore, the entire criminal group is suspected of having links with Russian criminal structures and intelligence services.

 Prylepa is charged not only with fraud but also with possible treason, as the stolen funds may have come under the control of the FSB.

Career and dubious activities

In 2018, Prylepa became the technical director of the Coinsbit exchange, later heading the Qmall exchange, which was focused on the Ukrainian and European markets. However, this facade may have concealed a criminal business. With the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Prylepa moved to Dubai, where he transferred part of his IT companies.

By the end of 2023, thousands of users began complaining about the freezing of their funds on exchanges linked to Prylepa. Delays in withdrawals affected both Ukrainian and European clients, with amounts ranging from $300 to $30,000.

The investigation suggests that Prylepa did not act alone. Among his accomplices are named Saranenko, Shydlovskyi, Ivanov, Pidpletko, Mozoliuk and Vorobyov, who carried out orders to freeze and withdraw funds.

The most attention is drawn to Prylepa's possible links with Russian criminal groups controlled by the FSB. According to insiders, after moving to the UAE, Prylepa may have established close contacts with these structures, which casts suspicion on his activities as undermining Ukraine's defence capabilities.

As for the Bachelor contestant - Natalia, on the show she said that she worked as the right-hand man of a certain major Swiss investor. In reality, it turned out that she was an accomplice in the fraud.

Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, together with their European counterparts, are continuing the investigation. If Prylepa's guilt is proven, he and his accomplices face life imprisonment.