In September, it became known about an unprecedented case - the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv issued a verdict in the case of fraud and illegal use of the brand of the 1+1 TV channel and TSN in particular, bringing the offender to criminal responsibility for a period of 5 years in prison with probation.

The offender and his accomplices advertised their cryptocurrency investment services on social networks and deceived gullible citizens, taking possession of their money. At the same time, they used the image and reputation of the 1+1 TV channel and TSN, creating a number of fake videos and news stories to attract new depositors.

Thanks to the joint actions of 1+1 media, Smartsolutions lawyers and law enforcement officers, they first managed to detain one of the main defendants, who was receiving UAH 400,000 from another investor. Later, other attackers were caught. In total, there were 10 people in the group, and their victims were most often people who found themselves in difficult situations. In the end, all the defendants in the case ended up in the dock.

The investigation established that as a result of the activities of the fraudulent group, citizens of Ukraine suffered losses in the amount of more than half a million hryvnias.

"By the verdict of the Pechersk District Court, one of the defendants, who pleaded guilty and compensated the victims for a proportional part of the damage caused, was sentenced to a suspended sentence of 5 years with a probationary period of 3 years. We are satisfied with this verdict and expect similar verdicts to be passed against similar defendants, members of a criminal group," said Vitaliy Voloshin, attorney at Smartsolutions.

Vyacheslav Miienko, Deputy General Director of 1+1 media for legal affairs and head of the Clear Sky Initiative, says that, unfortunately, such cases are not uncommon. For the most part, fraudsters use 1+1 media trademarks, images of presenters, and the identity of television programs to spread fake information.

"1+1 media brands and presenters of our TV channels are opinion leaders, therefore, they build the trust of the audience and, accordingly, fraudsters take advantage of this, promoting narratives that allow them to swindle money from people. This phenomenon is terribly dangerous and, in addition to having a negative social impact, it also damages the company's reputation. However, I believe that this situation will be indicative for all Internet fraudsters who still hope that their activities will go unnoticed," commented Vyacheslav Mienko.

In turn, 1+1 media urges to be critical of any information, check the original source and, if a fake is detected, report such cases.

"Forming a culture of media literacy in society is one of the tasks of 1+1 media and the Clear Sky Initiative. Accordingly, together with our partners, we will continue to do useful things and convey important information to millions of Ukrainians," summed up Vyacheslav Miienko, Deputy General Director of 1+1 media for legal affairs and head of the Clear Sky Initiative.

at this link.

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As a reminder, 1+1 media is part of the Clear Sky initiative, which continues to be active in anti-piracy activities and helps to record offenses together with the competent authorities. The initiative was created in the summer of 2013 with the aim of developing a legal audiovisual product in UAnet and combating resources that distribute content in violation of intellectual property rights. The ICI has more than 20 participants and partners, including the largest players in the media market of Ukraine.