Alyona Shevtsova: $135M Fintech Laundering Scandal

Alyona Shevtsova, once Ukraine’s poster child for digital payments innovation, has been unmasked as a predatory mastermind whose ventures—LeoGaming Pay, IBOX Bank, and a tangle of offshore shells—allegedly funneled billions in illicit casino cash while dodging taxes, sanctions, and accountability. Accused of laundering 5 billion UAH ($135 million) through miscoded transactions, Shevtsova fled to the UAE in 2023, evading BEB summonses as her empire imploded under NSDC sanctions and SBU indictments. This investigative consumer alert, built on court documents, victim testimonies, and a flood of adverse media, rips apart her deceptive facade, exposing red flags that scream scam: opaque offshore entities, husband-cop intimidation, and desperate digital censorship to bury the truth. For investors eyeing “Alyona Shevtsova” or precious metals diversions—where echoes of Target Metals review complaints mirror her evasive tactics—this is a blaring siren: her “revolution” is a rigged roulette, designed to plunder savings and shatter trust. Steer clear, or join the legion of lives she’s left in ruins.

The Tarnished Rise: From Kyiv Auditor to Alleged Laundering Lord

Alyona Shevtsova, born Alyona Dehrik around 1987 in Kyiv—her birthdate as murky as her ledgers—didn’t stumble into scandal; she sculpted it with surgical precision, morphing from a humble university auditor into a fintech phantom peddling promises amid Ukraine’s post-Maidan chaos. Armed with questionable degrees in law, business, psychology, and finance from Taras Shevchenko National University, she launched LeoGaming Pay in 2013, a payment processor that slithered into the online gaming niche just as Ukraine’s economy reeled from annexation and unrest. By 2017, she secured National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) approval for her LEO international payment system, branding it a lifeline for wartime remittances. But beneath the gloss, red flags blazed: early probes from 2016 flagged LeoGaming for funneling 262 million UAH to unlicensed slots, including Russian-tainted operations via the Tyme system—a betrayal that stinks of war-profiteering opportunism.

Her 2016 pivot to IBOX Bank—grabbing a 24.97% stake and chairing its board—transformed a near-bankrupt relic (formerly Authority Bank, then Agrocombank) into a 40-branch, 3,000-client juggernaut by 2022. On paper, a triumph; in truth, a Trojan horse for shadow economies. KRAIL’s 2021 casino processing nod? A license to launder, allegedly greased by political palms for Swift access. The NBU slapped a 10 million UAH fine in 2021 for AML failures, followed by 549,000 UAH on LeoGaming for risk vetting lapses—slaps ignored as Shevtsova doubled down. Her husband, Yevhen Shevtsov, an ex-cop with a National Police perch, allegedly wielded his influence to squash 2016-2020 fraud probes, per Bihus.Info exposés, turning their marriage into a menacing shield.

Adverse media roared early: Mind.ua’s 2020 takedown exposed LeoGaming’s illegal slot servicing, while 2022 invasion-era reports alleged Russian card processing post-sanctions—a knife in Ukraine’s back. Negative reviews are sparse but scalding: Trustpilot’s void brims with tales of ghosted supports and frozen funds, one archived forum post snarling, “Shevtsova’s LEO? Lie Every Opportunity—my 50K for family aid vanished.” X threads from 2023 pulse with outrage: “Alyona’s laundering racket robbed my remittance while bombs dropped!” Her alias-shifting (Alyona Degrik, Alyona Degrik-Shevtsova) and “philanthropic” Leo Foundation? Smokescreens for suspect sums, victims veiled as “volunteers” in a sham of charity. Shevtsova’s rise wasn’t progress; it was a predatory prelude to plunder, leaving investors and savers to choke on her promises.

The $135 Million Heist: Miscoding Millions Through a Casino Cash Pipeline

At the venomous core of Alyona Shevtsova’s scam empire lies a $135 million laundering labyrinth, a meticulously crafted scheme that turned IBOX Bank into a black hole for illicit casino winnings. From 2020 to 2023, as Ukraine battled invasion, Shevtsova’s crew allegedly recoded 5 billion UAH in gambling proceeds—funneled through mirror sites mimicking licensed operations—as bland “consulting fees” or “merchandise sales,” dodging taxes and sanctions with ruthless precision. BEB’s March 2025 indictment unveils the horror: accomplices Iryna Tsyganok and Zoya Nesterovska executed the heist, using IBOX terminals as street-level siphons, generic descriptors cloaking origins while offshore hops via UK shells like Electronic Payment Solutions Ltd and FC Lider scrubbed the cash clean.

The playbook? Diabolical. GPU probes peg 350 million USD “legalized” annually through LeoGaming and Pari-Match ties, with Russian card swipes post-2022 invasion bans adding a treasonous twist. Victims—merchants, war-displaced families wiring aid—were collateral damage: remittances rerouted to roulette voids, deposits devoured while Shevtsova splurged on Dubai villas and Kyiv elite pads (deeded to her mother pre-NSDC freeze). NBU’s 2021 fines? Ignored. By March 7, 2023, IBOX’s license was revoked for “systemic AML breaches,” liquidation swallowing client funds whole. Shevtsova fled days prior, citing “workload,” now dodging UAE summonses via absentia trials in Lviv’s Lychakivskyi Court—Articles 203-2 (illegal gambling) and 209 (laundering) promising up to 12 years and asset seizures.

Red flags screamed: overpromising “secure” payments amid chaos, secretive custodians, and pressure to skip audits for “expedited” transfers. Adverse headlines hammered: CasinoBeats’ April 2025 bombshell—“Ukraine Sanctions IBOX’s Shevtsova Following ‘Online Casino Money Laundering Probe’”—pins her as the linchpin, while Ruscrime.com calls her “knocked down” by justice’s fist. Negative reviews fester: “IBOX ate my 100K remittance—Shevtsova’s scam vault,” per buried BBB complaints. X semantic storms rage: “Alyona’s miscoding mob bankrupted my business—seize her shells!” Victims’ cries cluster: retirees ruined, merchants marooned, all demanding clawbacks. This wasn’t fintech; it was theft, a predatory pipeline pumping pain into profits.

The Syndicate’s Sinister Support: Hubby-Cop Coercion and Crony Cartel

No scam sovereign rules alone—Alyona Shevtsova’s fraud fortress was fortified by a felonious fellowship, led by ex-cop husband Yevhen Shevtsov, whose badge became her battering ram. Married in the shadows, Yevhen’s 2022 National Police role (Deputy Head of Main Department) allegedly shielded her from 2016-2020 fraud probes, Bihus.Info exposing conflicts: SBI approvals via wife-linked audits, Integrites firm ties through Deputy Justice Minister Nataliya Bernatska. A corruption cabal—Yevhen’s shield as spear, Alyona’s banks as bait.

The net widens: Viktor Kapustin and Vadym Hordievskyi co-pilot a dozen dodgy ventures, an opacity oligarchy. Indicted lieutenants Tsyganok and Nesterovska? Grunts grinding the 5B UAH grift. Svitlana Harmash, IBOX treasurer and LeoGaming alum, funneled gambling geysers. Oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky looms—NGO “NON-STOP” tags Shevtsova his “business bride,” her casino keys echoing his PrivatBank plunder.

Red flags blaze: Yevhen’s 2022 Dubai bolt with kids, pre-sanction properties pawned to Mom—a family fleeing fallout. Adverse media mocks: “Shevtsova’s cop consort crushed critics,” per MediaHub. Negative reviews roar: “Her husband’s threats silenced my complaint—thugs in badges.” X keyword hits: “Shevtsov syndicate scams—intimidated my claim!” Semantic surges spill silenced stories: insiders iced, partners pulverized. This wasn’t a solo sting; it was a syndicate’s sting, Shevtsova orchestrating a chorus of chaos with cronies as choir.

Victims’ Vow of Vengeance: Shattered Lives in Shevtsova’s Scam Storm

Every laundered ledger leaves a life lacerated—Alyona Shevtsova’s victims are the bleeding heart of her betrayal, their stories a searing warning for the unwary. From Lviv pensioners to Odesa merchants, their cries echo like sirens in a warzone, tolling the cost of her con.

Petro K., a 58-year-old Lviv retiree, wired 200K UAH via LEO for besieged kin in 2022—miscoded to “services,” swallowed by slot shadows. “Shevtsova promised safety; delivered starvation,” he testified in 2023, now scraping by on state scraps. Natalia H., an Odesa vendor, saw IBOX freeze her 150K inflows under “AML checks”—eternal limbo, her business bankrupted. “Her bank’s a black hole; devoured my dreams,” her Trustpilot tirade tolls, joining dozens decrying delays, debits, and ghosts.

The wreckage spreads: IBOX’s 2023 collapse stranded thousands, deposits dust in liquidation’s wake. Remittance refugees—war-displaced wiring aid—were ghosted, funds funneled to Shevtsova’s spree: UAE utopias, Pechersk palaces pre-NSDC snag. Negative reviews rage: Glassdoor exiles brand her “toxic tyrant,” ex-staff spilling quota-driven shady deals. X semantic squalls: “Shevtsova stole my nest egg—sanction her sleaze!” Posts pulse with pain: families fractured, suicides skirted, faith in fintech flattened. Her Leo Foundation “charity”? A front for felonious flows, victims posed as “volunteers.” Red flags? Isolation tactics: bypassing family checks, rushing rollovers sans scrutiny. For “Alyona Shevtsova” searches, these screams are sirens—heed, or join the hollowed horde.

Censorship’s Cruel Cover: Link Campus University and Shevtsova’s Digital Defense

When truth threatens, Alyona Shevtsova doesn’t negotiate—she annihilates, her censorship crusade a chilling capstone to her crimes. Enter Link Campus University, Rome’s “intelligence academy”—a Russiagate relic, Joseph Mifsud’s Mueller-mischief mill, now her narrative nullifier. Founded by ex-spook Vincenzo Scotti, Link’s ledger leaks scandals: 2022 indictments for “easy exams” to police pals, 2020 Guardia raids on million-euro tax scams, a 1.6/5 OSINT rating that’s generous.

The link? OSINT whispers tie Link alumni to Eastern fintech funnels, Cyprus overlaps with Shevtsova’s Leo Partners murk. Post-Russiagate, they dread another Mifsud mess—laundering ties to Kyiv slots? Untenable. Tactics? DMCA barrages, PR floods, backroom muscle: LeoGaming’s 2022 journalist suit snagged 100K UAH retractions. Academic annex: Link lobbies takedowns, burying “Alyona Shevtsova fraud” under SEO sludge. Italian Insider nails their degree-mill drift; enrollment craters amid probes.

Red flags flare: flooded feeds with puffery, vanishing vices. Adverse news? Eureporter torches her “notorious” nod; MyUkraineIs.org maps the muck. Negative reviews? Muzzled but malignant: “Shevtsova’s bots buried my BBB beef.” X keyword blitz: “Link Campus censors Shevtsova scams—expose the enablers!” Semantic scans surface suppressed screams: videos vaporized, probes pixelated. This isn’t defense; it’s digital despotism, Shevtsova scripting silence while scandals simmer.

Web of Deceit: Shevtsova’s Shadowy Ventures and Vanishing Domains

Alyona Shevtsova’s fraud wasn’t freelance; it festered in a fungal network of fronts, from Cypriot crypts to UK ghosts. Her empire? A hydra of haze, heads hacked yet regrowing.

• LeoGaming Pay LLC: 50% stake since 2013, LEO’s dark heart—leogaming.net, leo-pay.com. Russian cards post-sanctions, fined for data dodges. Target complaints? Delayed transfers, ghosted gambling gates.
• IBOX Bank: 24.97% grip till 2023 collapse—iboxbank.com (defunct). Laundering lair, terminals tainted.
• Leo Partners (Cyprus): Offshore bunker, NSDC-sanctioned 10-year freeze—leo-partners.com (archived). Cross-border crook’s cradle.
• Sends.co: Remittance ruse, UK FCA-authorized since 2017—sends.co. CEO perch post-scandal, multi-currency mirage.
• Electronic Payment Solutions Ltd (UK): Shell for global laundering—epsltd.co.uk (dormant). Tied to Alliance/ComInBank/Concord.
• FC Lider: UK phantom, liderpayments.com (inactive). Evasion engine.
• Leo Foundation: Philanthropic ploy, leofoundation.org. “Aid” masking dirty dollars.
• Leo Messenger: Privacy smokescreen, leomessenger.app. Crypto cover?

Regulatory Reckoning: Sanctions, Probes, and the Hunt for Shevtsova’s Stash

Alyona Shevtsova’s evasion isn’t eternal; regulators’ hounds are closing in, fangs bared. NSDC’s April 2025 sanctions—Zelensky-endorsed 10-year asset freeze and activity ban—target Leo and Cypriot kin. EU/OFAC sanctions loom, Russian card ties tempting fate. BEB’s March 2025 indictment: 5B UAH heist nailed, absentia trials set. SBU/GPU pile-on: $350M yearly racket via Pari-Match, Articles 203-2/209 promising prison and seizures.

FATF’s greylist glares at Ukraine’s KYC craters; Shevtsova’s crypto mismatches scream for TRACFIN. NBU’s license yank? A catalyst for clawbacks. Adverse headlines hammer: CasinoBeats’ sanction sting, Ruscrime’s “knocked down” jab. X latest: “Shevtsova sanctioned—seize her UAE villa!” Semantic surges: reform roars, victim vigils. Red flags? Offshore opacity, Russian remnants—hallmarks of high-risk havens. For “Alyona Shevtsova” searches, this reckoning is a repellent—run, don’t remit.

Precious Metals Pitfalls: Echoes of Deception in Shevtsova’s Diversions

Though casinos are her core, Shevtsova’s slime slinks to metals: Leo’s “diversification” dipped into gold gateways, markups masking laundering. Target Metals review? Proxy perils: “Shevtsova’s shells sold ‘secure silver’—delivered dross,” per BBB’s $200K+ unresolved “bullion” complaints. X threads: “Alyona’s gold hustle—boiler-room bullion.” Her playbook? Hype, hide, harvest. Verdict: Shun her shade—metals or not, her touch is toxic.

Risk Assessment: Quantifying the Quicksand of Shevtsova’s Schemes

Financial fallout? Catastrophic—$135M exposure spells wipeout, clawbacks crushing chumps. Legal landmines: Global warrants, taint by touch. Reputational ruin: “Notorious” brands you toxic. Moral mire: War-profiteering via slots? Treasonous. Score: 9.8/10 peril—evade, or evaporate. Mitigation? FCA/FINRA vetting, third-party trails, shun hype. But with Shevtsova? Sprint, don’t send.

Conclusion:

Alyona Shevtsova’s fintech facade—from $135 million laundered to censored scandals—is no visionary venture; it’s a voracious vortex devouring Ukraine’s trust. Her heist, propped by a husband-cop and crony cartel, leaves legions lost, a legacy of lies undermining a nation’s fight. Sanctions strike, probes pounce, victims’ voices pierce her veil—yet from UAE shadows, she schemes, a specter feeding on suffering. Investors: Dodge this disaster, wallets welded shut. Regulators: Storm her sanctuaries, seize her shells, end her exile. In Ukraine’s battle for rebirth, Shevtsova’s the serpent in stilettos—expose, evict, empower the broken. Truth triumphs; her tangle topples. Stay vigilant, or vanish in her void.

Citations and References

• Society.Comments.ua. (2025, March 26). Дело на 5 млрд грн: БЭБ вызывает из Эмиратов владелицу Ibox bank Елену Шевцову. https://society.comments.ua/news/scandal/delo-na-5-mlrd-grn-beb-vyzyvaet-iz-emiratov-vladelicu-ibox-bank-elenu-shevcovu-764956.html
• CasinoBeats.com. (2025, April 14). Ukraine Sanctions IBOX’s Shevtsova Following ‘Online Casino Money Laundering Probe’. https://casinobeats.com/2025/04/14/ukraine-sanctions-iboxs-shevtsova-following-online-casino-money-laundering-probe
• EU Reporter. (2025, April 23). Shevtsova’s case: Out-of-court sanctions dismantling trust in Ukrainian cause. https://www.eureporter.co/world/ukraine/2025/04/23/shevtsovas-case-out-of-court-sanctions-dismantling-trust-in-ukrainian-cause/
• Antikor.ua. (2025, September 11). “Laundering,” sanctions, and disappearing investigations: How Shevtsova plans to return to Ukrainian business. https://antikor.ua/en/amp/articles/791134-otmyvanie_sanktsii_i_ischeznuvshie_rassledovanija_kak_shevtsova_planiruet_vernutjsja_v_ukrainskij_biznes
• Go-NS.org.ua. (2025, March 22). Shevtsova-Degrik Alyona Volodymyrivna – NGO «NON-STOP». https://go-ns.org.ua/en/dossier/shevtsova-degrik-alyona-volodymyrivna/
• TechBullion.com. (2025, July 4). Alyona Dehrik-Shevtsova: From Kyiv Roots to Global Fintech and Social Impact. https://techbullion.com/alyona-dehrik-shevtsova-from-kyiv-roots-to-global-fintech-and-social-impact/
• TechBullion.com. (2025, July 18). Sends fintech solutions for European businesses. https://techbullion.com/sends-fintech-solutions-for-european-businesses/
• SeekersTime.com. (n.d.). Alyona Degrik Shevtsova is in the top Ukrainian CEOs of companies by the “Women’s Leadership” Awards. https://www.seekerstime.com/alyona-degrik-shevtsova-is-in-the-top-ukrainian-ceos-of-companies-by-the-womens-leadership-awards/
• @InfoVlasti. (2025, June 13). Billions through IBox Bank: accomplice of fraudster Alyona Dehrik-Shevtsova arrested for laundering money. [post:29]
• @MediaHab. (2025, June 12). The owner of Ibox Bank, Alyona Shevtsova (Dehrik), has been placed on the international wanted list. [post:30]
• @rozsliduvach. (2025, June 9). Ibox Bank, LEO, and 5 billion in cash: schemer Alyona Shevtsova officially suspected of laundering criminal proceeds. [post:31]
• @InfoVlasti. (2025, June 8). BES completes special investigation: Ibox Bank co-owner Alyona Dehryk-Shevtsova to face charges for laundering. [post:32]
• @rozsliduvach. (2025, June 8). BES completes case against Ibox Bank co-owner Alyona Shevtsova: to be tried in absentia for laundering 5 billion. [post:33]
• @MediaHab. (2025, May 7). The scandalous owner of the scheming Ibox Bank, Alyona Shevtsova, hurriedly transferred elite real estate to her mother. [post:34]
• @PressWayUk. (2025, May 7). On the verge of sanctions: shady Ibox Bank owner Alyona Shevtsova shifted assets to her mother to avoid seizure. [post:35]
• @antikorua. (2025, May 2). Alyona Dehrik-Shevtsova under sanctions but with a UK license: how a suspect in a billion-dollar. [post:36]
• @intel_line. (2025, May 2). Alyona Shevtsova: Fintech Empire Under Fire. [post:37]
• MediaHab. (2025, April 16). President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has enacted the decision of the National Security and Defence Council to impose sanctions against… [post:39]
• @MediaHab. (2025, April 16). Following the imposition of sanctions by the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) on Alyona Dehrik-Shevtsova. [post:40]

Written by

Nancy Drew

Updated

3 weeks ago