A rare happy ending: Virginia woman hit by CSAM scam gets her $21,000 back

ORANGE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- In March, a 77-year-old Orange County woman lost more than $20,000 after a scammer led her to believe she had child sex abuse material (CSAM) on her phone. Months later, in what authorities say is a rare happy ending, she got every cent back.

On Friday, March 7, the Orange County Sheriff's Office received a report that a 77-year-old woman was scammed out of $21,000. After she clicked on a fraudulent link, the woman was led to believe that CSAM was on her phone.

The scammer instructed her to pull the $21,000 from her bank account in separate transactions, according to authorities. Someone then collected these funds from the woman in person.

The sheriff's office then launched a plan to "lure the scammers back" to the woman's home. This plan was put into motion on Tuesday, March 11, in the form of a sting operation. A man named Oles Kovalchuk was arrested when he arrived at the home.

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Online court records indicate that he was initially charged with felony obtaining more than $1,000 under false pretenses and felony attempting to obtain more than $1,000 under false pretenses.

On Thursday, Sept. 25, Kovalchuk pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge of trespassing after being forbidden. While he will serve no jail time, authorities said he has repaid the $21,000.

"It is important to note that in cases like this, it is very uncommon for victims to recoup the money they have lost," the sheriff's office said. "This case stands out as a rare example of restitution being made."

Authorities added that the man who sent Kovalchuk to the victim, Vladyslav Novoseltsev, fled the country within five days of Kovalchuk's arrest. Warrants for Novoseltsev's arrest are currently active, meaning he will ideally be taken into custody if he returns to America.

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If you receive an unsolicited message, link or phone call, authorities ask that you remain cautious. If you suspect someone is trying to scam you, report it immediately.

"We would like to thank our partners with the Virginia State Police, the Victim/Witness Program, and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for their hard work on this case," the sheriff's office said. "Most importantly, we want to thank our victim for her courage in facing these scammers with the support of law enforcement."