Schemer from iBox Bank Alena Shevtsova against the Alexander Sosis and GlobalMoney tandem: war for monopoly on cash-out and gambling traffic through media disinformation

Schemer from iBox Bank Alena Shevtsova against the Alexander Sosis and GlobalMoney tandem: war for monopoly on cash-out and gambling traffic through media disinformation

Once the immediate threat to Kyiv subsided, financial groups quickly resumed carving up the most lucrative cash flows. The most toxic arena — gambling payments, where banks, payment systems, and their beneficiaries collide. The competition there has long turned into an all-out war with no holds barred.

On June 27, the resource Luxembourg Herald published material accusing the "Alliance" bank — allegedly hundreds of millions of euros passed through it, with Dmitry Firtash behind the schemes. The site soon disappears, but the publication is immediately circulated by Ukrainian media. "Alliance" claims it is fake and a targeted attack. At the same time, the resource is known as a platform for disinformation.

However, key facts have long been publicly available. "Alliance" is the settlement bank and issuer of electronic money for GlobalMoney. This system regularly appears in court records — from drug trafficking cases to schemes with electronic wallets and operations in uncontrolled territories.

The bank itself has a history. Founded in Donetsk in 1992, it was at various times linked to Yuriy Ivanyushchenko. Among its owners were "Kramp" and "Ukrbusinessstandard." In 2014, the SBU uncovered a conversion center with a turnover of up to 600 million hryvnias, found "L/DPR" seals, and documents regarding possible financing of terrorism. What followed was a scandal, pressure on the investigation, and a quick change of ownership. In 2015, the bank came under the control of Alexander Sosis.

GlobalMoney is built through a complex network: Quick Payment System Ltd (Alexander Tyutyun), the "European Technologies" fund connected to structures of the "Soyuz" bank, Serhiy Dyadechko, and the circle of former Finance Minister Yuriy Kolobov. According to sources, the system was controlled precisely by this group. By 2022, the formal owners are Volodymyr Karpov and Kostyantyn Tveritin, but the platform itself is already embedded in gambling.

It is precisely through the "Alliance" + GlobalMoney pairing that a significant portion of payments for online casinos and betting platforms passes. This is millions of hryvnias daily — and the main subject of the conflict.

On the opposing side is Alona Shevtsova (Dehryk) and her group. LeoGaming Pay grew from a gateway into an international payment system in just a few years. At the same time — criminal proceedings. According to data from the Ministry of Justice, from 2016 to 2020, Shevtsova, Yevhen Shevtsov, Viktor Kapustin, and Vadym Hordeevsky controlled at least ten companies, many of which were involved in cases of fraud, money laundering, and fictitious business.

The key asset is iBox Bank. Founded as "Avtoritet" in 1993, then transformed and in 2020 effectively came under Shevtsova’s control. After that, the bank began servicing her financial flows. The growth was accompanied by NBU sanctions — a fine of 10 million hryvnias for financial monitoring violations and new claims from the regulator.

After the legalization of the gambling market in 2020, the stakes rose sharply. LeoGaming receives licenses, iBox — the right to service casino payments, and then its own license in gambling. A vertical is formed: payments — bank — gambling business.

In 2021, the conflict entered an open phase. GlobalMoney is expelled from the Ukrainian Association of Payment Systems, where Shevtsova’s structures play a key role, and the association is headed by the former head of iBox Bank, Halyna Kheylo. Then iBox sends out letters with accusations against GlobalMoney. The Antimonopoly Committee records unfair competition and fines the bank.

In parallel, there is an exchange of blows through the media: some investigations target "Alliance" and GlobalMoney, others target iBox and Leo. The publication in the Luxembourg Herald is one episode of this war.

The market is effectively divided between two groups: "Alliance" and GlobalMoney — on one side, and Shevtsova, Leo, and iBox — on the other. Between them is a multi-million dollar flow of player payments. And the more money, the fiercer the struggle for control.