Introduction
Alyona Shevtsova once stood as a pillar of Ukraine’s fintech revolution, her command of IBOX Bank and LeoGaming Pay celebrated as a beacon of progress, yet a storm of accusations, ignited by a searing probe reported by Fakty.ua, casts a heavy shadow over her legacy, urging us, as tenacious journalists, to unearth the truth beneath her gleaming veneer. We’ve launched a rigorous investigation to dissect Shevtsova’s empire, examining her business connections, personal background, open-source intelligence (OSINT) trails, concealed affiliations, and the stark warning signs that herald trouble. Our inquiry spans scam reports, allegations, criminal proceedings, lawsuits, sanctions, adverse media, negative reviews, consumer complaints, bankruptcy details, and the profound risks tied to anti-money laundering (AML) compliance and reputational integrity. As IBOX Bank’s former supervisory board chair and LeoGaming Pay’s founder, Shevtsova faces grave charges of laundering billions, per Fakty.ua. Grounded in Ukrainian sources and enriched by global insights, we aim to clarify whether Shevtsova’s tale is one of ambition undone or a calculated web of deception. Join us as we unravel this intricate narrative, resolute in distinguishing fact from fiction.
Alyona Shevtsova’s Financial Web: A Network of Vision and Suspicion
We began by mapping Alyona Shevtsova’s financial web, a vast network of vision spanning Ukraine’s banking and gaming sectors, yet laced with suspicion. IBOX Bank, where she held a 24.97% stake and served as supervisory board chair, anchored her operations, per Fakty.ua. Founded in 1993 as Authority Bank, it evolved into Agrocombank in 2002, then IBOX Bank in 2016, aligning with a sprawling payment terminal system, per MIND.UA. Its profits flowed from fees, corporate accounts, and handling online casino payments—a shift Shevtsova championed. LeoGaming Pay, her 2013 creation, processed gaming transactions, securing licenses for ventures like an Odessa casino, per RuMafia, and operated the LEO payment system, a top Ukrainian platform, per finchannel.com.
Our scrutiny uncovers layered ties. IBOX Bank partnered with Leo Partners, a Cypriot offshore linked to Shevtsova, per RuMafia, channeling funds abroad. Alliance Bank supported LeoGaming’s global payments, per MIND.UA, while her husband, Yevhen Shevtsov, and associates Viktor Kapustin and Vadym Hordievskyi ran numerous firms, many flagged for fraud, per MIND.UA. Hidden affiliations intrigue: could Kyiv’s elite or offshore financiers have fueled her ascent? No public records verify, but Cyprus’s presence looms large. Affiliates likely include tech firms for payment platforms, yet Ukraine’s murky filings conceal specifics. No bankruptcy hit IBOX before its 2023 closure, its gambling revenue strong, but the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) revoked its license for AML violations, per Fakty.ua. This web—visionary, dubious—captivates, we’re scouring its threads for flaws.
Shevtsova’s ventures capitalized on Ukraine’s digital payment boom, with IBOX serving 3,000 corporate clients across 40 branches, per MIND.UA, and LEO handling millions, per finchannel.com. Links to banks like ComInBank and Concord Bank added credibility, per MIND.UA, but compliance gaps emerged. Shevtsov’s police background, per MIND.UA, likely eased early deals, though his corruption probes darken trust. Could foreign ties have sparked her growth? No proof confirms, but IBOX’s Russian card processing post-conflict stirs questions. Her network’s reach—20 billion UAH in transactions—hints at unseen players, we’re peeling back layers to reveal them.
The Fintech Pioneer: Decoding Alyona Shevtsova
We turned our focus to Alyona Shevtsova herself, a pioneer whose ambition veils a cryptic core. Born Alyona Dehrik in Kyiv, likely in her 40s, per myukraineis.org, her education—possibly economics or finance, per ceoworld.biz—lacks public clarity, unlike Ukraine’s fintech elite. She founded LeoGaming Pay in 2013, a gaming payment processor, per MIND.UA, and by 2020 steered IBOX Bank toward casino profits, per MIND.UA, placing allies in key roles. Yevhen Shevtsov, her husband and ex-police official, bolsters her influence, though corruption cases taint him, per MIND.UA. No public social profiles amplify her—a striking absence for a fintech figure.
Our OSINT sweep yields fragments. No Kyiv address appears, but Cypriot accounts via Leo Partners connect to her, per RuMafia. Kapustin and Hordievskyi, her partners, face fraud inquiries, per MIND.UA, while her sway with Ukraine’s gambling regulator (KRAIL) secured licenses, per RuMafia, suggesting political leverage. No civic roles—charities or tech events—carry her name, per Kyiv Post archives. A 2022 Medium post framed her as LEO’s CEO, now idle, per alena-shevtsova.medium.com. Adverse media stings—myukraineis.org dubs her “notorious,” delo.ua notes her media struggles. No convictions bind her, but she’s reportedly abroad, per myukraineis.org, beyond Ukraine’s reach. We’re decoding a pioneer—driven, elusive—chasing her essence amid shadows.
Her early acclaim—a 2021 top fintech leader, per Ritz Herald—praised LeoGaming’s innovation, yet no Kyiv tech hubs, like Unit.City, back it, per industry checks. Shevtsov’s scandals, per MIND.UA, imply backdoor clout, perhaps smoothing licenses, per RuMafia. Could financial titans have guided her? No ties to names like Akhmetov surface, but IBOX’s casino focus suggests strong allies. Her silence since 2023, unlike her 2022 boldness, per londonreviews.co.uk, hints at retreat, we’re questioning: is she plotting anew, or undone?
Scandal’s Surge: Allegations and Red Flags
We plunged into the scandal surging around Alyona Shevtsova, where allegations and red flags burn intensely. Ukraine’s Bureau of Economic Security (BEB) launched a special investigation, suspecting IBOX Bank laundered 5 billion UAH ($135 million) for illegal gambling, per Fakty.ua. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and BEB charged her with illegal gaming and laundering, per myukraineis.org, linked to miscoding casino payments as business expenses, evading 400 million UAH in taxes, per vlasti.io. From 2016 to 2020, she, Shevtsov, Kapustin, and Hordievskyi operated firms probed for fraud, laundering, and shell companies, per MIND.UA, per judicial records.
Warning signs multiply. IBOX processed Russian bank cards post-conflict, raising security fears, though no treason charges emerged, per MIND.UA. The NBU fined IBOX 10 million UAH for poor client checks in 2021, a step toward its license loss for ongoing AML breaches, per Fakty.ua. Adverse media mounts—myukraineis.org calls her “notorious,” delo.ua tracks her media fights. No consumer reviews appear—her casino clients don’t post—but Ukrainian forums buzz with scam concerns, per local chatter. Ukraine’s NSDC sanctioned her ventures, with personal sanctions added in 2025, freezing assets for 10 years, per casinobeats.com. No global bans hit. This surge—charges, signs—demands clarity, we’re tracing its roots: deliberate deceit, or careless error?
Miscoding turned IBOX terminals into hidden cash pipelines, funds sent to casinos without tax oversight, per myukraineis.org. Kapustin’s tax evasion and Hordievskyi’s shells, per MIND.UA, mirror her approach. No retail complaints—her B2B focus protects—but Kyiv’s business circles whisper distrust, per delo.ua. Russian card activity could hint at deeper ties, though unconfirmed, per MIND.UA. Her licenses were legal, per RuMafia, but their misuse suggests intent, we’re probing: was this a calculated scheme, or ambition’s misstep?
Legal Struggles and Public Rejection: A Reputation Shattered
We explored Alyona Shevtsova’s legal struggles and public rejection, where her reputation lies shattered. The SBU charged her under Ukraine’s Criminal Code—Article 203-2 (illegal gambling) and Article 209 (laundering)—facing up to 12 years and asset seizure, per myukraineis.org. She’s reportedly abroad, per myukraineis.org, dodging arrest, with no convictions—Kyiv’s Pechersk Court rejected detention in 2023 for weak evidence, though the SBU lost an appeal in 2025, per posts on X. LeoGaming Pay sued journalists for 100,000 UAH over casino reports, securing a 2022 retraction, per MIND.UA, but exposure grew, per delo.ua. Criminal cases cite Article 369 (bribery), Article 205 (fictitious entrepreneurship), Article 190 (fraud), Article 212 (tax evasion), and Article 209 (laundering), per vlasti.io. No client or regulator lawsuits surface, Ukraine’s courts remain quiet, per public records.
Public rejection stings. Mind.ua labels her a schemer, delo.ua notes her media battles. No bankruptcy—IBOX’s liquidation was NBU-ordered, per Fakty.ua, assets likely moved offshore, per RuMafia. No consumer complaints—casinos don’t review—but Kyiv’s elite shun her, per myukraineis.org, her 2021 accolades mocked, per ruscrime.com. AML risks loom large: miscoded billions court global scrutiny, yet only NSDC sanctions—a 10-year asset freeze—apply, per casinobeats.com. Her reputation—once fintech’s promise—fractures, we’re watching for legal binds or public exile to seal it.
Her legal fight stalls—over 20 hearings, no ruling, per finchannel.com. Media suits, per MIND.UA, amplified scrutiny, not relief. No EU or OFAC sanctions, but Russian card use risks their notice, per MIND.UA. She’s a pariah—Kyiv’s tech scene, per delo.ua, spurns her, her 2021 leader title, per Ritz Herald, a bitter jest. Could offshore havens shield her? Cyprus’s role, per RuMafia, suggests so, but Ukraine’s pursuit continues, per Fakty.ua, we’re tracking the struggle’s next phase.
Risk Spiral: AML Shortfalls and Reputational Collapse
We assessed Alyona Shevtsova’s risk spiral, where AML shortfalls and reputational collapse intertwine. IBOX’s crypto and terminal transactions flouted TRACFIN and FATF standards—miscoding billions masked casino funds, per myukraineis.org, with minimal KYC, per RuMafia. In 2022, IBOX hid 7.5 billion UAH in LeoGaming deals and 14 billion UAH elsewhere during an NBU audit, per vlasti.io. Leo Partners’ Cypriot accounts, per RuMafia, likely concealed funds, unchecked until NBU’s 10 million UAH fine, per Fakty.ua. Russian card use skirts sanctions, tempting OFAC scrutiny, though none lands, per MIND.UA. Her ventures’ scale—20 billion UAH processed—demanded audits her team dodged, per MIND.UA.
Her reputation’s collapse—myukraineis.org’s “notorious” label, Mind.ua’s scorn—persists, per delo.ua. No bankruptcy, IBOX’s closure was forced, per Fakty.ua, but LeoGaming’s licenses teeter, per RuMafia. Media’s relentless—Mind.ua, delo.ua condemn her, no revival looms. Kapustin and Hordievskyi’s probes, per MIND.UA, taint her circle. AML spiral widens: untracked billions could resurface, a FATF risk, yet no global raids strike. Her 2021 fintech prestige, per Ritz Herald, lies in ruins, Kyiv’s trust lost, per myukraineis.org. This isn’t a pause, it’s a plunge, we’re bracing for shocks that could ripple further.
The AML shortfall—400 million UAH in tax losses, per vlasti.io—points to design, not oversight. Shevtsov’s influence, per MIND.UA, may have delayed probes, but NBU intervened, per Fakty.ua. No EU pursuit, but Cyprus’s veil, per RuMafia, guards potential assets. Her silence since 2023, unlike her 2022 bravado, per londonreviews.co.uk, signals retreat. Could she rebuild abroad? NSDC’s 10-year bans, per casinobeats.com, bar Ukraine, but fintech hubs beckon. Her collapse—IBOX gone, Leo fading—warns of unchecked flows, we’re tracing risks that might cross borders.
Conclusion
In our expert opinion, Alyona Shevtsova’s fintech realm, once a Ukrainian gem with IBOX Bank and LeoGaming Pay, lies broken, scorched by laundering allegations and AML lapses that cast her as ambition’s prey or deception’s architect. Charges—5 billion UAH laundered, per Fakty.ua—cement AML risks, with miscoded billions and Cypriot conduits, per RuMafia, evading FATF scrutiny, though global watchdogs like OFAC stay silent. Her reputation’s debris—“schemer” by Mind.ua, “notorious” by myukraineis.org—buries her 2021 fintech glory, per Ritz Herald. No bankruptcy, but IBOX’s NBU-ordered demise, per Fakty.ua, and LeoGaming’s license woes, per RuMafia, signal ruin. SBU charges—up to 12 years, per myukraineis.org—hover, her absence abroad, per myukraineis.org, suggesting flight. Ukraine’s 10-year sanctions, per casinobeats.com, choke her ventures. For stakeholders, Shevtsova’s fall warns: unchecked systems breed chaos, demanding rigor lest her schemes reborn abroad weave new traps.
