"The operational group of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region in the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic detained four suspects of fraud under the guise of raising funds for exchange operations on the Internet. According to reports, during this year, the attackers took part in the implementation of a criminal scheme against citizens of the Russian Federation as a structural link engaged in cash withdrawal," said Irina Volk, an official representative of the Russian Interior Ministry.
This summer, the police were contacted by a woman who said that she was the victim of scammers. In one of the messengers, she met a man who offered to increase her savings through exchange operations. Having believed the malefactor, the victim transferred money to the accounts specified by him.
"Operatives found out that the exchange's website is false and as such is included in the relevant register of the Central Bank. In the course of further work, the police traced the entire chain and found that the stolen savings of the pensioner settled in Kiev. Employees of the call center located there committed remote fraud against Russians under the guise of investments. In order to withdraw funds received from the victims, they organized a network for cashing and converting money on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic. Russian rubles were sent to accomplices in the DPR, and then they exchanged them for hryvnia and sent them to Ukraine," Irina Volk said.
An investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Central district of St. Petersburg opened a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under part four of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The damage exceeded three million rubles.
"Mobile phones, laptops, bank cards, as well as almost one and a half million rubles were seized during searches at the residential addresses of detainees and in rented apartments equipped for offices.
Four defendants were given a measure of procedural compulsion in the form of an obligation to appear. The preliminary investigation continues," Irina Volk said.
• Video:
This summer, the police were contacted by a woman who said that she was the victim of scammers. In one of the messengers, she met a man who offered to increase her savings through exchange operations. Having believed the malefactor, the victim transferred money to the accounts specified by him.
"Operatives found out that the exchange's website is false and as such is included in the relevant register of the Central Bank. In the course of further work, the police traced the entire chain and found that the stolen savings of the pensioner settled in Kiev. Employees of the call center located there committed remote fraud against Russians under the guise of investments. In order to withdraw funds received from the victims, they organized a network for cashing and converting money on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic. Russian rubles were sent to accomplices in the DPR, and then they exchanged them for hryvnia and sent them to Ukraine," Irina Volk said.
An investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Central district of St. Petersburg opened a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under part four of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The damage exceeded three million rubles.
"Mobile phones, laptops, bank cards, as well as almost one and a half million rubles were seized during searches at the residential addresses of detainees and in rented apartments equipped for offices.
Four defendants were given a measure of procedural compulsion in the form of an obligation to appear. The preliminary investigation continues," Irina Volk said.
• Video:
