Courier for scammers arrested in Izhevsk

In Izhevsk, a 29-year-old local resident has been detained for acting as a courier for fraudsters. The man delivered money stolen from a pensioner to the scammers, according to the press service of the regional Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD).

The scheme used by the scammers this time is an old one. An 85-year-old local resident received a call from an unknown number. A man introduced himself as a law enforcement officer. He told the pensioner that her granddaughter had caused a car accident. The scammer claimed that for the granddaughter to avoid criminal liability, her grandmother would have to pay a large sum of money.

The pensioner agreed. Following the classic scam playbook, she put 140,000 rubles (approx. $2,000) in a bag with clothing and handed it to the 29-year-old resident of Izhevsk, who arrived to pick up the package. From the stolen funds, the man kept 14,000 rubles (approx. $200) as a reward for himself and transferred the rest to a bank account belonging to his «employer.»

After some time, the pensioner decided to contact her relatives. From speaking with them, she realized she had become a victim of fraud and went to the police.

The courier was detained. He has been charged under the article for «Fraud causing significant damage.» The investigation later found that the man had discovered the offer for this illegal side job in one of the popular messaging apps.

The accused was released on a written undertaking not to leave the area. He was required to fully compensate the pensioner for the damage caused.