Life Coach Swindles Client Out of 8 Million Rubles

A life coach in Yekaterinburg swindled a woman out of several million rubles under the pretext of psychological consultations, bioenergetics and other practices. The victim tried to back out, but the psychologist began threatening her with fatal diseases and writing from fake accounts. Eventually the woman went to the police, and the coach was arrested. Here is what is known about this story.

The Coach, the Tibetan Monk and the Lawyer

Marina (name changed — Ed. note.), 30, met Daria Aksenova through mutual acquaintances. Daria presented herself as an experienced psychologist and life coach who could help change one’s destiny. The new acquaintance told Marina that her mental state was poor and that she needed to work on herself. Otherwise, she would face inevitable deterioration and even death, and the same fate awaited her relatives.

Marina began regular consultations with Daria, who charged a hefty sum for her services. Among other things, the coach said she knew a powerful Tibetan monk and could arrange a consultation with him. The “monk” soon contacted Marina via social media. Of course, the Tibetan demanded a large financial payment. But the fraudster convinced the victim that if she did not transfer the money, her father would start having health problems.

“Despite intensive training in ‘money mindset’, the victim’s finances soon ran out and she could no longer pay for the ‘bioenergeticist’s’ services. The deceived woman had accumulated debts from loans she had rashly taken out to pay the ‘psychologist’. The victim wanted to stop the sessions, but the coach persuaded her to consult with a lawyer she knew. The lawyer, who also contacted the victim via social media, strongly advised her to continue the consultations,” police said.

Law enforcement established that both the Tibetan monk and the lawyer were fakes created by Daria. She wrote to her client from different numbers and accounts to maintain her influence.

Instagram is banned in Russia.

According to the victim, Daria advised her to go to another country to earn money. Since Marina had previously sung and had stage experience, she went to Armenia and became a singer at a karaoke bar. She also transferred her earnings to the “psychologist”.

Eventually, the woman realized she was being deceived.

Arrest

“As a result of the ‘psychologist’s’ actions, the Yekaterinburg resident lost approximately 8 million rubles (approx. $80,000 at current rates). Due to financial problems and constant stress, the victim suffered a nervous breakdown. In early 2026, she realized she had been deceived and turned to the police,” the Yekaterinburg Police Department reported.

Criminal investigators detained the suspect. It turned out she had no prior criminal record. She was unemployed and lived off consultations and microloans she had taken out in large numbers from various organizations. In addition, the suspect ran a blog on a social network banned in Russia, where she advertised her services.

A criminal case has been opened against the detainee under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code (“Fraud on an especially large scale”). The question of a preventive measure is being decided.

Read about how a teacher from Yekaterinburg was scammed in a messenger by a handsome man — a British underwear model. The woman lost 1.5 million rubles and went into debt after trusting a brutish “broker”.

We also reported how a medical worker from Yekaterinburg lost two apartments after talking to the “Moscow police”. He was scammed using a standard scheme — there, too, they asked for a “mirror transaction”, so if you hear such a proposal over the phone, just hang up.