Police in Novosibirsk Detain Nine for Fake Car Accident Scheme
A court ordered the arrest of one organizer for two months in the auto insurance fraud case.
Nine suspects involved in a series of staged traffic accidents have been detained by criminal investigation officers from the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region. The fraud scheme operated on an assembly-line basis: the detainees would fake collisions and then file European accident reports without involving traffic police, using data from acquaintances.
Criminal investigation operatives detained the suspects involved in the staged accident scheme.
«Police have identified 17 instances of illegal activity by the defendants, committed from June 2024 to January of this year. The preliminary estimated damage is about 6.8 million rubles (approximately $75,600 at current rates),» said Irina Volk, press secretary for the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, in her Telegram channel.
One of the defendants was an employee of a private damage assessment firm. According to the investigation, the suspect falsified the extent of damage in inspection reports, enabling inflated payments from insurance companies.
«The perpetrators operated in Novosibirsk from June 2024 to January 2025. During the investigation, 29 bank cards, 16 phones, and laptops were discovered and seized. The Central District Court has ordered one of the scheme»s organizers to be held in custody for two months,« according to a statement from the prosecutor»s office of the Novosibirsk Region.
Investigators say the criminal scheme was masterminded by two Novosibirsk residents who recruited seven accomplices. The defendants repaired the damaged vehicles in a specially equipped garage themselves before selling them. A criminal case has been opened under Article 159.5 of the Russian Criminal Code (insurance fraud).
Earlier, we reported on a fraudulent scheme involving government contracts organized by an entrepreneur.
