Scammers Force Student to Search Parents' Apartment, Steal $15,800

A 19-year-old girl arrived at the police station in Voronezh«s Central District in tears, recounting how she was scammed out of money. The classic scheme began with a call from a fake mobile operator manager urging her to »renew the contract« by providing an SMS code. This happened in early January. Subsequently, she faced phone harassment from a »prosecutor« and »lawyer« who threatened her with a fabricated power of attorney to transfer funds to »unfriendly states.« The fraudsters then escalated their tactics to thoroughly confuse and ensnare her.

The girl is a student who visits her parents in Voronezh.

«If you don»t want to go to prison for financing terrorists, conduct a video search of your parents« apartment and collect the cash. You»ll hand it over to our courier,« the scammers directed in an assignment that bordered on absurdity.

For nearly two weeks, they manipulated her with threats of a «real search» and a «criminal case.» Under their control, she complied: in front of a live video camera, she gathered 1,449,650 rubles (about $15,300) from her parents« apartment and gave it to a female courier who provided a »code word« near her home. The next planned transfer was 900,000 rubles (about $9,500) from her mother»s card; the daughter moved the money to her account, but when she attempted to withdraw it, the bank«s security service blocked the operation. Only then did she realize the truth.

The Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Voronezh Region reported that a criminal case has been opened, with the perpetrators facing up to 10 years in prison. It is unknown if the girl was reprimanded at home. As for the mobile contract, it is indefinite, just like the SIM card«s validity: if scammers call you, be informed and cautious.