Scammers steal 3 million rubles from Voronezh resident in investment fraud

The number of fraud victims in the Voronezh region is growing every day. On January 20 alone, 10 deceived citizens contacted the police, plus one more whose money was stolen from a bank card. As reported by the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the region, the total damage is 5.5 million rubles (about $61,000 at current rates). And the most significant contribution to the financial well-being of the fraudsters was made by a 67-year-old resident of the Kantemirovsky district — she lost over three million rubles (about $33,000).

The fraudsters deceived the woman for a month using the now-popular «investment earnings» scheme: supposedly, you invest money while lying on the couch, and it multiplies on its own, like mushrooms. It promised miraculous returns. Using this sad story as an example, we outline the main signs of a scam — don«t fall for it.

On October 17, 2025, an unknown woman called the victim«s mobile phone and began advertising »passive earnings from investments,« suggesting she download a certain application. Regular readers of Voronezh1.ru already know that at this very point, one should hang up — no applications from unclear sources should be installed, as only fraudsters push them. But the resident of Kantemirovka believed. And the fraudsters» calculation is psychologically precise: everyone wants easy money, and pensioners are suggestible — the target audience.

In the application, a chart appeared, according to which, as the fraudster assured, the woman was to invest money and track how it grew. She promised that the wealth could be withdrawn to her bank account at any time. Then, she transferred the processed victim to an «analyst,» and under his guidance, she made the first deposit — only 9,000 rubles (about $100 at current rates). And on October 21 — wonders! — she received so-called interest: 2,370 rubles (about $26). But this is also a psychological trick: start with a small amount and dazzle with trivial «income» — to fuel excitement so that the victim gives more and more. The trap snapped shut.

From October 25 to November 13, the poor woman «invested» 2 million 750 thousand rubles (about $30,500 at current rates) — after giving all she had, she took out loans. And the fraudsters became bolder. They extracted another 250,000 rubles (about $2,800) from her under the pretext of «need to secure the account — pay for insurance.» And when on November 14 she tried to «withdraw» 1 million rubles from the fake exchange, her curator and «analyst» disappeared from the radar — along with the «investments.»

Why the deceived woman contacted the police only after two months is unknown. This should not be done: if you realize that fraudsters have robbed you, file a report immediately. The more time you waste, the less chance there is to find the criminals and recover the money. For another dizzying scheme in which fraudsters scammed a young Voronezh engineer out of 2 million rubles, see our article.