Schoolboy in Voronezh to be tried for aiding phone scammers

In Voronezh, a 17-year-old schoolboy and his older 22-year-old friend decided to earn money in a rather unconventional way. They helped telephone scammers organize several «communication points» in the city, which they supervised, according to the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Voronezh Region.

In January 2025, the accused rented several apartments in the Kominternovsky, Sovetsky, and Leninsky districts of Voronezh, where they placed equipment enabling telephone calls via the internet. The Voronezh residents ensured that the equipment worked properly. And certain still unidentified individuals — the criminal case against whom has been separated into separate proceedings — having gained access to SIM cards from different operators, using them through SIM boxes, called citizens and, posing as employees of government agencies, extorted money from trusting citizens. They earned over 400,000 rubles (about $4,400 at current rates) in this unlawful manner. They were caught through the joint efforts of the FSB (Federal Security Service of Russia) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) for the Voronezh Region.

The 17-year-old Voronezh resident is accused of two crimes under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud committed by an organized group). The 22-year-old Voronezh resident is accused of committing three crimes under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and will also be held accountable for threatening to kill a female acquaintance (Part 1 of Article 119 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

During the preliminary investigation, the accused compensated the victims for the damage. The schoolboy partially admitted guilt, and his older friend — fully. The case will be considered in accordance with the law.