Yaroslavl Pensioner Hands Over 500,000 Rubles to Scammers
A resident of Rybinsk handed over 500,000 rubles (approximately $5,000 at current rates) to scammers. It all started when an unknown person called the 76-year-old pensioner in December 2025 and introduced himself as a clinic employee.
The phone scammer offered to book an appointment with a cardiologist for the pensioner. To do this, he convinced the victim to provide her SNILS (Russian pension insurance number) data and a code from an SMS message.
The fraud scheme did not end there. The pensioner received another call the next day. This time, the unknown person introduced himself as a law enforcement officer. He told the Rybinsk resident that her personal account on Gosuslugi (Russian government services portal) had been hacked and that scammers had taken out a loan for one million rubles (approximately $10,000 at current rates).
‘Under the pretext of safeguarding the funds, it was necessary to «reregister the settlement account» and «open a deposit.» The pensioner followed all the caller«s instructions and cashed out her own savings,’ said the Yaroslavl Oblast UMV (Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs).
Then, as police recount, the woman traveled to Moscow with the money. There, she handed over 500,000 rubles (approximately $5,000 at current rates) to an unknown man and provided a code word.
‘A day later, while the victim was still in Moscow, she was contacted again by a «law enforcement officer» who said that a «deposit agreement» would be provided to her, delivered by a courier,’ police explain the sequence of events.
In mid-January 2026, the pensioner went to a bank in Rybinsk with these documents. There, she was told that the documents were counterfeit.
As reported by the department, the Investigative Committee of the MU MVD (Municipal Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs) of Russia «Rybinsk» has initiated a criminal case under Part 3, Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, «Fraud on a large scale.» Under this article, there are several possible penalties:
A fine ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 rubles (approximately $1,000 to $5,000 at current rates), or equivalent to the convicted person«s wages or other income for a period of one to three years;
Forced labor for up to five years with restriction of freedom for up to two years;
Imprisonment for up to six years with a fine of up to 80,000 rubles (approximately $800 at current rates), or equivalent to the convicted person»s wages or other income for up to six months;
Restriction of freedom for up to one and a half years.
Meanwhile, police have repeatedly stated that it is difficult to track down such scammers. The Yaroslavl UMV has appealed to residents to be vigilant when communicating with strangers, especially when it comes to finances.
‘Scammers are good psychologists and know how to gain trust and convince citizens to follow their instructions. Upon receiving a phone call from a «bank» with messages about «suspicious activity on your bank account,» «taking out a loan in your name,» «unauthorized withdrawal of funds,» or «accrual of bonuses and their conversion to cash,» immediately end the conversation,’ police advise.
To verify information, visit the nearest bank branch in person or call the official number listed on the back of your bank card.
