Tyumen blogger accused of fraud
Makeup artists believed they were paying for entry fees and cosmetic supplies.
In Tyumen, more than a dozen people filed police complaints against a blogger who allegedly defrauded them of several million rubles (USD equivalent at current rates). The victims are makeup artists who had agreed to work at sporting championships. The Tyumen resident collected money for entry fees and to buy cosmetics, but the makeup artists were left with nothing.
«People were invited a year and a half ago to tournaments that don’t exist. They were told these were private, closed competitions and that they mustn’t speak about them — that nothing is even photographed there. They said the events take place across Russia and abroad. Supposedly she has been going there for several years and earning good money. I agreed because I trusted her — we were friends. I gave her 2.3 million rubles (USD equivalent at current rates),» — says one of the victims, Elena Loshkareva.
The story concerns technicians who prepare athletes’ stage make-up for competitions.
According to her, she invited not only people from her close circle but also other technicians who were simply trying to earn money. The blogger is Zoya Muzaleva — owner of a well-known local tanning studio. She was the one assembling the team for the nonexistent tournaments.
The fraud was uncovered when people who had transferred money received no documents and did not receive invitations to the sporting competitions. They then began searching online for information about the tournaments but only came across identical complaints from other victims.
«When people began calling her and demanding their money back, she started making excuses. At times she said she had been deceived herself, at others that she had become seriously ill. She promised to return everyone’s money — she did transfer some sums, but far from all, and not to everyone,» — says Elena.
People are now posting videos on social media describing how they were harmed by the blogger. Zoya Muzaleva has stopped communicating with everyone and has closed her tanning studio.
«I know of 15 victims. There are women who gave her 500,000, 700,000 or 1,000,000 rubles (USD equivalents at current rates). Everyone’s amounts are different. We filed a complaint with the police, but so far there has been no response. We went to her tanning studio, but she had already closed it — the premises are being fitted out as a shop,» — she says.
An Instagram account appears among social media posts recounting alleged fraud by the blogger.
A 72.RU journalist tried calling all the phone numbers listed for the woman, but either no one answered or the numbers were disconnected.
The police press service confirmed to 72.RU that complaints had been filed against the blogger, adding that they are still looking into the matter.
Recall that fraud is currently thriving in Tyumen. The most elaborate schemes have been reported — read, for example, about how purchased phones can be turned into bricks by scammers.
