Woman from Tyumen Charged with Surrogacy Scam
Video footage from the police operation shows the suspect being taken into custody.
Police have detained a woman from Tyumen who, according to investigators, deceived people by telling them she would be a surrogate mother. This was reported by Irina Volk, the official spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
«In 2024, a local resident approached the police in Simferopol. He reported instances of fraud. The couple, having decided to use the services of a surrogate mother, transferred over 340,000 rubles (approximately $3,400 at current rates) to a resident of Tyumen for the preparatory stage. The girl received money to pay for medical tests and other expenses and even sent receipts, which later turned out to be fake,» Volk said.
Additional operational video released by the interior ministry in the fraud investigation.
Operatives established that the Tyumen woman was offering such a service. She contacted potential victims and asked them to send money for medical examinations and for tickets to the location of the people who wanted to use surrogacy services. But before meeting with the people, she would cite contraindications to pregnancy and simply cut off contact.
Investigators believe there are grounds to charge the girl under Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code, «Fraud.» Police have interviewed 20 families who may have been in contact with the Tyumen woman.
«The detainee may be involved in a series of similar crimes. She has been charged and placed under house arrest. The preliminary investigation is ongoing,» Irina Volk reported.
Earlier, we reported that residents of Tyumen complained to the police about a blogger who allegedly deceived them out of several million rubles (equivalent to over $10,000 at current rates). We provide details of this case.
