Scammers take over 27 million rubles from an 85-year-old Moscow resident

An 85-year-old Moscow resident lost more than 27 million rubles to scammers posing as his employer and law enforcement officers, the city prosecutor’s office said on October 10.

The scheme began with a messenger notification purportedly from the man’s employer, warning of an inspection and a forthcoming call from law enforcement. A subsequent caller claimed that criminals were attempting to steal money from his bank accounts.

The caller persuaded him to install an application supposedly to help catch the criminals. The scammers urged him to withdraw his savings and transfer them to a purported special account, promising that the funds would later be returned.

The man withdrew savings from several banks, bought gold bars and handed them to couriers who supplied passwords and claimed to be law enforcement officers. Following instructions from his telephone contact, he also sold his garage and car and borrowed money from friends. The couriers received those funds as well.

The Butyrskaya Interdistrict Prosecutor’s Office is overseeing efforts to identify those involved. The account describes a sequence of demands that drew in his savings, proceeds from property sales and borrowed money under the pretext of protecting his funds.