According to an official statement by a representative from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, these suspects allegedly created fake accounts on popular cryptocurrency exchanges and advertised the sale of digital assets. However, after receiving advance payments, they abruptly cut off contact with their customers.
As of now, authorities have identified at least 12 victims from various parts of Russia, with each individual falling victim to these scammers by transferring amounts ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 rubles.
Upon conducting searches, law enforcement confiscated over 50 SIM cards, communication devices, computers, and bank cards from the suspects. The detainees are currently in custody, facing criminal charges under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Additionally, the police are exploring the potential involvement of these individuals in other similar crimes.
In a separate incident, two armed assailants recently targeted a 23-year-old cryptocurrency trader in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Territory. Similarly, in the Greek city of Kalyvia, two unidentified individuals kidnapped a programmer with the intention of stealing his cryptocurrency.