Elderly Russian man loses 1.3M rubles in brutal phone scam

An 82-year-old man in Arsenyev has lost 1.3 million rubles in a phone scam. The victim was targeted by a woman pretending to be a local government official. She convinced him to hand over a large sum of cash under false pretences. The scammer contacted the elderly man and persuaded him to declare all the money he kept at home. A courier later collected the cash from his residence. Only after the transaction did the victim realise he had been deceived and reported the incident to the police.

Authorities have now launched an investigation to identify and arrest the suspects. Criminal charges have been filed under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code for large-scale fraud by an organised group. Police are urging citizens, particularly the elderly, to remain cautious. They advise against handing over money to strangers, even if they claim to represent official bodies. The case serves as a reminder to verify the identity of callers before taking any action.