In Irkutsk, two women are wanted on suspicion of fraud. They convinced an elderly Sverdlovsky District resident that she was cursed and, under the pretext of a ritual, took all her savings. A criminal case has been opened, and police are publishing the suspects descriptions and asking anyone with information on their whereabouts to come forward. The agency also reminds residents not to trust strangers offering to remove curses or miraculously cure diseases.

It has been established that on October 28 at about 3 p.m., an elderly resident of the Sverdlovsky District was returning home from a store when two unknown women approached her near the entrance to the building. They offered to remove a curse that was supposedly affecting her health. The pensioner brought a photograph of herself from her apartment, after which the offenders performed some kind of ritual and promised miraculous healing from all diseases. Having gained the Irkutsk woman’s trust, they asked her to pay for the service, after which the woman gave the criminals the last money she had saved for several years.
Persons wanted for committing fraudulent acts:
- a woman of Romani appearance, approximately 65-70 years old, 150-160 centimeters tall, of stocky build. She was wearing: a dark-colored fur coat, a dark-colored skirt. She had a brown lacquered cane with her.
- a woman appearing to be 35-40 years old, 165-170 centimeters tall, slender build, European facial type. She was wearing: a down jacket and a dark-colored skirt.
At present, a criminal case has been opened under Part 2 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Fraud committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy).
The police ask citizens who have any information about the whereabouts of the wanted women to contact them by phone: 21-39-53, 41-11-64 or 02.
The police urge Irkutsk residents to be cautious and observe personal safety rules. To avoid becoming a victim of fraudsters, do not engage with strangers, do not respond to their offers to tell fortunes, remove a curse or evil eye, or miraculously cure all ailments. Professional swindlers are good psychologists and skillfully make contact with people in order to carry out a criminal scam. If you do become their victim, immediately report it to law enforcement agencies.
Based on materials from the press service of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for the city of Irkutsk