An Irkutsk woman fell victim to online scammers while trying to sell a dog through a classifieds site. She was told 150 thousand rubles had supposedly been received and was persuaded to return the money. In the end, she transferred 150 thousand to the fraudster, though no funds had actually been credited. Police are searching for the suspect and remind people to be especially careful in online deals and not to share bank card details with strangers.
An Irkutsk woman transferred 150,000 rubles to a fraudster’s account. Police officers are now searching for the suspected criminal. A criminal case has been opened under Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud). This was reported by the press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Irkutsk Region.The woman contacted the duty office of the city police department on August 4.
"The pensioner told law enforcement officers that she had posted an advertisement for selling a dog on one of the websites, and some time later a potential buyer called her. The stranger became interested in the puppy and asked her to provide her bank card details to transfer a deposit of 1,500 rubles. Later, an SMS message arrived on the Irkutsk woman’s mobile phone stating that 150,000 rubles had been credited. The client said that she had made a mistake in the numbers and asked to return the money. The 56-year-old owner of the animal transferred the specified amount to the fraudster; however, as it later turned out, the funds had not been credited to her account at all," the law enforcement agency said.
Police warn citizens: be vigilant when making transactions online, pay for purchases only after receiving the goods, and never share your bank card details or PIN code with strangers.