Elderly Russian man loses 1.3M rubles in courier phone scam

An 82-year-old man in Arsenyev has lost 1.3 million rubles in a phone scam. The victim was tricked into handing over cash to a courier at his home. Criminal charges have now been filed for large-scale fraud by an organised group. The scammer posed as a local government employee. They convinced the elderly man to declare all the cash he had at home. He later gave the money to a courier who arrived at his house.

The incident was reported to the press service of the Russian Interior Ministry’s Primorsky Territory branch. Investigative operations are currently underway to identify and arrest the suspects. Authorities have classified the crime under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code. Police are warning citizens, particularly the elderly, not to trust strangers claiming to be officials. They advise against handing over money to third parties, regardless of any supposed instructions. The case remains under investigation.