A Norilsk court delivered a verdict in a case that drew notable attention to financial fraud and online deception. The proceedings centered on a 22-year-old woman from Bashkiria who engaged in a sophisticated scheme to cheat a large number of men across several Russian regions. The case, registered and coordinated by the press service of the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Krasnoyarsk Territory, illustrates how fraud can unfold through social networks and personal appeals, and how investigators eventually traced the pattern to a single perpetrator.
From October 2019 through April 2021, the defendant created multiple online profiles and established connections with male victims. She claimed that a grandmother had died and that she needed funds to perform ritual rites. To convince her targets, she provided documents and a disturbing image showing a person wrapped in a white shroud, presenting this as evidence of the necessity and legitimacy of the request. The ruse relied on emotional manipulation and the appearance of genuine need, which led many individuals to transfer money quickly and without extensive verification.
The scope of the fraud was broad: 67 men from 20 different regions were drawn into the scheme. In one instance, a resident of Tatarstan sent more than 400,000 rubles over a relatively short period, while several Norilsk residents contributed a similar total amount to assist what they believed was a relative in distress. The total financial damage from the scheme was calculated at roughly 2.3 million rubles, highlighting how fraud can accumulate across communities when trust is exploited through online channels.
Law enforcement recovered roughly 1.25 million rubles as part of the investigation, and the case was consolidated into a single criminal proceeding after the various episodes were linked by investigators. In the courtroom, the defendant was found guilty of cheating and defrauding multiple victims. The sentence imposed was three years in prison with a two-year probationary period, reflecting the district court’s assessment of the harm caused and the need for deterrence and rehabilitation in cases of fraud involving online manipulation.
The case underscores the importance of cautious online interactions and the verification of claims, especially when requests for money originate from unfamiliar profiles. It also demonstrates the role of interregional cooperation in tracking complex schemes that span large geographic areas. Reports in the same public-facing channels note prior cases where individuals faced prison terms for similar real estate frauds, illustrating a broader pattern of criminal activity that relies on deception and rapid financial transfers. The ongoing work of law enforcement in these matters continues to stress due process, victim support, and the necessity of careful scrutiny in online communications to prevent further wrongdoing.