A pensioner in the Sverdlovsk region was drawn into a scheme that involved sending money to scammers who urged her to participate in actions against a local military registration and enlistment office. The incident, reported by the Ural Mash Telegram channel, highlights the risks of social manipulation and fake crisis prompts.
The incident began when a 73-year-old woman from the Sverdlovsk region transferred 428,000 rubles to individuals she believed were assisting her family. The callers claimed the money would support the woman and help her son, who was reportedly undergoing addiction treatment. In reality, the funds were used to fund a plan devised by deceitful actors who aimed to provoke a violent act against a regional military registration and enlistment office located in Pervouralsk.
Around late March 2023, the pensioner visited the military registration and enrollment office and drew attention by speaking extensively on the phone while standing near the building and repeatedly bending down as if searching through a bag. Security footage indicates she attempted to ignite a liquid with a lighter, though she did not manage to operate the lighter reliably. After hearing footsteps, she quickly left the scene.
Approximately four hours later, she returned to the area carrying a flammable liquid. She was halted about 30 meters from the entrance by police. The woman then withdrew and was subsequently detained. Law enforcement later identified the person who had been communicating with the pensioner and who had been instrumental in guiding this plan.
Reports indicate that prior to this event another pensioner in Nizhny Tagil had a separate, unsuccessful effort to ignite a military facility. This sequence of events underscores a continuing pattern of exploitation of vulnerable individuals by unknown parties seeking to influence their actions through fear, misinformation, or personal manipulation. The authorities emphasized that they are pursuing all leads to uncover the network behind these attempted crimes and to prevent any repetition of similar schemes in the future.