A young man in Moscow stepped in when he witnessed a pensioner handing over large sums of money to fraudsters via an ATM. He intervened, detained the suspect, and then accompanied the pensioner to the police. This sequence was reported by Baza on a Telegram channel.
The incident unfolded on March 20, 2023. An 84-year-old woman received a call from someone who claimed to be a police officer accompanying a messenger. The caller pressed the retiree to believe that scammers were attempting to withdraw money from her bank account, and the elderly woman proceeded to withdraw 1.2 million rubles. She then moved to an ATM with that amount, continuing her conversation with the alleged attackers as a safety measure. At that moment, a nearby young man named Denis observed a substantial stack of banknotes in her possession and overheard the ongoing dialogue with the supposed police authority. He suspected manipulation and decided to act to shield the pensioner from a potential loss. His quick thinking helped him block the money transfer and call for law enforcement assistance.
Denis then escorted the elderly woman to the local police station, providing a clear account of the situation and his observations. Law enforcement officers spoke with the victim, who began to understand that the interaction with the caller was a ploy designed to steal her funds. In the end, the pensioner did not file a formal statement, but the police confirmed that the attempt to defraud her had been thwarted by timely intervention. The authorities assessed the circumstances and offered guidance to the woman on recognizing similar schemes in the future. This incident underscores the importance of verifying claims about police involvement and never making rushed withdrawals based on anonymous instructions. (Baza, via Telegram channel)
In a separate note, authorities highlighted another case in which a pensioner was targeted by scammers who extorted a substantial amount of money, reported as 900 thousand rubles. A former taxi driver was later mentioned in connection with the broader pattern of such frauds, illustrating how multiple individuals can become entangled in these schemes as observers or inadvertent participants. The overall takeaway from these reports is the critical need for vigilance and verification when dealing with unusual requests to withdraw funds or transfer money, particularly when callers pose as law enforcement officials. (Baza, via Telegram channel)
Public safety officials continue to remind residents to pause and verify any claim of police involvement through official channels, such as by contacting established police numbers or visiting a local station in person. The events in Moscow serve as a real-world reminder of how sophisticated social engineering can be and why immediate, unconsidered actions can put savings at risk. Citizens are encouraged to report suspected fraud at once and to keep conversations with unknown callers brief while seeking independent confirmation from trusted sources. (Baza, via Telegram channel)