St. Petersburg: Retiree Targeted by Phone Scammers Sells Home and Transfers Savings
In St. Petersburg, a troubling case of telephone fraud led a retired man to sell his apartment and move all his income and savings to the scammers, according to the City Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs as reported on its official Telegram channel. The incident underscores the persistent danger of fake-presence schemes and impersonation tactics that prey on trust and urgency.
Official accounts indicate that the 68-year-old retiree, a former police officer, contacted authorities on May 5, 2023 at 17:05 after months of pressure from unknown individuals. The chain of communications began around April 7, 2023 and continued through May 3, 2023, with the fraudsters repeatedly urging the man to sell his flat on Rizhsky Prospekt. In a bid to “save money,” the attackers manipulated the veteran into transferring revenue streams and personal savings into accounts they controlled, effectively draining the victim’s financial reserves and eliminating access to his funds. The total loss was reported as 6 million 882 thousand rubles, a substantial sum that highlights how aggressively these scams can escalate when trust is exploited and time pressure is applied. This summary is based on the agency’s investigative briefing and its Telegram publication.
Law enforcement officials are actively reviewing the full set of circumstances surrounding the event, aiming to identify all parties involved and to understand the methods employed by the criminals. The investigation encompasses the sequence of contact, the specific tactics used to manipulate the victim, and the channels through which the payments were redirected. Authorities emphasize the importance of rapid reporting and verification when dealing with unexpected calls, offers that seem unusually advantageous, or requests to transfer funds or sell property. The ongoing inquiry will seek to determine how the deception unfolded and what protective steps can be implemented to prevent similar losses in the future, including potential coordination with banks and security agencies to monitor suspicious transactions and flag high-risk accounts.
In related but separate news, a separate incident in a different region involved a six-year-old boy who inadvertently assisted scammers by transferring 17 thousand rubles from his father’s phone during a gaming session. This reminder illustrates that fraud can affect households across ages, and it underscores the need for ongoing public awareness campaigns and clear reporting pathways for suspicious activity. Recognizing the signs of social engineering and financial manipulation remains crucial for all residents, especially those who may be more vulnerable to pressure or manipulation under time constraints. Community outreach and education efforts, including alerts from local authorities and trusted organizations, play a key role in reducing the risk of victimization and helping families recover quickly if a scam occurs.