Thursday 23 April 2015

New Zealand citizen fell victim to online 'romance fraud'


Bratsk, Russia, 2004. Police officers in Bratsk (relatively close to lake Baikal) had to deal with an unusual case of fraud. A New Zealand citizen Colin Edward Walker was desperate to find love. Being unsuccessful in this regard in his own country he decided to try to find a foreign woman through online dating sites. He engaged in communicating with a Russian woman "Maria Vasilieva" (29) from Bratsk whom he found there.


Sunday 19 April 2015

Internet scammers - a husband and wife - were arrested in Russia

Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2002. In May 2001 Terry, an Australian man scammed by a group of internet scammers, sent his story to Russian Bride Cyber Guide's Black List. Terry not only sent a warning to others but wanted to do more and so continued tracking down the criminals determined to have them prosecuted. He launched a webpage with information on the scammers to collect reports from other victims. In the next step he found and contacted the Russian Embassy in Australia, numerous Russian based newspapers and then various Russian government agencies, including the much feared Russian Tax Police, sending them the scam details. Later he found the official website for Russian government and used it to sent a letter to President Putin about these offenders, not expecting his complaint to ever reach the eyes of the President himself. In his letter to the President Terry implied that it was a matter of Russian honor that these criminals be brought to justice, as they were bringing great discredit on their people and country (???). Unbelievably, the letter got into the right hands, the President himself, who ordered the criminals be tracked down (very doubtful - the letter just was forwarded to the police by one of hundreds of secretaries).

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Two Russian women robbed an Israeli businessman


Novosibirsk, Russia, 2014. A 22-year-old female student was arrested in Angarsk on suspicion of stealing money and luxurious watches from an Israeli citizen who stayed in Novosibirsk on a business trip. She faced up to 10 years in prison because of significant damage she had caused (more than 32 000 €).


Tuesday 7 April 2015

Young Russian woman stole 100 euro from a Polish national

Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 2015. A young Russian woman (19) has been arrested and charged with theft after 38-year-old Polish national came to the police station and filed a complaint. The foreigner is on a business trip in Russia. He got to know the woman some time ago. One day he invited her to his apartment.