Russian law enforcement has apprehended four individuals accused of swindling military personnel out of their salaries and bonuses intended for deployment in Ukraine, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry on Friday.
Authorities have reported knowledge of three instances of fraud amounting to 2.5 million rubles (approximately $30,800). Investigators suspect that over 40 individuals fell victim to the scam, with total losses potentially exceeding 80 million rubles (around $985,500).
It is believed that some victims of the fraud may have died while serving in Ukraine.
According to police reports, a resident of St. Petersburg and three accomplices from the nearby Pskov region targeted men who had been previously disqualified from military service, often due to health issues.
Since at least mid-2024, the group allegedly operated as intermediaries with purported connections in military recruitment offices, claiming they could assist recruits in obtaining contracts for a fee. Once enlisted, the recruits were taken to St. Petersburg and enrolled in service with falsified documentation.
The recruits were then told to open bank accounts to receive government payments for their military service. Law enforcement claimed the group persuaded the soldiers to surrender their bank cards and online banking credentials under the guise of managing their payments and deducting fees.
Subsequently, the suspects transferred the payments into their own accounts, as stated by the Interior Ministry.
During searches of various apartments and recruitment offices, police seized electronic devices, bank cards, as well as counterfeit stamps and documents.
Irina Volk, a spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry, indicated that authorities are actively seeking to identify more victims of the scheme and to confiscate the assets of the fraud perpetrators to provide restitution for those harmed.
The four individuals involved in the scheme have been placed in pre-trial detention and could face up to 10 years in prison on charges of fraud.
