Russian scammers go to prison

[KenC]

The wifey jus call me downstairs to watch a news segment on her Russian TV.  A young couple from a website called "Russian Girls" just got 5 years in prison for scamming 15 Americans out of 400,000 rubles.  They had used the money to purchase 2 cars a couple of flats and some vacant land.  The news reporter said that it was the first such case in Russia.  Both the young woman and her young (BF?) were sentenced to 5 year terms.
KenC

[Rvrwind]

The wife & I saw that on the news this evening while we were eating dinner. Yep, it seems like there is some justice in Russia afterall. Perhaps this will send a mesage to others.

[viking]

Ken

That is about $15K or about $1000 apiece from the guys, on average. Do you think that other scammers who have been in contact with as many men and who have received, most likely, something in that range,  getting a bit nervous? This is pretty big news.

I would also like to know how this happened. Was it the result of many complaints actually being filed to the Russian police, or was something done similiar to the Putin letter years ago? Any details how this was accomplished?

And, might anyone know the names of these people?

Does anyone have a link to a paper where we can read about this?

[KenC]

Viking,
This was on the Russian National TV news.  I believe that an American brought it to a head with the Russian police doing the arrest and investigation.  I would think it might concern some of the scammers there.
KenC

[55North]

Press report here......

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/10/30/Russian_Student_Couple_Committed_Matrimonial_Fraud_with_US_Citizens.shtml

[viking]

Thanks 55

I wonder why this resulted in an investigation and then ultimately an arrest with a conviction thrown in for good measure. Something must have prompted such a response as I suspect there are hundreds of complaints filed with various authorities over there and nothing happens. Maybe this American guy got really pissed off and has deep pockets?

[Kvinna]

for scamming 15 Americans out of 400,000 rubles.  They had used the money to purchase 2 cars a couple of flats and some vacant land.  KenC

Are you pulling the legs? 400 000 RUB is $1495 so tell me where can I buy 2 cars, a couple of flats and some vacation land for this money?

[viking]

Are you pulling the legs? 400 000 RUB is $1495 so tell me where can I buy 2 cars, a couple of flats and some vacation land for this money?

Maybe my math is wrong but at 27 rubles to the dollar, 400,000 rubles would be about $15,000?

[Kvinna]

Maybe my math is wrong but at 27 rubles to the dollar, 400,000 rubles would be about $15,000?

sorry my mistake 14 950 - ($1 = 26.75) so my question is still without answer
I asked where can buy 2 cars, couple of flats and some vacation land for this money

[Bruno]

or was something done similiar to the Putin letter years ago? ...

The guys who was accused, from the Putin letter, seem to be happy :

http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/Delivered/pen_pals.htm ( around half of page ) :

Online Russian Marriage Fraud

04/21/04 - ( Pravda.ru ) By cheating gullible foreigners hoping to marry Russian females, a man from Chelyabinsk became rich (his earnings were estimated up to $800,000).

The inventive 30-year old man from Chelyabinsk found the way to get some dollars from foreigners.  No violence, people will be glad to give their money, and minimum risk: the victims live far from Russia, and they are unlikely to call the law enforcers in the Russian province.

"I live in Chelyabinsk - the city with a cold climate and bandits wandering around the streets. Russia is such a frightening country that I would be eager to come to you as a virgin and give birth to babies from you", wrote the mysterious "girl" from Chelyabinsk to dozens of e-mail addresses picked up in the Internet. There were different signatures of real women (the swindler"s friends or relatives). However, he did not post their real photos, but selected the pictures of the most beautiful Russian women from the Internet.

The swindler was smart, but too greedy, and his greediness let him down. He was writing too much - to 3,000 foreign men simultaneously.

The swindler"s message hit the target: men abroad responded to the desperate e-mail of the chaste Russian beauty. Long sentimental exchange of letters followed. Foreigners sent gifts to the girls" mail addresses, and the price of gifts grew as the long-awaited meeting was approaching. To meet the men, the girl asked them for money: first to repair the computer, then to purchase air tickets and pay for visa. Soon $500-1000 was received in Russia via Western Union.  This was the end of the love story of the foreigner and the Russian girl. New e-mail messages were breaking hearts of new single men abroad.

This option of making money was working for 2 years. The swindler explained to the girls whose addresses he was using, that he was working on a new Internet software and received money and gifts as his salary. The girls trusted him, and in addition the man gave them 1,500-2,000 rubles per month for their receiving money orders and parcels for him. The swindler became rich, he purchased 3 vehicles and built a luxury house.

All of a sudden, in June 2001 a cheated Australian fiancé sent online message to the website of President Putin. The Australian asked the authorities to check if the girl paid taxes from her income, he did not know that there was big-scale fraud under the letters of "the woman from Chelyabinsk who mislead me about marriage during our correspondence". The President Administration passed the e-mail message to the police.

The swindler was not scared of the policemen coming to his place. He claimed his actions had not been a crime.

The policemen confiscated computer, hard currency, jewelry, perfume, toys, collection coins, video- and audiocassettes from the man. His computer database contained information on simultaneous correspondence with 3,000 men! The swindler did not write everybody, those who showed themselves either greedy or smart were not honored with his letters any more.

All the rest donated money to him. He had sponsors from Canada, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Australia, New Zealand and other countries all over the world. There were no men from the former USSR - the swindler was concerned that they could have reached him easily.

When the police was investigating the complaint of the Australian, a British timidly posted on the website of Chelyabinsk governor that he had been deprived of more than 1000 pound sterling in the same way.

Russian police had to write many letters abroad, and 9 foreign men agreed to testify against the swindler. According to Russian Criminal Code, he can be imprisoned from 5 to 10 years and have his property confiscated.

The swindler did not say he was sorry, and refused to return the money to foreign men. He probably considered himself a financial genius because he had started playing at international stock exchange online. His Swiss bank account allowed this, and also to become a fiancé himself and find a daughter of a millionaire as his bride.

So, the money is secure in Swiss bank account... and his bride is the daughter of a millionaire... lucky guy 

PS: The man was released in the courtroom as he had already spent one year in prison during the investigation.

[Gator]

Kvinna,

Send me the $15,000.  Polozhis Na Menya

I will buy you two cars (Zaporozhets), two flats (in Chernobyl) and some beautiful vacation land within 250 km of Murmansk.

[KenC]

sorry my mistake 14 950 - ($1 = 26.75) so my question is still without answer
I asked where can buy 2 cars, couple of flats and some vacation land for this money

Call the news station because it they who reported this.
KenC

[Turboguy]

If this were some kind of mind teaser puzzle I was trying to solve I would say the answer is this.   The $ 15,000 was the money they were charged with stealing.   That does not mean they did not steal a lot more but no one pressed charges or they did not persue those.

Sorta like if someone is a mass murderer and goes on a spree and kills 15 people then is caught.   They usually try him on one murder, the one they can prove the easiest.   It does not mean he did not kill the other 14. 

Just my thoughts on how you buy all that with so little. 

[viking]

I still want to know this. Why these people? Thousands of scammers, thousands of victimes, but these two not only get nabbed, but convicted. Which victim finally said enough and I ain't gonna take it anymore? I would really like to know the whole story behind this.

[tjalinho]

As i know Yekaterinburg mentioned in the beginning and Chelyabinsk mentioned the last are different cities. Initially it was a girl and her friend from Ekaterinburg. I read that she failed the exams to enter the University and was adviced to go to the paid department - so she needed money. Together with her friend they established their "agency". But they got cought by a man who was originally from FSU but living in Canada then. When he lost his $1000 he flew to Ekaterinburg and somehow found them. The court gave him back his money. That's all what that article said (below in Russian)

http://www.superstyle.ru/news/1724

Oops, that was Zmejka