85-Year-Old Man in Voronezh Loses Over 5 Million Rubles to Scammers

An 85-year-old pensioner in Voronezh, Russia lost over 5 million rubles to scammers in a multi-stage scheme that began with a fake call from a clinic. Fraudsters impersonating bank officials convinced the victim that his government services account was hacked and instructed him to withdraw cash in installments to protect his savings, leading to massive losses before bank staff intervened.

How the Scam Worked

This multi-stage fraud began when scammers posing as clinic staff called the victim to schedule a medical examination and requested verification codes from SMS messages. Subsequently, different fraudsters impersonated FSB (Russian Federal Security Service) officers and claimed the victim's Government Services account had been compromised, putting his savings at risk of being transferred abroad.

The Fraud Process

To "protect" his money, the victim was instructed to withdraw cash in multiple installments and hand it to couriers at designated locations. The elderly man complied, making several withdrawals totaling over 5 million rubles, which were transferred to the scammers.

How the Fraud Was Detected

When the victim attempted to withdraw 2 million rubles for another transfer, bank employees noticed suspicious activity and alerted police. Law enforcement conducted a controlled operation and arrested the courier who attempted to collect the funds.

Warning Signs to Recognize

Calls from official organizations: Be suspicious of unsolicited calls claiming to be from clinics, government agencies, or security services. Legitimate institutions do not demand personal information via phone calls
Requests for authentication codes: Banks and service providers never ask you to share SMS verification codes or passwords with anyone
Pressure and urgency: Statements like "Your savings will be stolen unless you act immediately" are classic fraud tactics designed to bypass rational thinking
Cash withdrawals and courier delivery: No legitimate bank or government agency requests payment via cash withdrawal and courier delivery

Prevention Steps

Verify phone calls independently: If someone claims to be from an official organization, end the call and contact the organization directly using publicly listed contact information
Protect personal information: Never share SMS codes, passwords, or account credentials with anyone, regardless of who they claim to be
Consult trusted contacts: When in doubt, immediately discuss the situation with family members or close friends
Monitor your accounts: Regularly check your bank accounts and request notifications for unusual activities

Where to Report

Local police department
Your bank's fraud department
Regional cybercrime task force
Senior citizen protection hotline (available by region)