Polotsk pensioner loses 139,000 rubles

In Polotsk, a pensioner lost nearly 139,000 rubles by transferring money to scammers operating under the "Water Utility" scheme. Under the pretext of extending a water supply contract, the fraudsters obtained the woman's passport details and convinced her to assist in "arresting scammers" by transferring money to specified accounts.

Over nine days, the pensioner withdrew and handed over $35,000 to a courier, took out loans, and transferred another 38,300 rubles of her own funds. Only on February 14 did the woman realize she had been deceived and reported the incident to the police.

The "Water Utility" scheme is known as one of the most common fraud methods in Russia and neighboring countries. It involves exploiting utility services and forging documents to trick victims into transferring a certain amount of money.

Context

The first reports of the "Water Utility" scheme date back to 2014, and in recent years it has become widespread in Russia and the CIS.