Minsk Police Foil $50,000 Phone Scam, Return Money to Victim

Minsk Police Recover $50,000 in Elderly Man's Scam Case Minsk, Belarus – In a swift operation, Minsk police have recovered $50,000 stolen from a 70-year-old Minsk resident in a sophisticated phone scam. The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, received a call from individuals posing as Beltelecom employees. They convinced him to renew his service contract, obtaining his passport number in the process. Subsequently, other scammers, pretending to be investigators, contacted him, claiming he was a suspect in a criminal case. To clear his name, he followed instructions from a fake National Bank employee, ultimately handing over $30,000 and €20,000 to a female courier. "I provided my passport number for the contract renewal," the victim stated, "and later, a woman in a police captain's uniform contacted me via video call on Viber, claiming my information had been misused." The courier, identified as a 48-year-old Minsk resident, was apprehended at the train station with the money, intending to leave the country. Investigations revealed she was also a victim of a separate scam, having been tricked into transferring over 17,000 rubles to other fraudsters. The recovered money has been returned to the victim, and a criminal investigation into the fraud is underway. The swift action by Minsk police demonstrates their effectiveness in combating financial crimes and protecting vulnerable citizens. This case serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying the identity of anyone requesting personal information.