Shoigu's Uzbek “niece” scams Russians

In Russia, an Uzbek woman posed as a close relative of prominent politician and military figure Sergei Shoigu, defrauding citizens of 100 million rubles. The news was reported by TASS, citing Said Yarahmedov, the lawyer representing three of the victims.

It was revealed that the woman and her husband are currently under investigation by law enforcement authorities in connection with a large-scale fraud case.

According to the lawyer, the woman deceived Moscow residents by claiming to be related to Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, and exploiting the influence of his well-known surname. The 27-year-old Uzbek woman had even changed her passport details before committing the alleged crimes.

Taking advantage of the trust placed in the Shoigu name, she offered people investment opportunities in a cryptocurrency exchange. The initial damages are estimated at more than 100 million rubles, but the lawyer noted that the total could double as new complaints continue to be filed. After receiving the money, the suspects went into hiding.

It should be recalled that earlier, in the Russian city of Syktyvkar, an Uzbek man was sentenced to prison for organizing his wife’s illegal stay in Russia. According to court documents, he, in collusion with others, arranged for his wife, a citizen of Uzbekistan, to remain illegally in the country from September 6 to December 26 last year. He purchased fake work permits and other official documents to make it appear that she was legally residing in Russia.