An elderly woman from Nizhny Novgorod wrapped $4,000 and nearly a million rubles in a bag and handed it over to an unknown person: she was scared by the threat of criminal charges.

      Video screenshot of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region

      A pensioner from Nizhny Novgorod became a victim of scammers. She lost more than a million rubles. This was reported by the press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      A 72-year-old resident of Nizhny Novgorod received a call from an unknown person. The first one introduced himself as an employee of a telephone company and offered a favorable tariff. The woman believed him and provided her SNILS number.

      Soon, another person called her, claiming to be a military prosecutor. He accused the pensioner of transferring money to an unfriendly country and threatened criminal liability. The scammer convinced her to gather all her savings and hand them over to a courier supposedly for verification.

      The pensioner collected 400,000 rubles in cash, 4,000 dollars, and withdrew another 570,000 rubles from her bank account. She wrapped all the money in a bag and handed it to an unfamiliar man who came to her home posing as a courier. As a result, the woman lost 1,380,000 rubles.

      Later, the pensioner attempted to withdraw more money from the bank to give to the scammers. However, a vigilant bank employee noticed her anxiety, contacted her relatives, and was able to prevent further losses.

      The police opened a criminal case under the article on fraud. During the investigation, a 21-year-old unemployed resident of Nizhny Novgorod was detained. He is currently suspected of participating in this criminal scheme.