Vulnerable residents of the Nizhny Novgorod modeling agency have appealed to Bastrykin.

      Nizhny Novgorod residents affected by the activities of the modeling agency MaryWay have contacted the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, requesting assistance with the investigation of a large-scale fraud case. This was reported by the victims in an open video message published on social media. According to the citizens, law enforcement agencies are failing to uncover the criminal scheme and are not holding all the responsible parties accountable. The claimants assert that scammers took out large loans in their names using forged documents and passport data. Hundreds of thousands of rubles were stolen, and the victims are now forced to defend themselves against demands from banks and microfinance organizations, which continue to require the repayment of funds. According to the victims, some of the suspects are already in detention centers, and the criminal case is being investigated by the internal affairs authorities in Nizhny Novgorod. However, the organizers of the fraudulent scheme, as stated by the claimants, have not yet been held accountable. "It is clear that financial organizations are behind the thefts and illegal loan approvals, but the investigation persistently shields them," the statement reads. The victims also claim that law enforcement agencies are not intervening in ongoing extortion attempts, and no one has been stopping such actions by financial organizations for over a year. The victims added that they had previously appealed for the criminal case to be transferred to the Investigative Committee, but the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Prosecutor's Office refused, which, in their opinion, contradicts the interests of hundreds of deceived citizens. They are now once again asking Bastrykin to contact the Prosecutor General of Russia with a request to transfer the case to the Investigative Committee of Russia. It is recalled that the MaryWay modeling agency operated in more than ten cities across Russia, including Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod. The company promised aspiring models careers in the media sphere—from modeling to television. After interviews and photo casting, clients were offered paid online courses costing from 50,000 to 200,000 rubles. Many who wanted to start careers had to take out loans. However, instead of employment contracts, they were presented with agreements for paid services. Later, it was revealed that the loans were taken out under obviously unfavorable conditions, and, according to the victims, the training was of low quality. During the investigation, searches were conducted at the offices and apartments of the defendants, documents and other evidence were seized. The agency's director was detained in 2024 but denied her guilt. The investigation has been ongoing for over a year. Previously, it was reported that a resident of Nizhny Novgorod lost nearly 3 million rubles trying to buy a car online. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay informed about major events, exclusive materials, and timely information.