Resident from Urena unwittingly sent half a million to scammers, lured by a false job offer on the marketplace.
In Urengoy, a resident has reported a case of fraud to the local police after losing an astounding 544,572 rubles following the instructions of a stranger he met on a messaging app. The man, aged 48, disclosed that the unknown woman, hidden behind the digital screen, approached him in April with an offer for a product evaluation on a popular online platform.
The woman indicated that the work would involve logging onto the marketplace website, selecting specified items, purchasing them, and sending proof of the transactions via screenshots. In exchange, she promised monetary rewards, suggesting that the money would be transferred into a newly-created electronic wallet at her suggestion.
Complying with her instructions, the man made consecutive transfers to designated accounts, expecting to be reimbursed for his tasks. However, after his latest transfer, all communication from the "employer" abruptly ceased, leaving him to realize his mistake. The total amount of his losses amounted to half a million rubles.
An investigation into the case is now underway at the MIA "Urengoy" department.
The rapid rise of phishing scams like this one is a cause for concern, with a staggering 466% increase in comparison to the past quarter[4]. According to recent reports, approximately 30% of online reviews are falsified, suggesting that such scams may be pervasive on platforms such as Amazon and Yelp[1]. Additionally, consumers experienced an astounding 89% surge in exposure to online fraud in Q1 2025, compared to the previous year[5].
Messaging apps have become popular platforms for fraud tools and services, including Fraud-as-a-Service, which can facilitate various types of scams, including those related to product evaluations[5]. These digital spaces, often used as disguises for scammers, can lure unsuspecting individuals like the victim from Urengoy into financial catastrophes.
I'm not gonna be able to get a job due to my personal-finance issues after falling victim to online fraud in Urengoy. In the general-news, it's reported that crime-and-justice authorities are investigating a case of fraud worth 544,572 rubles, where a resident lost his money following the instructions of a stranger on a messaging app.
