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Uzbek
A former employee of “Hududgazta’minot” in Tashkent has been arrested on fraud charges. For several months, the man, introducing himself as an employee of the gas supply company, allegedly extorted money from unsuspecting citizens by promising to install gas meters and perform repair services.
After leaving his job, Aziz did not find new employment and quickly devised a straightforward scheme to deceive residents, leveraging knowledge gained from his previous position. He began visiting local homes, threatening residents with fines and offering to install gas meters at “discounted” rates. For instance, he demanded 350,000 soums from a single elderly woman, warning her that she would face a large fine for not having a meter. Under the guise of replacing a faulty gas stove, he also managed to collect 1,200,000 soums from another local resident. In total, he amassed over 2,650,000 soums, which he used for his personal needs.
The fraud came to light when the elderly woman went to the gas office to find Aziz, only to be told that no such employee existed. Other deceived residents also filed complaints with law enforcement. Later investigations revealed that none of the victims had verified Aziz’s credentials or confirmed his association with “Hududgazta’minot.”
During his court hearing, Aziz fully admitted his guilt. Considering his remorse and the fact that he had fully compensated the victims, the court sentenced him to two years of corrective labor, with 20% of his income to be deducted in favor of the state.
According to the Main Internal Affairs Directorate, residents fell victim to the scam largely due to their trustfulness. Aziz exploited this trust by avoiding questions, bypassing document verification, and presenting his statements as official information. This approach allowed him to execute a simple yet effective fraud scheme.
This case underscores the importance of caution among citizens. When visited by utility workers or representatives of other organizations, it is crucial to request identification and verify their affiliation with the relevant service.
The article may contain inaccuracies as it is translated by AI. For more details, please refer to the Russian version of the article. If you notice any inaccuracies, you can send corrections via the Telegram bot: Uzvaibik_bot.
