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A 21-year-old resident of Shurchi District, Surkhandarya Region, organized a large-scale fraudulent scheme through the popular messaging app Telegram. He created a channel allegedly hosting a prize giveaway show sponsored by major brands. The fraudster attracted users with enticing offers, with a car as the grand prize. The “winners” were asked to pay a small amount, supposedly for processing the prize and delivering the car. Trusting their luck, the victims transferred money to the fraudster’s bank card, after which he stopped responding to their messages and calls.
The scammer operated nationwide, managing to deceive dozens of people. In Samarkand Region alone, at least ten individuals fell victim to his scheme. However, his crimes only came to light on October 29, 2024, when a resident of Pastdargom District reported the incident to law enforcement authorities. It seems that many victims chose not to contact the authorities, believing that the fraudster would not be caught.
Officers from the operational search service and the cyber security department conducted a thorough investigation, which allowed them to identify and locate the fraudster. The young man was detained, and his activities were stopped. According to law enforcement, he operated with remarkable ingenuity, leveraging modern technology to achieve his fraudulent goals.
Currently, a criminal case has been initiated against the detainee under Article 168 (Fraud) of the Criminal Code. He is accused of committing fraud on a particularly large scale. The young man is in custody, and the investigation is ongoing. Authorities are also verifying his involvement in other fraudulent cases.
This incident serves as another reminder of the need for vigilance when using the internet and social networks. Law enforcement agencies strongly advise citizens not to trust enticing offers, especially those involving advance payments or the sharing of personal information.
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.
