During the preliminary investigation of the multi-case criminal proceedings conducted in the Property Crimes Department of the Main Department of the Investigative Committee of the RA, it was found that the persons involved in the criminal organization create fake WhatsApp accounts with the data and different phone numbers of the persons holding leadership positions, mainly in order to inspire determination and faith in the citizens chosen as "targets of fraud".
Then, the members of the criminal organization, by sending messages and making phone calls with fake user accounts, pretend to be employees of the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, and the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia. They mislead people under fictitious pretexts, demanding to take a loan or cash out the money in their accounts of different banks in the Republic of Armenia, and allegedly to ensure their safe keeping, they direct them by entering a QR code, using a crypto wallet or opened in other countries. to make direct transfers to the accounts, thereby fraudulently taking over the large and particularly large amounts of funds of dozens of citizens.
The Investigative Committee urges citizens to be vigilant and report it to the law enforcement authorities if they receive similar messages or phone calls, avoiding becoming a "target of fraud".
