"You're Done". How a Minsk Resident Led Scammers by the Nose for Four Days and What Happened Next
This story is a practical guide that shows the scheme of scammers' psychological attack. Pavel documented how fake employees of "Belposhta" (Belarusian Post), "Natsbank" (National Bank), and "KGB" intimidate victims and demand money for expertise. The man handed over audio recordings of conversations and screenshots of correspondence to Onliner journalists, which allowed for a detailed examination of another scam scheme. This is the best instruction to recognize manipulations and save your savings.
Accused of financing terrorism with 10 thousand rubles
"Scammers called again," Pavel, a Minsk resident already known to readers, contacted the editorial office. For four days, journalists observed in real-time how the criminals tried to extort 10,370 dollars from the young man.
The scammers operated using a complex scheme, the first stage of which was a call from "Belposhta". The young man was informed that a registered letter had arrived in his name, which needed to be redirected to the branch at his place of residence.
They asked him to dictate the code from an SMS, and Pavel gave the numbers. We emphasize that it's better not to do this, but the Minsk resident did it consciously, understanding that he was talking to scammers and wanting to expose them.
— The number was supposedly from a Belarusian mobile operator, but they called via Viber. Why doubt it? — notes the hero.
After giving the code, Pavel received another call. The Minsk resident was accused of making an international transfer of 10 thousand rubles to a person on a criminal wanted list "for sponsoring terrorism".
The young man is offered to prove his innocence, which completely contradicts the principle of presumption of innocence.
— There is no proof that you committed these actions unintentionally. There is a fact of an international transfer. It is necessary to draw up a statement for the legal department of the National Bank (we note that such a subdivision does not exist in the national regulator. — Ed. Onliner).
Pavel is threatened with "a criminal case under Article 356 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus 'State Treason' and deprivation of liberty up to life imprisonment."
— Responsibility is collective, as the composition of the crime was committed by a group of persons, — says the "National Bank lawyer" with insistence and begins to find out what money our hero possesses.
— To which organizations did you independently submit your documents? Are you officially employed?
— Yes, but my official salary is small.
— You may be credited with a reward (for making an international transfer. — Ed. Onliner) to your bank card — from 3 to 5 thousand Belarusian rubles. What is the current balance on your cards, so that your funds are not taken into account in the fraudulent operation?
Pavel names random amounts — 2 thousand dollars on a foreign currency card and a total of 1200 rubles on ruble cards. He also has a car loan, adds the young man.
Next, the scammers begin to attack Pavel under the guise of a "National Bank lawyer" and a "Committee for State Security employee" in turns.
— For what purpose did you transfer money to this man and what did he promise you?
— Nothing was promised to me, I accidentally transferred the data.
— How is that "accidentally"?
— They called from "Belposhta" and asked for the code.
— Is that all you wanted to tell me?
— What else should I say... We need to resolve this issue somehow.
Next, the criminal laments about "it's written — do not give the code to anyone, we send district police officers to warn people. What else needs to be done so that citizens do not fall into similar situations? Is what the state is doing not enough?"
Hearing extraneous voices in the receiver, the "KGB employee" demands an account of who is next to Pavel. The young man replies that he is at work, and hears:
— For the next twenty years, you won't need work, do you understand that information cannot be disclosed to third parties? Let's switch to video call, I need to make sure you are really alone.
"You helped legalize stolen money"
The "National Bank lawyer", in turn, in addition to "state treason", also charges Pavel with Article 290-1 "Financing of Terrorist Activities".
— I am interested in the source of origin, that is, where these 10 thousand Belarusian rubles came from.
— But this is not my money, I don't even know where it came from.
— Not yours? This means I can give ninety percent certainty that these funds were previously stolen from another citizen, and you helped transfer them. This is even worse.
According to the false lawyer, in such a case, Pavel faces punishment also for aiding in the legalization of stolen money. Therefore, the scammer instructs, it is necessary to "create a legal request for the opening of a preliminary investigation and send it to the Committee for State Security", then collect the necessary documents and undergo a polygraph test.
Among the documents Pavel is ordered to prepare are a declaration form, bank documents, a certificate from a psychiatric dispensary, and a document confirming location.
— What kind of document is that?
— A state program called "Locator 24" is installed on your phone, and it transmits your movement location directly to the Committee for State Security. This is done so that if you try to hide outside the city, region, or in principle, the country, it will be noticed immediately.
The state program, according to the scammers, is an application used by parents concerned about their children. We emphasize that no programs should be installed at the instruction of strangers, otherwise scammers can block accounts and transfer your money. Pavel acted after assessing all risks.
Next, Pavel needs to declare all the money he has at home, recording the number of banknotes and their denomination.
"Prove the legality of currency acquisition"
The next day is Saturday, but the false employee expresses readiness to come to work for our hero. However, on weekends and Monday, it was not possible to expose the scammers. According to Pavel's guesses, the criminals simply could not organize a courier to pick up the package with money.
In a phone conversation, the criminals explained the delay by saying that the banks, to which requests about the origin of the 10 thousand rubles that Pavel allegedly "financed terrorists" with were sent, were not working.
— No information is provided on Sunday, most likely it will only be on Monday. Regarding the declaration form — I forwarded the mathematics you just sent me to the State Information Committee (verbatim. — Ed. Onliner). During the day, they should check it and give me an answer: whether they will request these funds for expertise or not.
— What if there's no passport, what to do?
— I'm waiting for the chief to arrive, I'll coordinate further actions with him.
Continuing the conversation, the false National Bank employee asks for documents to confirm the legality of currency acquisition, specifically asking if purchase and sale agreements have been preserved. It is noteworthy that in Belarus all transactions are conducted only in rubles, but the "banker" apparently does not know about this.
An expert examination, as one might easily guess, was needed. Pavel clarifies how exactly the examination is conducted, and hears the following:
— The collection service brings the cash to the National Bank vault. The examination takes place under video surveillance, fingerprints are taken, and information regarding the origin of each banknote is studied. The term is from one to a maximum of three days.
Also, according to the criminal, Pavel's employer is also threatened with an inspection — the "KGB" had questions about how the young man could have accumulated dollars, receiving, according to him, an official salary less than the living wage.
To avoid problems with his employer, Pavel even offered a bribe to the "National Bank employee". Hearing how upset Pavel was, the criminal sympathetically advised him not to stress himself and to take up a hobby, for example, go fishing.
Negotiations, preparing money for "declaration", and collecting documents take Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. One can imagine the stress a person not as skeptical as Pavel would have been under all these days. Especially since the criminals have the ability to track the victim's location (on the weekend, Pavel prudently left the phone with the locator at home and used another device).
"You're Done" and threats of physical violence
Finally, Tuesday arrived — the day when, according to our assumptions, the money for "expertise" was to be handed over. The "KGB employee" talks about the difficulties he overcame in coordinating the route of the "collection service", and as a result, sends Pavel to the area... of the crematorium.
— Crematorium it is, then, — the young man commented on the location in a conversation with the journalist and headed there.
Pavel had the money with him. The role of money, of course, was played by papers. The scammers ordered him to leave the package behind the "Turn to Zabalotstse" bus stop not far from the Northern Cemetery.
By this time, the man had already informed the police, and their plainclothes officers were ready to track the further path of the "collector".
It was clear that the scammers' courier was collecting packages including real money, because, unfortunately, the scammers had managed to deceive someone.
While Pavel was on his way to the Department of Internal Affairs, the scammers seemed to suspect that something was wrong with the dollars. The "National Bank lawyer" was nervous, demanding that all photos of the money be sent. In response to accusations that Pavel handed over a fake, the young man began to ask for his dollars back. But eventually, the criminals believed the young man and even sent an "official document".
While Pavel was already giving explanations to the police, the scammers called him. Law enforcement officers witnessed how the young man was threatened via speakerphone with "being burned along with the car".
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