The activities of an organized group that allegedly created a financial pyramid in Minsk have been stopped, reports the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
According to the investigation, in 2022, two Minsk residents, aged 27 and 31, registered a company through which they organized a fraudulent scheme.
Under the guise of an educational internet platform, they offered citizens the opportunity to receive stable income, build a career, and get additional bonuses. Participation required purchasing a commercial license, which supposedly opened access to educational materials and an exclusive database of contracts.
In reality, as the Ministry of Internal Affairs states, the training was limited to low-quality video materials, and the promised database of contracts did not exist. The cost of such a "license" ranged from 200 to 5,000 dollars.
To attract new participants, the organizers used psychological pressure. People who did not have the necessary amount were persuaded to take out loans and microloans. Victims were most often young people aged 18 to 24.
According to preliminary data, more than 99% of all receipts were contributions from new participants. Payments to previous clients were made only by attracting new people, and the organization essentially did not conduct real profitable activities.
According to law enforcement estimates, the number of victims could exceed 500 people, and the total amount of their losses — 2.5 million rubles.
Two organizers and four of their alleged accomplices have been detained. During searches, cash, two expensive cars, computer equipment, mobile phones, and accounting documents were confiscated.
Investigators have opened a criminal case under the article on fraud on a particularly large scale. Suspects face up to 12 years in prison. They are being held in a temporary detention center, and five have already given confessions.
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