Tashkent woman scammed out of $90,000 by organized crime group in inheritance fraud
A woman living in Tashkent fell victim to a scam and lost $90,000 in a fraudulent inheritance scheme. The woman, who believed she could inherit $3 billion from the deceased owner of a large company, was deceived by Nigerian scammers who contacted her through social media. She even sold her house to pay the scammers the $90K.
According to Umidjon Hamroqulov, an officer at the Cybersecurity Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 70% of such crimes globally remain unsolved. The incident occurred two months ago, when the scammers told the woman to send her blood sample for verification of kinship. After transferring $1,000 to the scammers, she was told that she was indeed the billionaire’s relative.
The scammers then convinced her to open a bank account and transfer $20,000 for the inheritance process. Through various pretexts like document formalization and legal services, the woman ended up transferring $90,000 in several stages. The money moved through multiple countries, making it difficult to track down.
Umidjon Hamroqulov stated that such crimes are usually carried out by organized criminal groups and are challenging to solve. Globally, 60-70% of similar crimes remain unsolved. This incident serves as a reminder to be cautious of online scams and fraudulent schemes.
In a previous case, a doctor in Navoi city lost $7,500 to a foreign fraudster who promised her $4 million in cash. It is essential to be vigilant and verify the authenticity of any offers or claims before sending money or personal information to unknown sources.
