“The investigative unit Department of the MIA of Russia Administration for the Kurgan Region completed the preliminary investigation into a criminal case of fraud with certificates of maternity (family) capital committed by an organized group in an especially large amount, as well as the legalization of criminally obtained money or other property.

According to investigators, in November 2016, the head of one of the real estate agencies in the city of Kurgan created a group that included three women with experience in real estate work. For a year and a half, with the help of intermediaries, they looked for potential owners of maternity (family) capital who were in a difficult financial situation.

Announcements “on the legal cashing of maternity (family) capital” were posted in social networks and in public places of the Kurgan, Tyumen and Sverdlovsk regions. The offenders misled citizens and persuaded to conclude fictitious transactions all those who applied to them.  At the same time, they informed the owners of maternity capital certificates that the cost of their services would be no more than 30,000 rubles. However, subsequently, mothers received only a third of the funds in the accounts. The malefactors disposed of the remaining funds at their discretion.

The damage from the illegal activities amounted to about twenty-two million rubles.

Currently, the criminal case instituted on the grounds of crimes stipulated by part 4 of Article 159.2 and part 4 of Article 174.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation has been sent to the Kurgansky City Court of the Kurgan Region for consideration on the merits,” said the official representative of the Russian MIA Irina Volk.