“Officers of the Criminal Investigation Administration of the MIA of Russia GA for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region with the participation of the Rosgvardia detained three members of the group, which specialized in the theft of money of citizens by selling tourist vouchers for non-existent sanatoriums.

According to operational data, the offenders created about ten websites on the Internet and pages in social networks, which offered early booking of stay in sanatoriums and boarding houses in Russia, as well as neighboring countries. They tried to attract citizens by big discounts at remote payment. Most sites were registered on foreign servers with concealed IP addresses. In fact, the resort establishments listed in the advertisements did not exist or ceased operations.

Pseudo-managers answered the calls of potential customers, or corresponded with them in social networks using fake pages of sanatoriums. The victim received to his e-mail address a voucher confirming the payment of accommodation, and a contract that imitated genuine documents. The cost of vouchers ranged from 20 to 70 thousand rubles.

Ephemeral companies were registered to front persons, and to their accounts money transfers from the victims as payment for the booking were received. Then the money was stolen.

To date, 11 episodes of fraud against residents of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region have been established. However, according to preliminary estimates, the number of victims can reach six hundred people.

The GA for Investigation of the MIA of Russia GA for Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad Region instituted criminal cases on the features of offenses stipulated by part 2 of Article 159 of the RF Criminal Code.

Placement to custody has been selected as the preventive measure against the suspects. The preliminary investigation continues,” said the Spokesperson for the Russian MIA Irina Volk.