Man Accesses Data of 50 Citizens, Executes 40 Million AMD Theft

The investigation into a case of approximately 40 million AMD theft via computer by a 37-year-old resident of Yerevan has been completed. This information was reported by the Investigative Committee of Armenia.

Based on a comprehensive investigation conducted by the Cybercrime and High-Tech Crimes Division of the Main Investigation Department of the particularly important cases, it has been determined and substantiated that a 37-year-old man, an inmate at the Armavir penitentiary, illegally obtained financial resources with criminal intent. Between June 2021 and April 2022, he accessed the IDs of about 50 citizens' Idram wallets and carried out a computer theft totaling 39,803,498 AMD.

Specifically, he made calls to various individuals via Viber and WhatsApp, fabricating various pretexts, including claiming that he had mistakenly transferred money to their Idram wallets, and asked for the passwords they received on their phone numbers. After the citizens provided him with this information, he gained access to their Idram electronic wallets and, without legal or contractual permission, signed online credit agreements on their behalf.

Using the electronic wallets linked to bank cards attached to Idram wallets that he actually managed, the man executed a computer theft of a total of 39,803,498 AMD by transferring the funds to betting accounts with various bookmakers he utilized.

Based on sufficient evidence obtained, the 37-year-old man has been charged under Article 257, Part 3, Clause 3 of the Criminal Code of Armenia. During the investigation, more than 15 million AMD of damages incurred to the citizens has been restored.

The investigation has concluded, and the materials of the criminal case, along with the accusatory conclusion, have been sent to the supervising prosecutor for approval and referral to court.

The Investigative Committee of Armenia urges citizens to avoid becoming victims of similar crimes by never providing personal or banking information, especially passwords, to unfamiliar individuals, regardless of the reasons given.