VIDEO: Car Buyers Targeted by Fraudsters - Police Investigation

On September 3, the Arabkir division of the police received a report regarding fraud. A citizen reported that they went to a house to purchase a car, but the homeowner took their down payment to pay for a car under collateral and never returned. This was reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The police accepted the report and began an investigation.

"This was not the first similar alert received by our department where a citizen fell victim to fraud under the pretense of buying a car. This time, by also correlating operational information obtained during previous fraud revelations, it was possible to identify one of the members of the criminal group," said Gregory Nikoghosyan, a senior operative of the Arabkir police's Criminal Investigation Division.

Currently, the investigation is aware of four episodes of similar fraud committed by the group. By previously reaching a criminal agreement, the fraudsters had learned about the sale of a 'Toyota Camry' from a website. They contacted the owner pretending to be buyers, expressing interest in the car, and requested photos and videos, as well as a picture of the technical passport to proceed with the purchase. They then asked to take the vehicle's ad down to avoid other potential buyers.

The next step was for the fraudsters to repost the vehicle's sale advertisement, including the car and technical passport pictures, on another site at a much cheaper, so-called enticing price.

A potential victim contacted the seller, who stated that the car was under collateral and that selling it required a little more than one and a half million drams. After agreeing on the down payment, the man claimed he worked at a ministry and was very busy but could invite them to his home where his wife would handle all matters. He provided an address on Vagharsyan Street, where his wife, Liana, would be waiting for them.

The victims went to Vagharsyan Street. Liana welcomed them, took the down payment, promised to return quickly, and... disappeared without a trace.

It turned out that the apartment was rented out, and the girl's name was not Liana.

On September 3, the person who presented herself as Liana was located in the city of Sevan, arrested on reasonable suspicion of fraud, and transferred to the Arabkir police station.

A 27-year-old woman has had a measure of house arrest enforced against her. Measures are ongoing to identify the man who presented himself as a ministry employee and other possible members of the criminal group.