Africans detained in Moscow with the names of Gazprom and Rosneft, who stole 900 million and “undermined the image of Russia”

Posted on Aug 28, 2012

Metropolitan police defused a gang of African scams that cheated businessmen around the world, using his “sounding” names similar to the names of influential Russian company “Gazprom”, “Rosneft” and “Russian Railways”. The total damage caused by their activities reaches billion. The Interior Ministry is also concerned that the Africans have undermined goodwill of Russia.

In the group of speculators included nine people from West Africa, having the citizenship of Nigeria and Cameroon, the official website of the Interior Ministry. Was the victim of a scam hundreds of foreign companies that have listed on their account is not less than 900 million rubles.

During the detention of suspects in different parts of Moscow was seven searches in those places where they lived. Operatives seized counterfeit printing entities, notary, false documents, office equipment and computers.

The criminals used fake national passports with names and surnames, somehow in tune with the names of major Russian companies, for example, “Gazprom”, “Murmansk Shipping Company”, “Rosneft” and others.

The investigation began after a representative of JSC “Russian Railways” has received a letter from the Chinese businessmen, angered by the fact that Russia is not fulfilling its obligations under the transportation of coal. Guide “Russian Railways” has sent this statement to the police.

The investigation revealed that in December 2010 the staff of the Chinese company on the English site of some of the company agreed with the crooks to supply coal of prepayment for transportation. For this scam sent details of partners account, drawn on an individual, whose name sounded like JSC Railways (translated to English means “of Railways”).

First, they list the attackers demanded 200,000 dollars upfront, but then reduced that amount to four times. In February 2011, the Chinese company donated 50,000 dollars, but coal customers have not arrived.

The Internet fraudsters place bids on the implementation of various minerals and other commodities (rails, locomotives, etc.), indicating the details of non-existent commercial companies. After transferring the required deposit attackers disappeared. Thus members of the group stole the money the companies located in the EU, the U.S. and Southeast Asia.

All the “business” correspondence was conducted with computers in rented Moscow apartment. Legalized money transfers through Western Africa.

Suspects are not only committed crimes, but “applied reputational harm to the image of Russia as a member of international trade relations,” according to the press service of the Investigation Department of the Russian Interior Ministry and the General Directorate of transport Russian Interior Ministry.

Currently, addressed the issue of custody of detainees in custody. Criminals faces 10 years in prison.