Case of fraud and money laundering via fake Facebook pages discovered
A case of fraud and money laundering carried out through fake personal pages on Facebook has been uncovered in Armenia.
The investigation revealed that from February 2021 to March 2024, two individuals, V. S. and D. G., created fake Facebook pages using photos of compatriots living primarily in the USA. Through these pages, they established contact with the friends and relatives of those individuals, presenting themselves as acquaintances and demanding money under various pretexts.
As a result of the scheme, a total of 686,320 AMD was stolen from the victims and transferred to pre-arranged electronic wallets and bank cards. The investigation also found that between 2021 and 2023, the same individuals laundered more than 10,542,000 AMD, attempting to conceal the source of the criminally obtained funds and give them a legal appearance.
Public criminal prosecution has been initiated against V. S. under articles of fraud and money laundering on a particularly large scale. The criminal proceedings regarding the individual, along with the indictment, have been sent to the supervising prosecutor.
Within the framework of the criminal proceedings, the investigation continues to identify other possible episodes and the scope of victims.