Prominent Russian stand-up comedian Andrey Beburishvili has revealed the intricate details of a scam that cost him five million rubles, along with insights into the ongoing criminal investigation. These revelations came during an interview with journalist Karen Adamyan, published on VKontakte.
Beburishvili stated that he immediately contacted the police after the incident, leading to the initiation of a criminal case. The comedian shared information he received from law enforcement:
“The money, as they explained to me, is converted into Bitcoin and transferred to Ukraine within 30-42 minutes after being handed over to the scammer`s accomplice.”
The humorist also mentioned that the police successfully identified and apprehended the courier who collected the funds. The individual turned out to be a 17-year-old Russian citizen. Beburishvili was present during the identification process.
“By the time of the court hearing, he had turned 18, and he will likely face an adult prison sentence. Honestly, I don`t know why I feel pity for him,” the artist admitted.
Furthermore, Beburishvili recalled the specifics of the deception, emphasizing that the fraudsters exerted immense psychological pressure, denying him any time to reflect. According to the comedian, the perpetrators completely isolated him, keeping him on the phone for approximately nine consecutive hours.
“I only hung up when I was at the bank. You simply don`t have the chance to think it through. If they sense you`re wavering, they immediately transfer you to another operator who pulls you back into their narrative. Sooner or later, you start believing them,” the humorist added.
The comedian first publicly disclosed being a victim of fraud in March. It was then clarified that the fraudsters initially called him pretending to be from “Russian Post,” convincing him to disclose an SMS code, which granted them access to his “Gosuslugi” (Public Services) account. Following this, the scammers impersonated officials from government agencies, persuading Beburishvili that he needed to prevent his money from being used to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
