A disturbing and predatory new scam scheme has been uncovered, preying on the vulnerability and emotional distress of wives whose husbands are participating in the special military operation (SMO). These fraudsters, masquerading as psychics and fortune-tellers, are skillfully extorting money through manipulative deceptive practices, as revealed by experts from Roskachestvo.
The criminals employ a sophisticated method, beginning by meticulously monitoring social media groups specifically dedicated to the SMO. Within these communities, they actively seek out profiles belonging to women whose husbands are currently deployed in combat zones. Their primary objective is to identify individuals who have publicly shared their phone numbers, making them accessible targets.
Once potential victims are identified, the fraudsters initiate contact, posing as “occult specialists” or clairvoyants. They leverage advanced social engineering tactics, often demonstrating an uncanny and unsettling knowledge of personal life details. This information, likely gleaned from public profiles or prior online interactions, is used to build a false sense of credibility and deeply rooted trust, convincing the women of their supposed supernatural abilities.
A crucial and deeply manipulative stage of their deception involves intimidation. The swindlers skillfully convince their victims that their husbands, or even the women themselves, are facing imminent misfortunes, which they attribute to “curses,” “evil eyes,” or other malevolent spiritual influences. This tactic plays directly into the anxieties and fears of women already worried about their loved ones` safety.
Under the pretext of performing “magic rituals” such as “curse removal” or “protective ceremonies” to ward off these fabricated dangers, the scammers demand payment. They typically extort relatively small sums, often amounting to a few thousand rubles, instructing the victims to transfer the money directly to their phone numbers. They promise immediate relief and absolute protection from the perceived impending troubles.
However, the moment the funds are received, the perpetrators vanish without a trace, severing all contact. This leaves the deceived women not only financially poorer but also frequently unaware that they have been the victims of a well-orchestrated and cynical fraud, designed to exploit their deepest fears during a challenging time.
This is not an isolated incident, underscoring a wider pattern of exploitation. Similar cases have been reported previously. For example, in the Tula region, law enforcement authorities apprehended fraudsters who had swindled a soldier`s family out of approximately two million rubles. In that particular case, the scammers had falsely claimed they could facilitate special privileges or benefits for the serviceman, further highlighting the diverse tactics employed by these criminals.
Based on insights from Roskachestvo.
