A 24-year-old Saint Petersburg resident is under investigation for allegedly stealing 14 million rubles from an 84-year-old блокадница (Blockade survivor). The suspect is also linked to similar crimes targeting other elderly residents.

The investigation began after the 84-year-old victim reported the theft to law enforcement on June 2nd. She was allegedly convinced by unknown individuals to hand over her savings under the pretense of “formalizing funds.”

According to reports, the perpetrators used a common scheme: the victim received a phone call from someone posing as an official, followed by a courier arriving at her home on Demyan Bedny Street to collect the money.

A criminal case has been opened under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which addresses fraud on an especially large scale.

The suspect was apprehended in the Moskovsky district, where he was already in custody for a similar crime. Investigators believe he acted as a “drop,” collecting money from victims in various parts of the city.

Authorities are examining the suspect’s possible involvement in other fraud cases. Two additional victims have been identified: an 88-year-old блокадница from Vitebsky Prospekt, who lost 1.2 million rubles, and a 79-year-old pensioner from Belyshev Street, who was defrauded of 350 thousand rubles.