Two St. Petersburg residents have been apprehended by Moscow police for allegedly assisting phone scammers in withdrawing and cashing out stolen funds. According to Interior Ministry representative Irina Volk, the suspects are believed to be part of a scheme that defrauded approximately 120 people of over 150 million rubles since 2024.

The scammers reportedly used a common tactic, convincing victims that their bank accounts were at risk due to data breaches. They then instructed the individuals to transfer their savings to “safe accounts” to prevent the money from being stolen.

One of the suspects is accused of registering shell companies and specialized accounts under false names to facilitate the withdrawal of the victims’ funds. The other suspect allegedly cashed out the stolen money and transferred it to other individuals involved in the scheme.

Criminal cases have been initiated under the fraud article, and both suspects have been charged and taken into custody. The investigation is ongoing.