Man arrested in Kutaisi over fraud targeting pensioners

One person has been arrested on suspicion of unlawfully accessing computer data to obtain financial gain by taking out loans in pensioners’ names, Georgia’s Interior Ministry said.

The investigation found that the suspect promised pensioners a monthly allowance of GEL 200, then secretly obtained their personal data and used banking applications on their mobile phones to activate loans.

The suspect obtained GEL 43,792 in total through the scheme.

Police arrested the individual in Tbilisi under a judge’s warrant.

The crime carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.