Man arrested in Georgia over alleged $16,800 online car purchase fraud

Georgian police have arrested a man on suspicion of defrauding an acquaintance of $16,800 after promising to purchase and import a vehicle through an online auction, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.

The arrest was carried out by officers from the Tbilisi Police Department's Fraud Prevention Division and Main Detective Division.

According to the ministry, investigators found that the suspect offered to help the victim buy a car through an online auction and arrange its transportation to Georgia. Prosecutors allege he accepted $16,800 for the purchase but failed to deliver the vehicle and instead unlawfully appropriated the money.

The suspect was arrested under a court order following operational and investigative measures, the ministry said.

The crime carries a maximum sentence of nine years' imprisonment if convicted.