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Front News Georgia
Police in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi have arrested an individual accused of defrauding pensioners out of ₾48,983 ($18,733) through a scheme involving false claims about utility benefits and bank account security, Georgia's Ministry of Internal Affairs said.
The Ministry said the suspect allegedly posed as a representative of various companies and contacted pensioners to obtain their personal information under the pretext of providing utility discounts.
Investigators say the suspect later contacted the same victims again, this time claiming to be a representative of the National Bank of Georgia. The suspect allegedly warned them that their bank accounts were at risk of being frozen and their funds confiscated.
To prevent this, the suspect reportedly instructed the victims to hand over their cash to an intermediary he had sent, claiming the money needed to be verified.
The suspect was arrested as a defendant on the basis of a court order following operational and investigative measures.
Investigators said efforts are continuing to identify and apprehend any other individuals who may have been involved in the alleged fraud.
The crime is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment upon conviction.
