Three foreign nationals were among four individuals arrested in Georgia for allegedly conducting a large-scale fraud scheme, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced on Tuesday. The suspects posed as law enforcement officers to deceive citizens in Tbilisi, Batumi, and the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, ultimately defrauding them of ₾500,000 ($180,000).
According to the Ministry, the group contacted victims by claiming their relatives had been involved in traffic accidents and demanded bribes to resolve the situations. Posing as officers from the Interior Ministry, they convinced the victims to hand over money in exchange for assistance.
Once the victims agreed, the suspects met them in person, used fake identities to collect the funds, and transferred the money to a cryptocurrency wallet, the Ministry explained.
The scheme, which lasted for several months, affected 61 citizens across different regions of Georgia. Law enforcement arrested the suspects after an investigation and charged them with organized fraud, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
