Debt from Wall Street: how pseudo-brokers deceive Russians
A criminal case has been opened in Moscow on fraud, the victims of which were dozens of Russians who believed in the opportunity to build a brilliant career in the financial sector. Under the pretext of employment in prestigious offices with high incomes, scammers persuaded citizens to take out loans ostensibly to start working on the stock exchange. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Deceived "brokers"
One of the first applicants was a 53-year-old Muscovite woman who was offered a job in an office in Moscow City as a document specialist with the prospect of career growth. During the "training" process, she was convinced that success in her new position directly depends on the availability of start-up capital, and was persuaded to take out a bank loan in the amount of 1 million rubles. The woman handed over the funds in cash, after which the "employer" stopped answering calls, and then simply disappeared.
A resident of the Republic of Ingushetia was also convinced of the need to apply for a loan in her name for the sake of future successful employment. She handed over 9.8 million rubles to the scammers.
According to law enforcement agencies, the scammers acted on behalf of several one-day firms and used psychological pressure and false promises. According to preliminary information, there are already more than 30 episodes in the criminal case initiated at the end of June, and the investigation does not exclude retraining for the article on the creation of an organized criminal community (art. 210 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
The financial hook
As noted on social networks, the fraudulent scheme was built as a well—staged performance, the finale of which is the disappearance of the organizers with borrowed funds. Candidates were accepted in rented offices in a prestigious business district.
"All this is accompanied by information about trading sessions, stocks, futures, barrels, OPEC, liquidity, volatility, etc., your head swells joyfully and gradually turns off," one of the likely victims testifies.
It is noted that at the same time, some employees were confused in terminology, but the general pressure worked. When the contact was established, the victim was told that in order to launch his office, he needed to make a "deposit".
There was either no official contract at all, or it was drawn up on behalf of third parties. The money was transferred personally, and then the "employer" stopped contacting.
— I decided to refuse the offer and not start training, cooperation with them. So they started harassing me with calls like "what kind of kindergarten did I set up?" But not a single document was signed and no verbal promise was made," says one of the candidates, who sensed something was wrong in time.
Portrait of a potential victim
The psychology of engaging in schemes that mimic financial success is a complex phenomenon that is intertwined with the social, emotional, and cognitive aspects of human behavior, says psychologist and Gestalt therapist Julia Azikova.
— Adults, who seem to be experienced people, succumb to theatrical techniques, demonstrate their susceptibility to deep motivations and vulnerabilities. The effect of mass suggestion certainly plays a significant role. A group of people who collectively create the illusion of dynamic success creates powerful social pressure. A person who finds himself in the center of this "movement" feels a desire to conform, fearing to miss out on potential benefits or find himself outside the community of "chosen ones".
According to the expert, in addition to social pressure, the desire for prestige and recognition plays an important role. Financial success in modern society is often perceived as a symbol of status and achievements, and participation in a scheme that promises rapid capital growth can satisfy the need for self-affirmation and an increase in social rating, Azikova believes.
— We should also not forget about the cognitive distortions that are common to all people. Optimistic bias, the tendency to overestimate one's chances of success and underestimate risks, combined with the availability of information about the success of other participants, create a favorable ground for making rash decisions.
Legal assessment of the scheme
Depending on the circumstances and the amount of damage caused to the victims, the actions of scammers can be qualified as fraud committed by a group of persons by prior agreement, as well as causing significant damage (Part 2 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code), or as fraud committed by an organized group, or on an especially large scale (part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code), says Polina Pereda, head of the judicial support department at the vvCube consulting group.
Damage in the amount of at least 5,000 rubles is considered significant, and an amount of 1 million rubles is considered particularly large, the expert says.
— The maximum penalty that can be received for a crime under Part 3 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is imprisonment for up to five years with or without restriction of liberty for up to one year, and Part 4 of the said article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to ten years with a fine of up to 1 million rubles or the convicted person's salary for a period of up to three years or without it and with or without restriction of liberty for up to two years.
According to the lawyer, as a rule, fraudsters do not conclude a written employment contract with employees and avoid questions about it in every possible way.
— Most often, the cheating employer is not registered as an organization or individual entrepreneur or is registered outside of Russia and lures potential victims with the opportunity to work from home, with a salary above the market and lax requirements for candidates' business qualities.
At the same time, the Expert notes, the role of HR specialists in such schemes is also controlled by law, since cases of their blind use are practically excluded.
— Both recruiters and HR specialists should be aware of the requirements of labor legislation, namely that the Labor Code of the Russian Federation does not provide for the obligation of an employee to transfer any amounts to an employer before applying for a job, especially to apply for loans for employment, - the expert emphasizes. — The requirements for transferring money under the pretext of an investment that will pay off, Or they are illegal to purchase personal protective equipment, work clothes, or pay for training that must be completed before being hired.
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