Fraudsters fraudulently extorted $170,000 from a resident by posing as officials from MIA, SSS and CB

In Uzbekistan, scammers impersonated employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service, and the Central Bank, coercing a resident to transfer $170,000 to them, the Ombudsman’s press service reports.

According to the victim, in December 2024, he believed unknown individuals who introduced themselves as civil servants. Under their pressure, he sold his house and car, gave away his savings, and even went into debt, after which he transferred the entire amount to them in cryptocurrency. When the man realised it was a scam, he contacted the Cybersecurity Centre.

A criminal case has been opened regarding the incident. During the investigation, part of the money was recovered. 115 thousand dollars (1.4 billion soums) were recovered in favour of the victim.

Citizens are advised not to trust callers from personal numbers who introduce themselves as law enforcement or bank staff and demand payments or personal information. Additionally, you should not reveal passport details, card numbers, PINS, or SMS codes over the phone.

Remember that in Tashkent, fraudsters stole money from citizens’ cards using apps infected with viruses. The criminals managed to embezzle billions of soums.