A 39-year-old woman in Astana is facing fraud charges after allegedly receiving 1.5 million tenge from a longtime acquaintance under the pretext of helping her buy an apartment, infohub.kz reports.
The Astana Police Department announced the case on its Instagram page. Investigators established that the suspect knew the victim — the two women had previously lived in the same city.
"During their conversation, the suspect said she had contacts at construction companies who could allegedly help with purchasing an apartment. Trusting these promises, the victim handed over 1.5 million tenge as a down payment. The suspect then repeatedly promised to resolve the housing issue but eventually stopped responding," police said.
During operational search activities, the 39-year-old woman was detained at her place of residence. A criminal case has been opened, and a pretrial investigation is underway.
Police urge citizens to exercise caution in real estate transactions, verify the accuracy of offers, and avoid handing over large sums of money without proper documentation.