A woman has been detained in Astana on suspicion of fraud after allegedly promising to help a resident buy an apartment and taking 5 million tenge from her, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs' information media portal, the suspect is accused of large-scale fraud. Investigators believe she posed as a banking specialist and gained the victim's trust.
"She promised to help buy an apartment at a price well below market value through an auction held by one of the city's banks. To back up her promises, the suspect gave various excuses, claiming that money was needed to process documents and take part in the auction. As a result, the victim transferred a total of 5 million tenge to her account. However, the promised apartment was never provided. It later emerged that the suspect spent the money on personal needs," the ministry said.
A pre-trial investigation is currently underway. The suspect has been linked to two similar incidents.
Police are urging citizens to exercise caution when making real estate transactions. Offers to buy apartments at reduced prices, take part in preferential programs or arrange housing through auctions must be verified through official sources.