More than 3,000 Kazakh citizens have fallen victim to a large-scale online shopping scam, losing a total of 6 billion tenge, reports infohub.kz.
The victims ordered household appliances, phones, and jewelry through an online store, paid for the goods, but never received them. One of the victims, Balkiya Maratkyzy, said she ordered items worth 17 million tenge. Initially, she received two phones, then four more, but the rest of the goods were never delivered. The sellers constantly promised quick delivery but eventually stopped responding. She also noted that they had recommended the store to relatives and acquaintances, and now they are paying off loans taken out for the goods.
According to KTK TV channel, the marketplace appeared in December last year. Buyers were attracted by record-low prices—goods were almost 40% cheaper than on other platforms—and fast delivery. However, problems began about four months ago when many started placing wholesale orders. In the end, goods were not delivered, and sellers disappeared.
The defrauded buyers turned to the police. A criminal case has been opened. The suspects are in Astana and face up to seven years in prison. Official representative of the Almaty Police Department, Saltanat Azirbek, said that about 100 people have filed complaints, and the materials have been transferred to the police department of the Baikonur district of Astana. The main criminal case is being investigated there, and all individuals involved in the criminal scheme have been identified and are being detained.