A 59-year-old resident of Kokshetau lost more than 10 million tenge after handing money to a courier following a call from fraudsters posing as law enforcement officers. The man was detained in Astana four hours after the woman contacted the police, infohub.kz reports.
According to the Akmola Region Police Department, on September 11 the woman told police that unknown individuals had convinced her to hand over money allegedly for its "safekeeping" and verification. The victim collected a large sum and gave a package to the arriving courier.
Only after he left did she realize she had been defrauded.
Police quickly identified the courier and determined that he lives in Astana. Officers traveled to the capital and searched for the suspect for more than four hours.
Eventually, the man was detained. The victim's money was found and seized from him. According to police, he had not yet transferred the entire sum he received.
The detainee said he had received a call instructing him to go to Kokshetau and pick up a package.
Police are now investigating his possible involvement in other similar crimes.
"Real government officials never demand that you hand over or transfer money for its 'safekeeping' or 'verification.' If you receive such calls, you should immediately end the conversation and contact the police," the department reminded Kazakhstanis.
Earlier, the KZhK warned construction market participants about a new fraud scheme.
Previously, Kursiv reported that fraudsters had begun scamming users with iPhone 18 pre-orders.