Police in the Almaty region are investigating a series of car frauds. Four people fell victim to the suspect's actions, with total damages exceeding 46 million tenge.
According to Polisia.kz, the suspect, who had previously been involved in legal car buying and selling, developed a criminal scheme after facing financial difficulties.
He offered acquaintances seemingly lucrative deals for car resale or services. To appear convincing, he would show them vehicles and talk about possibilities for resolving paperwork issues. He then pocketed the money received without fulfilling his obligations.
The police have opened criminal cases. The suspect has been placed in a temporary detention facility. His involvement in other similar crimes is being investigated.
For context, in July 2024 in Aktau, a group of fraudsters was convicted for posing as intermediaries for selling confiscated property. They would rent out properties and pass them off as confiscated assets. The criminals would move potential buyers in, take their money, but never process the paperwork. 39 people were affected by their actions, with damages amounting to around 1 billion tenge.