Vilnius court to hear case against Russian and Estonian fraud suspects

A case accusing two Russian and Estonian citizens of organised fraud has been sent to Vilnius City District Court, the General Prosecutor’s Office said Thursday, LRT reported.

Prosecutors say the group’s members called older people while posing as employees of various institutions, including police officers. They persuaded victims to hand over cash and bank cards to people who arrived to “check” them.

Fourteen people were affected, suffering financial losses of 187,200 euros. The alleged offences took place between February 23 and March 10 this year. Callers falsely claimed that victims’ personal data might have been stolen, accounts opened in their names or loans taken out. They also said cash kept at home needed to be checked, declared or protected.

Victims were persuaded to put cash and bank cards in envelopes or bags and give them to the visitors. The couriers used prearranged passwords so victims would recognise them. Investigators say the accused personally collected money from residents on instructions from other members of the organised group.

The defendants are also accused of obtaining and possessing other people’s payment cards, using card details to make financial transactions, illegally accessing information systems and appropriating the identity of a civil servant or a person performing public administration functions.

They face charges including fraud, identity appropriation, unlawful possession or use of electronic payment instruments or their data, and unlawful access to an information system. The victims have filed civil claims for a total of 224,511 euros in pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages.

The pretrial investigation was conducted by officers from the property crime investigation unit of the Vilnius County Police Headquarters.