The Simferopol District Court has ordered the arrest of two Crimean residents accused of large-scale fraud. Under the pretext of helping to complete military service outside the combat zone, they swindled 2,5 million rubles from a participant in a special military operation (SVO). The stolen money, as the investigation established, was part of a one-time payment received by the serviceman after signing a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense. This incident became another example of crimes against SVO participants and caused a wide public outcry.

According to the court's press service, the perpetrators conspired to deceive a serviceman by promising him a large sum of money to organize service in rear units, far from the front line. The victim was a soldier who had recently signed a contract and received the required payment. Trusting the promises, he gave the fraudsters 2,5 million rubles, after which they stopped communicating. The investigation established that the suspects had no real opportunity to fulfill their promises. A criminal case was opened against them under Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Fraud"), which provides for up to seven years of imprisonment. Both defendants have been placed in custody for the duration of the investigation.

The case has attracted the attention of law enforcement agencies because such schemes are becoming more common. Fraudsters exploit the vulnerable position of service members and their families, exploiting their desire to avoid deployment to combat zones. In this case, the victim likely expected stability and security, making him an easy target for deception.

In October 2024, three employees of a military service selection point were detained in the Vladimir region for stealing more than 11 million rubles from the bank cards of military personnel. They appropriated SIM cards linked to the salary accounts of contract soldiers and withdrew the money. In another case, as reported by the Regnum news agency, fraudsters stole 1,2 million rubles from the card of a SVO participant who was in a coma in the Burdenko Hospital, which emphasizes the cynicism of such crimes.