Unauthentic deposits made
Fraudulent Group Trial Uncovers Banking Caravan Scam in Moscow
A trial in Moscow has shed light on a fraudulent group that attempted to steal around half a billion rubles from the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) through a method known as a "banking caravan". The scheme involved the opening of hundreds of fake deposits just before the collapse of several banks.
The first case involving fake deposits at TGB reached the court, resulting in the conviction of Sergei Federyakhin. However, Federyakhin, who was sentenced to three years of probation in August 2022, went on the run and left the country in October 2023, making him an internationally wanted individual.
The criminal case was initiated by the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) on June 26, 2017. The group formed a "stable criminal group" in Moscow from August 2016 to February 2017. They collected personal data from relatives, friends, and acquaintances to create fake documents showing fake bank deposits.
Twelve of Federyakhin's accomplices received sentences ranging from one year eight months to four years four months in November 2023. More than a dozen suspects, including Denis Grishkin, Viktor Gorin, Sergey Zagonets, and others, were identified and arrested in October 2020.
Another case involved the scam at Rosenergobank (REB), where three out of nine defendants - Sergei Zagorets, Sergei Konkin, and Viktor Gorin - were again on the bench of the accused in the Tagansky Court. The three defendants in the new case concerning Rosenergobank before the Tagansky Court in Moscow are Andrey Rozhkov, Sergey Shcherbakov, and Dmitry Vinogradov.
The scam was uncovered when depositors from Trade City Bank (TCB) and Rosenergobank (REB) applied for insurance payouts totaling around 1 billion rubles, which were denied. No trace of the supposedly deposited funds was found on the banks' balance sheets.
Alexander Erkhov, who was sentenced by the Zamoskvoretsky Court of Moscow to five years and six months for embezzling 1.9 billion rubles from the Rostov-based Stella Bank, also served his sentence under real and house arrests and was released after the verdict was announced. However, since he had already served the entire sentence in pre-trial detention, he was released and left the country. The Basmanny Court of Moscow issued a warrant for his arrest in absentia in December 2023.
The size of the deposits on paper did not exceed the maximum amount of guaranteed insurance compensation paid by the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA). The episodes involving TCB and REB were separated and then combined again during the investigation.
The Nagatinsky Court replaced Federyakhin's suspended sentence with a real one in November 2022, which will be calculated from the moment of his arrest or extradition. The trial serves as a reminder of the need for vigilance against such financial crimes and the importance of the Deposit Insurance Agency in protecting depositors' funds.
Read also:
- Impact of Alcohol on the Human Body: Nine Aspects of Health Alteration Due to Alcohol Consumption
- Understanding the Concept of Obesity
- Lu Shiow-yen's Challenging Position as Chair of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Under Scrutiny in Donovan's Analysis
- Tough choices on August 13, 2025 for those born under Aquarius? Consider the advantages and disadvantages to gain guidance
