Movie-like €60 million theft in Belgrade: Two women and three men came up with fraud of the century

Illustration: Nikola Jovanovic; Photo: Shutterstock

Zorica M. (37), Ana DJ. (26), Muharem B. (36), Sasa S. (49) and Filip I. (31) have been arrested in an operation by the police and prosecutors in Serbia and from three other countries on suspicion of damaging thousands of people for more than a whopping 60 million euros through financial fraud, Telegraf.rs has learned.

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It is suspected that they, over the long term, committed very complex financial fraud together with accomplices from Bulgaria, Austria and Germany.

How did they manage to do it?

First, they created a computer-based online platform for trading in fake stock exchange payment instruments, and they also misrepresented stock price movements through fake brokers who worked in call centers making fraudulent calls.

Everything was fake, but it seemed completely realistic. Many wealthy Europeans fell for their deception.

In this way, the suspects led citizens from several European Union countries to pay as much money as possible in the same (fraudulent) sale of shares. It is suspected that the injured parties would first pay a larger amount of money, and then after a certain period of time, the suspects would show them that the said stock allegedly completely lost its value, that is, that the victims had lost the money invested.

And they invested thousands upon thousands of euros ...

In this way, the suspects, along with their collaborators from other countries, damaged thousands of people for more than 60,000,000 euros.

It's simply amazing how it's possible that no one suspected anything.

The companies are Select X and I-source

The police seized computer equipment and three passenger vehicles during a search of the apartments as well as the offices of the companies "Select X" and "I-source" located in Belgrade.

They are charged with fraud and money laundering.

When it comes to fraud, suspects can be sentence for up to ten years in prison, considering the enormous amount of damage.

"If property gain or damage exceeding 1.5 million dinars has been obtained, the perpetrator shall be punished by imprisonment for a term between two and ten years and a fine," it is stated in the Criminal Code.

Money laundering is punishable by a sentence of six months to 12 years.

The five have been arrested in cooperation between members of the MUP with the Special Prosecution Office for High-Tech Crime and the police and prosecutor's offices of Germany, Austria and Bulgaria, as well as the European Union's judicial and police cooperation institutions Eurojust and Europol.

The suspects are currently detained for up to 48 hours and, with will be, along with a criminal complaint, brought before the competent prosecutor's office.

If you have been a victim of this scam or know someone who has been, write to us at redakcija@telegraf.rs

(M.B.)