An employee of a criminal TV show could not recognize the deceivers
Police officers neutralized extortionists who stole 30 million rubles from the producer of a criminal program on one of the TV channels. The blackmailers introduced themselves as FSB officers.
As a source in the special services told MK, on December 24 last year, several people ambushed the 35-year-old producer near his home in Zelenograd. They produced identification cards similar to the “crusts” of operatives of the Federal Security Service. In addition, the men were wearing bulletproof vests and with FSB patches. They stated that the journalist is suspected of a dangerous crime, for which at least 10 years in prison threatens.
The false counterintelligence officers offered to pay 30 million rubles for not bringing them to justice. The amount did not appear “from the ceiling”: the scammers took the phone from the journalist, studied the correspondence and realized that he had such money at his disposal.
The producer took a package from home and gave the required amount. Later, he explained that a friend had given him the money to develop his business.
The FSB officers returned 1.5 million rubles to the victim and advised him to hide from the city for six months. After a couple of months, the producer, realizing that he had been deceived, turned to the FSB. The suspects were arrested yesterday. Two of the four have previous convictions, including for extortion. They explained that initially they were going to demand money from another person, and the journalist turned up by chance.