Fraudulence through deviousness and abuse of one’s trust is the kidnapping of someone else’s poverty or getting certain rights to someone else’s property. In this regard, Article 178 of the RA Criminal Code defines punishment by paying penalty – minimum wage rate multiplied three hundred or up to five hundred times or rehabilitative labor from 1-2 years or charge (maximum 2 months) or arrest (maximum 2 years).
The swindler, in fact, is the same robber who robs and kidnaps through devious methods, better yet, takes advantage of the trust of naive and fair people. Modern swindlers are able to “move” the naive ones overseas, European prosperous countries, “arrange” jobs, “give” low percentage loans. To make a long story short, they solve issues that at present seem impossible. Past swindlers, compared to current “colleagues”, were less developed. The “quality level” of swindlers has raised but their victims are still naive and trust people…
The weapon of swindlers is their eloquence, by which they are able to affect their victims, attract them and make them believe that they are supermen.
A law suit was brought against residents of Gyumri Artur Adamyan (born 16.11.1975) and Murad Mkhitaryan (born 21.07.1973) by the Marz police department of Lori. By introducing themselves as members of some “MG” charitable organization, they have deviously taken signed documents and promised to provide TVs for the schools from Samvel Hunanyan (school principal of Spitak), middle school principal of Nor Khachakap village Semyon Simonyan, principal of the middle school of Tsakhkaber Henrik Shahbazyan and the principal of Gharasl village school Fyodor Vardanyan. The swindlers went to “Verelk” electronics store in Vanadzor and introduced themselves as entrepreneurs. They gave the signed documents and received 8 TV sets (JVC and LG brands). The price of each TV was 104,500 AMD. Afterwards they sold those TV sets.
In the result of operative investigation of the officers of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of Yerevan Police and RA National Security, they suspected the citizens (father and daughter Mahmud Muazami Gudarzi and Sarah Muazami Gudarzi) in fraudulence, brought them to Yerevan Police department from Gyumri. It turns out that they have deviously robbed €1000 and $2900 from “Unibank” and “Ardshininvest” banks respectively. The banks are situated on Abovyan and Komitas streets of Yerevan.
While searching them the policemen have found €800, 60.000 AMD, $4300. The father confessed that the money was robbed from Yerevan banks. The policemen have doubts that they have robbed a few other banks as well.
The officers of the General Department of RA Police have moved Elmira A. and her daughter Narine P. to the department. The police were suspecting them in fraud. It turns out that they have deviously taken $185.500 from different people. They gave different promises to various people – “promotion at work”, “easy cards”, “easy passing at customs for businessmen” and “military issues of soldiers”.
Recently the policemen have arrested Valeri Karamov, nicknamed “Koreyko”. He introduced himself as the head of the migration and refugee department to several refugees. He promised to a refugee that he would give him an apartment and took $250 for that. He took $2500 from another citizen and promised to acquire a status/passport of a refugee for the citizen’s relative in Holland. Former director of the currency exchange point, located on Agantageghos 29 str., Yerevan, Garik Margaryan has deviously taken money from Armenian businessmen for business circulation purposes. In particular, he took money from the director of “Cardinal” coffee – $220.000, from “Express” Air Company – $330.000, from “Euro football” newspaper – $56.000. In total, G. Margaryan has mischievously gotten $1 million 200 thousand.
Charentsavan Police department has brought a criminal case against Gevorg Soghomonyan, born in 1977, and the jeweler-evaluator of “Converse Bank Charentsavan branch” Karen Khachatryan, born in 1982. It turns out that over the period of December 2004 – May 2005 G. Soghomonyan brought gold-plated silver jewels to Khachatryan and the latter evaluated those as gold items. Soghomonyan took the mentioned jewels in “Converse Bank Charentsavan branch and received $18.140 for them.
Artur Sargsyan, born in 1977, has attempted another more devious method of fraudulence. By presenting himself as a very romantic and loving person he was able to make himself rich at the expense of “sweet queens”. He deviously took hairdresser S. Manukyan’s cell phone, gold ring, necklace and promised that he and his parents were planning on coming to their place for an engagement party and put an engagement ring on her finger. Doing the same, A. Sargsyan took $7500 from N. Manukyan and from K. Voskanyan – cell phone, gold necklace and a leather jacket.
Director of “V.V. Site” Vardan Vardanyan by advertising his activity as a real estate broker has deviously taken large amount of money from different citizens by presenting himself as a real estate broker. Cases where registered, according to which V. Vardanyan has deviously sold the same apartment to different people. Vardanyan has mainly deceived Armenians from Diaspora and the money gained by fraudulence is over $70.000.
Over the period of 1991-2004 numerous cases of fraudulence were registered in Armenia. In 1991 – 84 cases, 1992 – 91, 1993 – 101, 1994 – 210, 1995 – 213, 1996 – 327, 1997 – 520, 1998 – 559, 1999 – 673, 2000 – 742, 2001 – 599, 2002 – 446, 2003 – 366, 2004 – 460. Over the period of 9 months of 2005, 344 cases were registered. According to unofficial sources RA citizens annually have lost about $2 million as a result of fraudulence (by giving cash, gold items, real estate and other property to swindlers).