The most bizarre scams committed in Uzbekistan in 2024

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Deception is the basis of the crime of fraud. Those who make a career out of it come up with such lies to deceive others that their "creativity" amazes one. Fraudsters deceive their "prey" in full view, taking their money or property.
Thousands of fraud crimes are committed in Uzbekistan every year. Most of them are related to gaining the trust of other people through deception and taking their money or property. Kun.uz collected the most bizarre scams committed in the republic in 2024.

A young man who “put” taxi drivers to sleep

A 20-year-old man living in the Zangiota district set out to trick scammers. To do this, he came up with a very simple lie, and the scammers believed this lie.

The fraud scheme is as follows: the young man walked the streets of Tashkent, asked passengers to use his phone for a minute, and called Yandex to his address. The taxi driver who arrived on the call handed him an item wrapped in a package (a scent-emitting accessory) and asked him to deliver it to a certain address.

“The person who meets you at the address will give you 300,000 soums for the “postage” and 100,000 soums for the travel fee. You will give me the “postage” money,” he deceived the victims.

The taxi drivers believed him, handed over the “postage” money to the young man and headed to the specified address. When they reached the address, they realized that they had been deceived. When they contacted the person who called the taxi on the application, he turned out to be a stranger.

In this way, the young man scammed taxi drivers for various amounts of money not once, not twice, but on 6 occasions. But in the end, he was caught.

In court, the young man confessed to all his actions and stated that he had no accomplices in these cases, and that he had committed them alone. By court verdict, she was sentenced to 3 years of correctional labor and a fine of 70 times the minimum wage (23.8 million soums) with 20 percent of her salary withheld from the state budget.

A “thousand teeth” for free

The crime of fraud in question occurred on October 17, 2024 in Angren. A 44-year-old woman introduced herself to a citizen (a woman) living in the Sagbon neighborhood of the city as a buyer of “second-hand” things.

“I will buy fur, that is, animal collars,” she said. The woman said that she had fur, entered the house, and after a while, lifted the collar of her coat and left. After some bargaining, the fur was purchased for 50 thousand soums.

“What else do you want to buy?” asked the mistress of the house. The woman said that she would buy gold jewelry. Then the owner of the house asked how much he would pay for the earring in his ear.

“Let's take it, let's see first,” said the old-fashioned man. Then he took the earring called “Thousand Teeth” and said that it was not real gold, and if he did not believe it, he would prove it to him.

Thus, the swindler put the earring in some liquid near him. Then the earring turned black.

“Look, you see, it turned black. Gold does not turn black after all. If you want, I will whiten your earring tomorrow. In the meantime, I will leave you this earring of mine,” he said masterfully.

The swindler left his fake earring and took the real gold earring in its place. The woman, who was much older, believed him. After 4-5 days, the fraudster, who was on his way to Angren again, was stopped by the preventive inspector, the situation was clarified, and a criminal case was opened against him.

By court verdict, the fraudster was sentenced to 8 years in prison and a fine of 50 times the minimum wage (18 million 750 thousand soums). The imposed prison sentence is considered conditional in accordance with Article 72 of the Criminal Code, and a probation period of 3 years is set.

“Trip” fraudster

The “serial” fraud committed in Kokand by a young man born in 1993 was also based on a scheme that no one would have imagined. He mainly aimed to make money by acquiring and selling other people's phones. His “prey” were mainly taxi drivers.

The young man's first "hunt" was as follows: he got into a taxi as a passenger and went to house 32, Alisher Navoiy area, Kokand city.

"I want to buy this watch. Can I take a picture of it on your phone and show it to my brother? I'll be back in 5 minutes, you wait here," he said, acting as if he had just arrived at his house.

Kirakash believed his naivety and agreed. The young man took the taxi driver's phone worth 1.5 million soums and took a picture of the watch. Then he gave the watch to the taxi driver and got into the "dom" subway.

The taxi driver waited for the young man. After an hour, he got out of the car and saw that the young man could get out from the other side of the subway he had entered, and he realized that he had been deceived.

A few days later, the “businessman” took another taxi driver to the same area on the condition that he pay the fare to get him out of the house.

“Give me your phone, I’ll call my family and they’ll bring the money,” the thief said, taking the taxi driver’s 2 million soum phone, pretending to be talking and entering the house, and then entering the subway, which was also open on the other side. He disappeared after that.

The young man stole the phones of more than ten thieves in this way, sold them, and used them for his own needs.

By court verdict, he was sentenced to 3 years of correctional labor. The damage caused to the victims was compensated by the young man’s family members.

A friend who went for cigarettes

This fraud crime, committed in the Urgut district of the Samarkand region, is reminiscent of the movie “Going to the Match”: a friend who went to get cigarettes in his friend’s car does not return. How did this happen?

Born in 2002, a young man living in the Chagizgan neighborhood of Urgut district has earned the title of “dangerous recidivist” despite his youth. This is because he has committed several crimes and been convicted before.

On August 29, 2024, the young man went to rest in his friend’s Cobalt car by the stream in the Chorchinor neighborhood of Urgut district. Towards evening, the friends ran out of cigarettes.

“Friend, give me your car, I’ll go to the village and get some cigarettes,” he says. The friend believes him and hands him the car keys. Unfortunately, the friend who went for cigarettes does not return.

The young man drives the car and goes to a car repair shop in the Diyar neighborhood of Samarkand district. There, he removes the car “box” and a memory box, along with spare parts worth a total of 29.2 million soums, brings them to the Sergeli district of Tashkent and sells them for $900. The young man drove his friend away while the owner of the car was waiting for him.

In addition, a dangerous recidivist took a Lacetti car in Tashkent on the condition of paying 700 thousand soums per day in rent, stripped it of its spare parts worth 14 million soums and sold it.

The court sentenced the young man to 5 years and 1 month in prison. The sentence is to be served in a strict regime colony.

Fake owner of a wedding hall

In the fraud case that occurred in September 2024 in the Tashlak district, the victims were also deceived in a very simple and unexpected way. This fraud was committed by a dangerous recidivist born in 1988.

On September 23, 2024, he came to the "Turon" wedding hall in the Sadda mahalla of the Tashlak district and found out who was holding the wedding. Then, he ordered a taxi from the district center to the “Royal” taxi company.

According to the order, he told the taxi driver who arrived by phone to go to the “Turon” wedding hall and give the phone to the wedding organizer. The taxi driver went to the wedding hall as instructed and gave the phone to the citizen who was holding the wedding.

“I am the owner of the wedding hall, I was paying for the cash register, please give me the wedding hall money,” the fraudster said to the wedding organizer. Believing his words, the wedding organizer handed the taxi driver 3 million soums. The taxi driver, in turn, gave the money to the fraudster.

After the wedding, the real owner of the wedding hall asked the wedding guests for the money. The wedding organizer, in turn, was surprised by the situation and kept holding his head.

The court sentenced the fraudster to 2 years and 7 months of correctional labor, with 20 percent of his salary withheld as state revenue. The damage caused to the wedding party was compensated. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”