The Interior Ministry’s Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBOPiK), together with officers from the Almaz unit, SOBR and the Granit special forces unit of the Interior Troops, detained six people in Minsk in connection with an alleged pyramid scheme. According to the Interior Ministry, the organizers recruited participants through what they presented as an online educational platform, promising a stable income and career advancement.
According to the ministry, the scheme was set up in 2022 by two Minsk residents, aged 31 and 27. They registered a company through which they offered commercial licences priced between $200 and $5,000. Buyers were promised access to educational materials and an exclusive database of contracts.
The ministry said that, in practice, the training consisted only of low-quality video materials, while the advertised contract database did not exist. Psychological techniques were allegedly used to recruit new participants, and those who lacked sufficient funds were encouraged to take out bank loans and microloans. The primary target audience was young people aged between 18 and 24.
More than 99% of the incoming funds reportedly came from payments made by new participants, while payouts were financed by the continued inflow of new clients. According to the Interior Ministry, the organisation carried out virtually no genuine income-generating activity.
According to a preliminary estimate, the number of victims may exceed 500, while the total damage is estimated at 2.5 million Belarusian rubles.
Two alleged organisers and four accomplices were detained. During searches, law enforcement officers seized cash, two vehicles, computer equipment, mobile phones and accounting records.
The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on charges of large-scale fraud. The offence carries a maximum sentence of up to 12 years in prison. The suspects have been placed in custody and face up to 12 years’ imprisonment. The investigation is ongoing.
