Nearly 3 billion soums stolen from bank cards of Karakalpakstan residents. Video

Almost 3 billion soums stolen from bank cards of Karakalpakstan residents. Video

In Nukus, three young men were detained who, together with foreign cybercriminals, stole about 3 billion soums from the cards of 250 people. To gain access to the accounts, the perpetrators used malicious APK files, and to withdraw the money, they recruited people willing to undergo bank verification for a small fee.

The main suspect, previously convicted of theft, said he met foreign Telegram users in August 2025. They sent him card details and helped obtain codes for transactions. The money was transferred to other people's accounts, and he received a portion of the funds in USDT cryptocurrency. According to him, on certain days, his income reached 2–3 million soums.

When more accounts were needed to withdraw funds, he involved two acquaintances. One looked for people willing to register and undergo verification in payment applications for a small fee, while the other registered virtual cards in their names and handed over the data for further use. For this, they were paid between 100,000 and 300,000 soums.

One of the accomplices explained his involvement by a difficult financial situation — he needed money for his mother's medical treatment. The other said he found people, registered cards in their names, and handed over the completed "kits" to the organizers.

Notably, one of the participants tried to pull out of the scheme but faced threats. He was intimidated with the leak of his personal data, and they even sent photos of his house with the message "We know where you live." Fearing for his life, he went into hiding for some time.

A criminal case has been initiated regarding the theft. The investigation is complete, and the materials have been transferred to the criminal court to decide on the defendants' liability.

Earlier in Tashkent, law enforcement officers dismantled a large network of international cybercriminals who, under the guise of investment and cryptocurrency projects, defrauded citizens of various countries.