Investment fraud in Ogre: police refuse to initiate criminal case, victim loses ~€1,000
The State Police in Ogre has refused to initiate a criminal case against investment fraudsters who defrauded a resident of approximately one thousand euros. A technology expert and the complainant consider the decision unjustified.
Police in Ogre refuse help to investment fraud victim
The State Police Eastern Pierīga division in Ogre has refused to initiate a criminal case in which investment fraudsters defrauded a resident of approximately one thousand euros, reports Google News LV — Crime (lv). In its decision, the police determined that civil relations existed rather than a criminal offence.
An Ogre resident told the programme "Bez Tabu" that the problem affected a close person. He believed promises of easy and large profit and transferred money to persons who claimed to represent an investment platform. It turned out that they were fraudsters.
The Ogre resident helped the close person gather evidence and prepare a complaint to the police. The refusal to initiate a criminal case surprised them.
Police explanation
The State Police explained to the programme that the complainant himself had voluntarily entered his personal data on the website "Improve Your Financial Situation" with the aim of making profit. Subsequently, he was trained by telephone using WhatsApp to perform simulated purchases and sales transactions with fictitious profit increases. The bank account to which the money was transferred is registered in Lithuania.
The inspector, having assessed the circumstances of what had occurred, saw civil relations in what had happened and took the decision to refuse to initiate a criminal case. The complainant was informed of his right to appeal the decision, but did not do so.
Victim's argument
The Ogre resident does not deny that the fraud victim acted recklessly. However, he emphasises that investment fraudsters always deceive people in precisely this manner — victims themselves provide data or transfer money because they are misled. In his view, the police are inconsistent, as in many other similar cases criminal cases are initiated rather than refused on the grounds that the victim performed the actions themselves. In his opinion, such a refusal sends a harmful message to society — there is no point for victims to report to the police.
Expert: decision undermines trust
Technology expert Elviss Strazdiņš assesses the refusal critically. "Unfortunately, a case like this undermines trust in the police," said Strazdiņš. According to him, people who have been defrauded often approach him with the question of whether it is worth going to the police, and his answer has always been affirmative.
Strazdiņš points out that in modern fraud schemes, transaction confirmation, including with Smart-ID, is a standard element. In his view, one cannot conclude from this that the victim was guilty: "The person was deceived into thinking he was investing in a real platform. Even if he confirmed the payments — to refuse to initiate a case is absolutely unjustified."
Source: Google News LV — Crime (lv)