The Moscow Main Investigations Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia has launched an investigation into an offense under Part 3 of Article 30, Part 3 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of Russia (swindling attempt) upon forgery of citizens’ applications for the transfer of the investment part of their pension to private pension funds.

According to the investigation, from 2018 to 2019, a range of individuals intending to steal the monetary funds had forged more than 500 thousand applications on behalf of citizens about the advance transfer of the investment part of their pension to private pension funds. After that, they had ensured their referral to the offices of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, mainly to the offices in Moscow and Moscow Region. Due to the illegal activities, a number of citizens lost their income from the investment part of the state pension.

Measures are being taken to identify all victims of the offence. The investigators are establishing all the circumstances of the incident and all persons involved.