Fake Journalists Tricked Karaganda Official Into Taking Out Loan
AI-generated illustration
A deputy district akim in Karaganda took out a 2.5 million tenge loan and transferred the money to two people posing as journalists. They claimed to have a damaging video about the akimat and promised not to publish it in exchange for payment, Orda.kz reports.
According to Karaganda’s Kazybek Bi District Court, the incident occurred in December 2025. The defendants introduced themselves as employees of a news website and told the official they had a negative video about the district administration.
The official took out a 2.5 million tenge loan and transferred the money to them.
A month later, the defendants demanded another payment from the same official. Police detained them before they received the money.
The court closed the case concerning the first payment after the defendants compensated the victim, who forgave them and agreed to reconciliation.
For the second incident, the court removed the repeat-offense classification. It cited a Supreme Court ruling stating that an offense cannot be considered repeated if the person was released from criminal liability for the earlier incident.
The court ultimately found both defendants guilty of attempted fraud committed by a group acting by prior agreement. However, they were released from punishment under the amnesty adopted following Kazakhstan’s new Constitution.
The verdict has not yet entered into force.
Original author: Alexander Smolin
Read also:
Latest news
- Orda.kz Editorial Team to Cease Operations on September 1
- The Price of a Degree: How Students in Kazakhstan Pay for University
- Second Przewalski’s Horse Foal Born as Species Returns to Kazakhstan
- Kazakh Mining Companies Can Recalculate Purchases if Tenge Weakens
- Kazakhstan Names First Vice President in Three Decades
- What Almaty’s Bus Shelters Are Missing
- 400-Truck Queue Builds at Kazakh–Kyrgyz Border
- Kazakhstan Ready to Help Feed and Rebuild Gaza
- Tokayev Establishes New Presidential Security Body
- Almaty Takes Back Its Nearly Century-Old Hippodrome
- No More Guesswork on Savings: Kazakhstan Tightens Energy Audits for Businesses
- Public Money Could Be Used to Rescue Failing Kazakh Banks
- Third Kazakh Woman Reported Missing in Nepal-China Flood Zone
- Falconer Convicted Over 35 Protected Birds, Spared Punishment Under Amnesty
- Kazakh Citizen Detained in Yakutia in Phone Fraud Case
- Yuan Instead of Dollars? KazMunayGas Draws Record Demand in Asia
- China Gains Oil-Market Influence as OPEC+ Weakens
- Kazakhstan to Divide Smartphones Into White, Gray and Black Lists
- Kazakhstan’s Government Formally Resigns as First Kurultai Session Opens
- Rare Lynx Sighting Recorded in Northern Kazakhstan
