The key facts
- A Muscovite and an accomplice resembling his deceased neighbor stole two million rubles from her account
- The accomplices submitted forged documents for the privatization of an apartment on Prospekt Mira
- The 41-year-old organizer was detained in Ramenskoye and taken into custody; the accomplice left Russia
Scheme with a lookalike of the deceased neighbor
A Moscow resident, having learned of his neighbor's death, decided to seize her property, the capital's Ministry of Internal Affairs reported. He found a woman with a similar appearance who helped withdraw money from the deceased's account. According to police, two million rubles were stolen from the account.
Attempt to register the apartment and detention
Then, according to the investigation, the accomplices submitted forged documents for the privatization of an apartment on Prospekt Mira, but the attempt to appropriate the property ended in detention. The suspected organizer, a 41-year-old resident of the capital, was detained in Ramenskoye, in the Moscow region. During a search, laptops, mobile phones and cash were found on him.
Criminal cases and search for the accomplice
The man was charged with criminal cases of theft and attempted fraud on an especially large scale. The court remanded him in custody. The suspected accomplice managed to leave Russia; law enforcement is taking measures to detain her.
Similar case of stealing apartments of the deceased
Earlier, Life.ru reported that a scheme for stealing apartments of deceased citizens worth 150 million rubles was uncovered in Moscow. According to the investigation, a group of 22 people operated from 2023 to 2025: they found housing of Muscovites without heirs and re-registered it using sham marriages, forged documents and fictitious transactions, sometimes disguising themselves as the owners. Investigators established at least 17 episodes; the investigation was completed in October 2026.
