The key facts

  • An unknown man photographed a woman on a bus in Kurgan and then called her, demanding that she leave her husband
  • The stalker knew the names of her relatives and her medical test results; the use of the Khimera program is suspected
  • The Investigative Committee of Russia said no complaints had been received over the incident; the victim's husband confirmed the stalking

What happened in Kurgan

Law enforcement in Kurgan is checking reports that a local woman was being stalked by an unknown man. According to TASS, citing law enforcement agencies,, some time ago a stranger approached the woman on a bus and took a photo of her. After that, he began calling and messaging her, demanding that she leave her husband and start a relationship with him, claiming that her spouse could not provide her with a decent life, while he could do so better.

How the stalker knew her personal data

During their conversations, the man cited the woman's personal details, including the names of her relatives and information from her medical test results. According to law enforcement, he may have obtained this information using special software: 'the stalker used a special program called Khimera or some similar system to collect the victim's personal data,' media outlets quote the agencies as saying. The circumstances of the incident are being clarified.

No complaint has been filed yet

The Investigative Committee of Russia said that no complaints had been received regarding the bus incident. However, the victim's husband confirmedthat the stalking on public transport did indeed take place. The investigation is ongoing; no reports in the publications indicate that a case has been opened or a suspect identified.