VIDEO: A man posing as an NSS employee extorted money from the relatives of a missing soldier, NSS reveals

The National Security Service (NSS) of the Republic of Armenia has uncovered a case involving H.B., a resident of Yerevan previously convicted of multiple frauds. After learning that serviceman H.M. had gone missing during the military conflict initiated by the Republic of Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh on September 27, 2020, H.B. engaged in a scheme to fraudulently extort a large sum of money under the pretext of receiving a bribe.

H.B. deceived A.M., a relative of H.M., into believing he was a high-ranking official of the NSS and expressed his willingness to conduct search operations for the missing soldier.

On October 28, 2020, under the pretext of covering travel expenses, H.B. demanded and received 100,000 Armenian drams from A.M. Subsequently, on November 1, 2020, H.B. told A.M. that H.M. was allegedly being held captive in the city of Gabala, Azerbaijan, where Armenian prisoners of war were kept and that he needed 3,000 US dollars to prevent the transfer of H.M. to Baku, organizing his return to Armenia through Russian partners.

However, on the same day, just after A.M. handed over 1,000 US dollars at Garegin Nzhdeh Square in Yerevan, H.B. was apprehended by NSS officers, unable to complete his criminal act due to circumstances beyond his control.

A criminal case has been initiated within the NSS Investigative Department on charges of committing large-scale fraud under the guise of receiving a bribe. Preliminary investigations suggest that H.B.'s actions may have also harmed other citizens, and active investigative and procedural activities are underway to identify all affected individuals, narrow down the actions of those involved in the criminal scheme, and restore the material damages incurred by the victims.

Furthermore, we urge all citizens who have fallen victim to such criminal actions to contact the NSS at 015 58 90 96.

The NSS advises everyone to remain vigilant due to the current situation, avoid offers of suspicious transactions, and rely solely on official information provided by competent state authorities.