Georgian con artists caught defrauding Japanese firm of $1 million USD

A Japanese company has had more than $1 million USD returned after a Georgian citizen was found guilty of hacking an e-mail and fraudulently obtaining the company’s funds.

Tbilisi City Court accepted evidence submitted by Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office and today ruled the money must be returned to its legal owner, and those responsible must be punished for their deceptive actions.

Earlier the Chief Prosecutor’s Office was contacted by Tokyo-based private company Honda Suisan Co, who informed them that an unidentified person from Georgia had hacked into the e-mail of one of their business partners and deceived company staff to transfer $1,130,401 into the offender’s private bank account.

Georgian law enforcers launched in investigation into the allegations and identified the offender before the person was able to misuse the illegally obtained funds.

The Court imposed a freeze on the money before it was fully returned to the Japanese company.

Prosecutors did not reveal the gender of the offender but said the person did not act alone however the co-offenders had not been identified by the investigation yet.

The Office also noted investigators would always investigate potential instances of fraud and would always protect the legal interests of Georgian and foreign citizens.

Japanese company Honda Suisan Co was involved in the wholesale distribution of fresh, cured or frozen fish and seafood.