The targets were instructed to transfer their money to bank accounts of a company the group had founded in Georgia, with one of the individuals and their associates taking possession of about $1.8 million from the victims. Photo: Prosecutor's Office of Georgia
The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia on Friday said it had solved two transnational crime cases, with one targeting citizens of the United States from Georgia and the other involving a foreign citizen defrauding French-based enterprises from the country.
The body said the first crime involved a criminal group placing advertisements online promoting investment with high interest rate and attracting funds from American citizens.
The targets were instructed to transfer their money to bank accounts of a company the group had founded in Georgia, with one of the individuals and their associates taking possession of about $1.8 million from the victims.
The fraudulently appropriated funds were then laundered through legal entity accounts operated by one of the accused in various countries, with the operations involving about $1.7 million.
In the other case, money was appropriated from enterprises operating in France by a foreign citizen who had registered an offshore company and opened enterprise accounts in a banking institution operating in Georgia.
The Office said the defendant had sent false messages to banking institutions in France on behalf of their clients, to facilitate transfers of €445,000 of the victims’ funds by the banks to the accounts owned by the individual.