The Verkhnevilyuysky District Court of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) has handed a two-year suspended sentence to a woman who posed as a man online.
The local resident stole more than 120,000 rubles from several women over a three-year period by maintaining fake romantic relationships on a social network, according to regional court officials.
According to case materials released by the joint press service of the regional courts, the fraudulent scheme operated from May 1, 2022 to November 10, 2025. Investigators stated that the defendant carefully studied the social media accounts of her targets to analyze their personalities before initiating contact under the guise of a fictitious young man.
The woman maintained the illusion of a genuine romantic relationship with the victims, who gradually developed a strong emotional dependency on the imaginary boyfriend. Operating under this influence, the victims voluntarily transferred money to the fraudster. In one case, a victim purchased a desktop computer and shipped it directly to an address provided by the woman.
Concealing the scheme
To cover her tracks and end the interactions, the fraudster eventually informed the deceived women that the fake young man had died. She immediately cut off all communication with the victims after making the announcement.
During court proceedings, the defendant fully admitted her guilt and expressed remorse for her actions. She also voluntarily reimbursed all victims in full for the material damage caused by the scheme, which exceeded 120,000 rubles. In light of her admission and restitution, the court imposed a conditional two-year suspended sentence.
Legal and regional context
The Republic of Sakha, widely known as Yakutia, is Russia's largest region by geographic area, covering vast territories in eastern Siberia. Verkhnevilyuysky District is located in the western portion of the republic along the Vilyuy River, centered around the rural locality of Verkhnevilyuysk.
Under the Russian legal system, district courts serve as trial courts for felony offenses. A suspended sentence permits a convicted individual to avoid serving time in a penal colony, provided they fulfill probation requirements and refrain from committing further offenses during the court-designated period.
Details of the conviction were reported by the joint press service of the courts of the Republic of Sakha to the Russian news publication Lenta.ru.
