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Non-state pension fund executives suspected of grand fraud

Detectives exposed a criminal group, which included high-ranking persons of the Norilsk Nikel

MOSCOW, February 28 (Itar-Tass) — City police exposed a group of fraudsters, which included executives of the Norilsk Nikel non-state pension fund, spokeswoman of the Interior Ministry's department for combating economic crimes Irina Volk told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.

Volk said a 40-year-old Muscovite reported to police that he received a notification from the Pension Fund of Russia that his pension savings were   transferred to the Norilsk Nikel non-state pension fund. The Muscovite said he never made such requests.

A check into his statement found that a number of persons received similar notifications. "Detectives exposed a criminal group, which included high-ranking persons of the Norilsk Nikel. The suspects acquired a firm registered under a lost passport, and made it an agent to attract clients to the fund," Volk said.

The fraudsters found the opportunity to gain access to citizens' personal data, including names, birth dates, passport numbers and Insurance Number of Individual Ledger Account /SNILS/. Using this information, the wrongdoers forged applications and contracts to transfer citizens' savings from the Pension Fund to their fund. Since the criminal group included a high-ranking official of the fund, the contracts of funds transfer were never checked. Remuneration was remitted to the account of the agent firm. The criminal group came in possession of 137 million roubles," the spokeswoman said.

Police said other citizens whose pension saving had been illegally transferred to the Norilsk Nikel pension fund reported these facts.

Criminal proceedings were opened under Article 159, Part 4 /fraud/. The suspects’ names are withheld "in the interests of the investigation."