In Yekaterinburg, a 13-year-old schoolboy helped fraudsters rob his own home.

      On April 20, 2026, a schoolboy from Yekaterinburg left his keys to fraudsters for a "search" in his own home. This was reported by the press group of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Yekaterinburg.

      Photo: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Yekaterinburg

      Last weekend, a resident of a cottage settlement located within Yekaterinburg contacted the police. The woman reported that an unknown person had entered her home, stealing jewelry and breaking into a safe. The damage, excluding property damage, amounted to about 200,000 rubles.

      It turned out that the 13-year-old son of the applicant had previously tried to order clothes through one of the Telegram channels. He was asked to send his personal data and place of residence, which he did. The fraudsters then used a standard scheme, informing the schoolboy about an alleged leak of his data and the need to assist the special services. They forced the child to demonstrate via video call where the safes and valuables were located in the house. The victim was then given the task of getting his parents out of the house for the duration of the "search," which would be conducted by their "employee." The boy convinced his mother and father to go with him to a café, while he left the keys to the house in a pre-arranged place.

      The police once again urge citizens to have conversations with their minor children about safe behavior on the internet. Law enforcement officials call on everyone to critically assess any information received by phone or through social media. One should not trust strangers, no matter who they claim to be or what responsibilities they threaten. In any suspicious situation, it is necessary to terminate the communication and independently contact the internal affairs authorities.

      Earlier, an expert explained how to identify a fraudster during a call.