The damage to the victims is estimated at 70 million rubles

The Nizhny Novgorod District Court began considering a criminal case against four employees of recruitment agencies accused of creating a criminal community and defrauding 700 job seekers from Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Perm, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg and Moscow. For their consultations, recruiters charged clients from 500 to 2.5 thousand rubles, guaranteeing employment. However, in reality, managers only provided the unemployed with telephone numbers of companies that had nothing to do with vacancies. The investigation estimated the damage to victims at 70 million rubles.

The Nizhny Novgorod District Court began considering a criminal case against four employees of the recruitment agencies “Chest”, “Potential” and “Respect”. Marcel Khaertdinov, Yuri Maslov, Marina Maslova and Evgeniy Chufistov are accused of creating a criminal community and fraud in the employment of 700 residents from Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Perm, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg and Moscow (agency offices operated in each of the cities).

The victims did not appear in court, so the prosecutor read out the testimony of one of them. According to the transcript of testimony, in 2009, while looking for work, he bought a newspaper in which he found a suitable vacancy for a driver with a salary of 17 thousand rubles. Having called the indicated telephone number, he spoke with a representative of the Respect recruitment agency, who invited him to come to the office and fill out the necessary documents. He was offered to take his driver's license, passport and 1 thousand rubles with him. At the agency, a girl approached him and offered to conclude an agreement for the provision of information services, asking for 1 thousand rubles. Another 800 rubles. needed to create a resume. When asked why he should pay, the applicant was told that this was provided for by the company’s regulations.

After the contract was signed and paid, he was promised employment “in the very near future” and asked to come in two days. However, neither two days nor a month later he was employed. Instead, agency employees gave the unemployed the phone numbers of certain companies, and when he called them, he realized that he was being deceived and contacted the police.

According to investigators, other applicants were deceived using a similar scheme. For their “consulting services,” agency managers charged from 500 to 2.5 thousand rubles. depending on the amount of the promised salary. Some of the applicants received their money back after scandals and threats to go to the police. As a result, the investigation estimated the damage from the activities of fictitious recruitment agencies at 70 million rubles.

The defendants and their lawyers refused to speak to the media yesterday, arguing that it was too early to make any comments.

Anton Prusakov, Nizhny Novgorod

Recruitment agencies sent to the wrong address