Ombudsman of Uzbekistan Helps Recover $115,000 Lost in Cryptocurrency Scam

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Office of the Ombudsman of the Oliy Majlis received a complaint from a citizen, M.P., who fell victim to a scam and lost a substantial sum of money, the Ombudsman’s press service reported.

According to the complainant, in December 2024, individuals posing as employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service, and the Central Bank convinced him to transfer $170,000 via cryptocurrency. To comply, M.P. sold his car and house, spent his savings, and took out loans.

After reporting to the Cybersecurity Center in December 2024, a criminal case was initiated. At the Ombudsman’s initiative, an investigation was conducted, during which the Main Cybersecurity Directorate was able to recover $115,000 (1,434,625,000 soums) from the cryptocurrency platform in favor of M.P.

The Ombudsman noted that while many fraud complaints are received, in most cases it is impossible to recover the funds. Citizens are therefore urged to exercise extreme caution and not fall for scammers’ tricks.

Specifically, it is recommended not to trust individuals claiming to be law enforcement or bank employees who call from personal numbers requesting money transfers or personal information; not to share passport data, ID-card details, bank card information, PIN codes, or SMS codes over the phone; to immediately cease contact and report to authorities if cryptocurrency transfers are requested; and to verify any suspicious information exclusively through official government channels.