The lot was closed: fraudsters - "auctioneers" were detained
The police have detained a group of citizens who are suspected of fictitiously participating in an auction for the right to conclude a water use agreement in order to blackmail a participant who is actually planning economic activities in the Tver region. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Beach compensation
Operatives of the anti-corruption department of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Moscow City Administrative District have detained four people on suspicion of committing fraudulent acts during bidding for the right to conclude a water use agreement for the use of a section of the water area in the Tver region.
— They found an auction at which an expensive lot was presented — the right to conclude water use contracts on a site in the Tver region — and registered as participants. Then the accomplices contacted the leading organization in the auction and promised to refuse to participate in the auction for a monetary reward of 3 million rubles. At the same time, they said that in case of refusal they would increase the value of the lot to an exorbitant amount," said Irina Volk, an official representative of the Russian Interior Ministry.
The police believe that the organizers were the couple — they negotiated and received money. Two other people (both men) were also detained.
"This case is an example of classic fraud involving intimidation and extortion,— lawyer Ekaterina Krasnova explained to Izvestia. — The attackers used the threat to raise the cost of participating in the auction to force the leading organization to pay them money for refusing to participate in the auction.
In her opinion, the actions of the scammers can be considered as blackmail, since they maliciously used their opportunities to participate in the auction not for the purpose of winning, but to extract personal benefits through manipulation.
— The representative of the company managed to recognize the signs of fraud and react correctly by contacting the police, which helped prevent the intruders from illegally obtaining financial benefits.
A game for those who are into the topic
Scams in the field of auctions and public procurement have been happening regularly for a long time, experts say.
"Classic fraud schemes at auctions and tenders are when the potential winner is the organizer of the scam himself," a source in the anti—corruption police department told Izvestia. — For example, attracting one-day firms controlled by the main buyer to auctions (so that they are recognized as having taken place) — this is how the competition is simulated. The regulator is trying to stop such processes, but today the creation of such a conspiracy is not easy to track. But this often becomes clear from the passive struggle for the lot.
Over time, such companies have become a separate service for businesses.
— In some cases, when preparing for the auction, the company may make a mistake in choosing a shadow partner during the auction. The office hired "for extras" begins to break the rules of the game and demand more money. Another type is those who confuse the plans of bona fide companies. This is exactly the kind of group that, according to police data, was encountered in the Tver region.
According to Izvestia's interlocutor, it is quite difficult to bring such scammers to justice, given the latency of this type of shady earnings. However, investigative and judicial practice has long been established. In 2021, a group was detained in the Moscow region, which produced front companies to participate in land auctions. She demanded an exorbitant compensation from the real buyer, and he was forced to contact the police.
In 2022, a previously convicted entrepreneur from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky tried to get money in a similar way during an auction for the right to conclude a lease agreement on land claimed by a fishing company.
— He demanded 1 million rubles from the company for his non-participation in the auction. At the same time, the attacker threatened that in case of refusal, he would artificially inflate the prices of lots at auction to unprofitable sizes for the enterprise, the regional department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia reported.
Professional participants
For entrepreneurs working in the hospitality, entertainment and recreation industries, a water use agreement is essential. In particular, numerous auctions are currently being held for the right of a water use agreement for sites along the shore of the Ivankovsky reservoir in the Tver region. The amount of the lot depends significantly on the length of the site. The lot will cost even more if water use is associated with the removal of water from a reservoir, the generation of electricity, the use of hydraulic structures for the construction and repair of ships.
"The initial price for such lots starts from several thousand and can reach several tens of millions of rubles,— says a source familiar with the situation.
According to the source, the situation is similar with auctions for the right of subsurface use. However, to participate in such auctions, a number of conditions must be met, which practically excludes the appearance of a person "from the street".
— Firstly, an electronic key is required to participate in the bidding process. To receive it, you must pay an annual fee. For example, in auctions related to subsurface use, this is more than 100 thousand rubles. Secondly, no one is allowed to participate in serious auctions with large sums. You either need to make a deposit in the amount of the initial price, or provide a bank guarantee that the auction participant has such funds at heart.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
