The case of Ayaz Shabutdinov. For which the blogger went to prison for seven years.

Ayaz Shabutdinov, a well-known business coach, was sentenced to seven years in prison in a penal colony. In addition, he will have to pay a fine of 5 million rubles. The Presnensky court of Moscow found him guilty of committing 113 episodes of fraud on an especially large scale. The defendant himself admitted his guilt. What is known about the fraudulent scheme is in the Izvestia article.

What is known about the case

• A criminal case was opened against blogger and business coach Shabutdinov on 113 episodes of fraud in the amount of 57 million rubles, he faced up to eight years in prison and a 15.5 million fine, which is exactly the punishment requested by the prosecution. He was detained in November 2023 after returning to Russia from Austria and has been in jail ever since.

• On October 31, the court sentenced Shabutdinov to seven years in a penal colony. In addition, he will have to pay a fine of 5 million rubles.

• The accomplices in the case are former Izhevsk deputy Vasily Alekseev and his wife, who fled to the UAE and are on the international wanted list. The court seized 100 million rubles on their property and Shabutdinov's.

Downward trend: bloggers, information Gypsies lost 4 billion in revenue in three years

What is the reason and will they be able to regain their audience?

• The case of all three is connected with the educational company "Like Center", which sold courses and trainings to entrepreneurs, creating a false impression among clients about the high profitability of their businesses after training. So, Alekseev was the director of the "Like Center".

How people were deceived

• The Like Center company was created with the aim of generating revenue from customers by misleading them about the real benefits of training. The victims say that the classes were accompanied by non-standard methods of influence, including meditation, listening to music and emotional practices that created a state of euphoria among the participants. Some clients suggested that additional psychoactive drugs could be used that affect perception and mood.

• In addition, a significant part of the claims relate to the financial side: course participants paid for tuition, hoping for a refund in case of dissatisfaction or early termination of the program, but the company refused to refund the money, citing conditions that customers were not familiar with in advance. In several cases, civil courts have recognized the rights of clients, obliging the center to refund the payment and compensation.

What is known about the life of a blogger

• Ayaz Shabutdinov was born in 1991 in Izhevsk. From an early age, he showed entrepreneurial abilities, and by the age of 14 he was selling toys and sweets on the market. He studied with honors, graduated from the gymnasium with an external degree and in 2009 entered the Udmurt State University in the field of public and Municipal administration, receiving a diploma in 2014.

• In 2013, he opened a hostel under the Like Hostel brand, and then, together with a partner, launched a Coffee Like chain of coffee shops, developing franchising. In 2015, he founded the educational platform Like Center, which supposedly offers super-effective courses on starting and running a successful business.

Shabutdinov is married to Lidia Mutsolgova, the couple has a daughter and a son. In one of the interviews, the woman said that the kids think that "dad is at work." Also, according to her, despite his absence from home, Shabutdinov is actively involved in raising children.

• In the detention center, Shabutdinov actively reads books because "there is nothing much to do," says his lawyer. The blogger does not consider participating in a special military operation, believing that he can bring more benefits while being outside the conflict zone.

What are the dangers of "successful success" courses?

Dummy courses are widespread primarily due to the high attractiveness of the idea of rapid success and financial independence, which they promise to entrepreneurs and people seeking to develop personal and professional skills. They are based on the emotional involvement of participants and the use of motivational techniques. Scammers create a sense of uniqueness and urgency of the offer, which encourages people to pay for expensive tuition.

• Such programs often present results as guaranteed and easily achievable. This creates the illusion of an easy path to wealth. The danger of these courses lies in the fact that they can mislead, use psychological pressure, manipulate emotions, which leads to financial losses and deterioration of the psychological state of the victims.