Source Myths from the 90s about the mysterious red mercury are still alive. Journalists came to a group of scammers who were trying to sell a non-existent substance, and learned a lot about modern fraud schemes. What is red mercury
This story began a month ago in Switzerland, where the famous Russian-speaking blogger Ivan Kuzminov lives. He was approached by his acquaintance with a proposal to earn extra money on red mercury. Like, there is a way to find a scientist who knows how to handle this substance and to whom it can be profitably sold.
— I immediately saw through the deception, but pretended to buy into it. He said that the investor they needed was in Moscow,” says Kuzminov. “I don’t know yet whether my Swiss friend is involved in this story or he was simply deceived.
Red mercury has been rightfully considered the most commercially successful fictional material since the late 80s. This is a non-existent allotropic modification of mercury, allegedly one of the latest military developments of the USSR. Red mercury can allegedly be used in thermonuclear bombs or as a poison. She was mentioned in the movies, investigations were filmed about her. The legend of red mercury went to the people, which was used by all kinds of swindlers. The peak of fraud came in the nineties. Sometimes potential buyers were even shown flasks supposedly with red mercury. In fact, it was ordinary mercury, tinted with crushed brick.
Superdeal with red mercury
The editors became interested in this story, deciding to play along with dubious businessmen. A professional actor Roman acted as a potential investor, and a reporter, Life, acted as a lawyer.
A restaurant near the Belorusskaya metro station in the capital. Three “entrepreneurs” who allegedly know how to make a profit of 500% on red mercury are waiting at the table.
Irina is the main one among them. She talks a lot and assertively:
– I have access to a 73-year-old scientist who learned how to mine red mercury in Soviet times. It takes €100,000 to buy ten chemical components, run everything in a centrifuge and thus enrich it. We will sell the enriched red mercury to a Qatari company for $50 million. They will tear it off with their hands: red mercury at times increases the power of oil production. But we can't show it, it's a dangerous substance, and even a non-specialist won't understand the point,” Irina tries to be convincing.
“I would never believe it myself, but I saw it myself! Red mercury is not reflected in the mirror! You are not our first investors, – her partner Ivan Nikolaev joins the conversation. In the meantime, he flaunts his residence permit in Norway.
— This, of course, is all unofficial, it is necessary to enter the black market. The supplies will go through me. But the FSB will cover us, I have connections there, I myself am a personnel officer,” boasts the third partner, a big man Anatoly Khorunzhiy.
We pretend that we doubt – the money is huge. In order to finally break the distrust, businessmen are even ready to pledge land plots in the Stavropol Territory worth five million rubles. They already had a ready-made power of attorney for Roman in their hands. We have taken the documents for verification.
— All is well with the papers and plots, do not hesitate. They belong to me. We expect €100,000 from you tomorrow in cash,” Irina closed the meeting with these words.
In reality, there are several red-colored mercury-containing substances, for example, its iodides and oxides. But they do not possess any magical or special properties and look like powder.
Where do crooks get foreign land from?
As for the power of attorney from businesswoman Irina, then it refers to forty acres of agricultural land, as well as six acres for cottage development in the Stavropol village of Zheleznovodsky.
According to extracts from the USRN, until mid-October they all belonged to Aina from Dagestan. Then they became the property of Muscovite Svetlana Shkalikova. Life found both, but none of them looked like the notorious Irina.
Aina learned from Life that the land no longer belonged to her.
– My husband and I were going to sell plots. I wrote a general power of attorney for a real estate agent, a certain Tamara. At some point, she just stopped communicating. Then I withdrew the power of attorney. I don't understand how she managed to resell the land. I didn't receive any money from her. We will look for a lawyer and report to the police,” Aina told Life.
Svetlana Shkalikova, who formally owns the disputed lands, does not look like a successful person.
She worked as a cashier in shopping malls. She is 45 years old. There are children and a husband. It is listed in the stop-lists of banks. She has an overdue debt on a loan of 26 thousand rubles and for utilities – over 120 thousand rubles. Bailiffs are chasing her, which may be why her family is constantly moving. The Shkalikovs rent only the cheapest housing. In recent years they lived in the Vladimir village of Bavleny, in the towns of Balashikha and Pushkino near Moscow, on the outskirts of Moscow.
We don't know where Shkalikova is. She borrowed money from us and moved without giving it back! – her former neighbors at one of the addresses shrugged their hands.
The crooks also cry
alarm and even began to threaten.
– Where's the money? Don't try to play with us! You are making your situation worse! – Ivan Nikolaev filled up with messages. He was echoed by a big man “with connections to the FSB”.
Even the intermediary, blogger Ivan Kuzminov, got it.
If Roman doesn't show up by Monday, he'll be in trouble. We will connect the special services to understand. In the meantime, to smooth the situation, you need to repair the damage. 50 thousand rubles is the cost of issuing a power of attorney plus compensation for lost time and moral damage, – the “Norwegian” Ivan Nikolaev has already agreed to a trifle. br />
According to Life, Irina, in fact, may be 50-year-old Natalya Samkova, who is registered on Uralskaya Street in the Golyanovo metropolitan area. Residents of the house easily identified her.
– It's a scammer! I divorced my husband 15 years ago. He worked in the metro as a policeman, and she traded in the passage. She came from some collective farm. They are looking for her. It rarely happens here, hiding! the neighbors said in chorus.
Natalya Samkova was born in Novosokolniki, Pskov region. Her previous surname was Shinyavina. Behind it stretches a train of offenses and litigation. In 2015, she borrowed 737 thousand rubles from Alfa-Bank and did not return it. In 2016, she was deprived of her license and fined for drunk driving, Samkova tried to justify herself to the last, claiming that it was just a roommate who poured vodka into her non-alcoholic beer. In 2017, she twice borrowed from friends and did not return. In 2018, under the pretext of renting, she illegally took possession of a Hyundai Solaris car, causing damage to the lessor in the amount of 600 thousand rubles. Judging by the database of bailiffs, she now owes a total of over a million rubles.
Samkova knows a lot about dubious transactions. She has a lot of experience. She sold old euros, Turkmen manats, paintings, drinks at a cost cheaper than the market, an 18th-century carriage for 55 million rubles, an antique sideboard for 20 million rubles, a collection sideboard for 24 million rubles, 200 kg of nickel wire for 100 million rubles through free classified ads. , copper at 140 euros per kilo. I was looking for potential clients in an unusual way – I offered myself as a “girlfriend for an hour” for five thousand rubles.
— I am a professional listener. I can cry into my vest. You can talk to me for hours, I give advice. By profession, I am a cosmoenergy doctor! she wrote about herself.
Samkova was also looking for an investor for a “profitable” purchase of sleepers for 100 million rubles and bought up orange gallstones for 10 thousand rubles a kilogram.
At various times, Samkova owned six problematic firms: a hairdressing salon, wholesale and retail stores selling timber and textiles. All of them were liquidated by the tax service either due to the lack of operational activity, or due to an incorrectly indicated address. The most interesting is its legal entity “Prodmaster”, which sells machinery and equipment. This company, registered on Novy Arbat, participated in state auctions 23 times and won them eight times. The amount of government contracts concluded in 2017-2018 exceeded 23 million rubles. It was about the supply of office equipment to Moscow medical institutions, including the Scientific and Practical Center for Narcology, the Research Center for Children's Health and the Gerontological Center. One of the contracts (for the delivery of equipment for field service for the disabled) was terminated by the unilateral decision of the customer – the Podolsky MFC.
Who were the sellers of red mercury? He comes from the Donetsk region. He lived in Mariupol, Volnovakha, and was born in the village of Zlatoustovka. He has worked as a security guard at a bank and as a watchman on a farm.
According to one social network, he is a fitness trainer and bodybuilder. Judging by the other – a successful businessman. Khorunzhiy also leads a YouTube channel about martial arts. His idol is McGregor.
The person with the residence permit in Norway is 41-year-old Ivan Nikolaev. He was born in the Latvian city of Daugavpils. In the zero years he lived in the Pskov region. It was probably then that he met Natalya Samkova, who was born there.
Ivan Nikolaev was registered in Pskov, in Khrushchev on Kuznetskaya Street. But his address in Moscow, on the contrary, is premium. This is a residential complex in the loft style Klein House on Nizhnaya Krasnoselskaya, apartments there cost 16-46 million rubles. Their monthly rent will cost 50-160 thousand rubles. The entrance to outsiders is closed, there is security.
P/S
Sellers of the notorious red mercury did not manage to get money this time, but judging by well run-in scheme, they are not the first time they are trying to crank out such a fraud. If the owners of land plots, who mysteriously ended up under the control of fraudsters, turn to law enforcement agencies for help, they will be able to unwind the entire chain and identify the participants in the scam. Well, gullible people want to once again be reminded of vigilance and that no red mercury exists.
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