Uzbek woman posing as Shoigu’s niece accused of stealing over 100 million rubles in Moscow

Moscow law enforcement agencies are investigating an Uzbek woman, Shere Shoigu, and her husband – who also adopted her surname – for suspected involvement in a fraud scheme linked to a cryptocurrency investment platform. The total amount of money stolen reportedly exceeds 100 million rubles.

According to Said Yarakhmedov, a lawyer representing three of the victims, the number of people defrauded and the total losses may double as the investigation continues.

“We have filed a request with law enforcement to open a criminal case and launch an investigation into fraud (under Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code) against Shere Shoigu and her husband, who changed their names before committing the crime,” Yarakhmedov told TASS.

He explained that the scheme involved deceiving Moscow residents under the pretext of investing in a cryptocurrency exchange. The 27-year-old Sherekhon Osmonova reportedly changed her passport information to assume the identity of Shere Shoigu, presenting herself as the niece of Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu, and later disappeared after taking the victims’ money.

“The estimated damage currently exceeds 100 million rubles, but the number of cases and total losses could double,” Yarakhmedov added.