Criminal cases opened over large-scale cashback fraud in Tashkent

According to the Department under the Prosecutor General's Office, investigators from its Tashkent city office, working jointly with the Tax Committee, found during a pre-investigation inquiry that officials of G.M. LLC had used computer technology to create false records showing the fictitious purchase of goods worth UZS 76.2 billion.

The suspects allegedly processed the proceeds through cash registers and generated fake sales receipts claiming the goods had been sold to customers. Those receipts were then sold via Telegram for UZS 70,000–150,000 each to 2,475 people listed in the social protection register.

Using the fraudulent receipts, the group is said to have accumulated UZS 7.5 billion in cashback through the Soliq Mobile application, of which UZS 4.1 billion had already been paid out, resulting in the embezzlement of budget funds.

Investigators uncovered a similar scheme in the Chilonzor district, where officials of E.G. LLC and I.F. LLC allegedly acted in collusion. According to the investigation, they fabricated records of purchases worth UZS 10 billion, generated fake receipts through cash registers and sold them via Telegram to 1,812 individuals included in the social protection register for UZS 100,000–150,000 each.

As a result, UZS 1 billion in cashback was accrued through the Soliq Mobile app, with UZS 640.8 million already disbursed before the scheme was detected.

Criminal cases have been opened in both incidents under Article 167 of the Criminal Code, which covers embezzlement or misappropriation, and Article 228, concerning the production, forgery, sale or use of forged documents, stamps, seals and official forms. The investigation is ongoing.

The latest case follows another cashback fraud uncovered in Tashkent on July 21, when authorities reported the embezzlement of UZS 1.4 billion in budget funds. On August 2, the Tax Committee announced that more than 96,000 people had been added to the register of suspicious buyers over the use of fake receipts and urged citizens not to participate in such schemes.