Accountant in Aktau sentenced for fraudulent pregnancy benefit scheme

An accountant from the city of Aktau has been sentenced to five years in prison for orchestrating a criminal scheme involving the fictitious employment of pregnant women. The court found her guilty of using forged documents to embezzle 146 million tenge in state funds.

The fraudster targeted expectant mothers on Instagram, posing as a specialist who could help them obtain social benefits. She promised to significantly increase their state allowances by facilitating their formal employment.

To execute the scheme, she "employed" the women at individual enterprises registered under the names of her relatives and acquaintances. Based on these falsified employment records, inflated social benefits were approved and paid out by the authorized state bodies.

After the funds were received, the companies would then revoke previously made pension and social contributions, completing the fraudulent cycle. The total damage to the state budget amounted to 146 million tenge.

Investigators discovered that the accountant used the illicit proceeds to purchase a three-room apartment. The property was seized and subsequently confiscated for state revenue.

The court's verdict has already entered into legal force, finalizing the five-year prison sentence for the convicted accountant.