Russian artist behind fake luxury trips admits fraud, faces charges

Artist Khatura Atashyan, accused of defrauding Russian bloggers of millions of rubles, has admitted guilt in a criminal fraud case.

The information was confirmed by the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, which said a preventive measure for her will be determined in the near future, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

“29-year-old woman has been detained and charged with fraud. <...> She has admitted her guilt,” the agency said.

Atashyan allegedly offered clients lucrative travel packages to luxury foreign hotels under advertising contracts. However, after receiving payments, she repeatedly postponed travel dates and later stopped responding to clients altogether.

Following her arrest in Belarus, she was extradited to Moscow.

Earlier, bloggers accused Atashyan of defrauding them of around 50 million rubles ($650,000). She reportedly presented herself as a VIP figure in the hospitality industry and promised barter-based travel arrangements in exchange for advertising services. However, after payments were made, clients allegedly received neither tickets nor hotel vouchers.

Separately, authorities in Moscow previously detained a German national suspected of large-scale fraud involving the purchase and delivery of luxury vehicles from Europe to Russia. Russian Rolls-Royce dealers who were victims of the scheme are reportedly preparing civil lawsuits as part of the ongoing criminal proceedings.

By Vafa Guliyeva