Retired, widowed 76-year-old commits suicide after scam artists force him to sell his apartment and to set draft office on fire

A 76-year-old retired former engineer was found dead in his apartment in Russia’s Leningrad region on Thursday, the day after he tried to set the local draft office on fire.

Telegram news channels report the retiree had committed suicide after being victimized by scam artists, who convinced him to sell his apartment. This fits a pattern of recent reports from elderly Russians, who say they were persuaded to sell their real estate and put the proceeds in escrow. Scam artists then told them to set fire to local draft offices if they wanted to have their funds released.

On August 2, the victim brought some Molotov cocktails to a local draft office, where he spent over a minute trying to get a spark, finally lighting the grass under his feet. The National Guardsmen inside the draft office came out, stomped out the feeble flames, and detained the perpetrator.

The next day, the authorities opened a formal arson case. Shortly afterwards, the victim’s brother found him hung in the apartment he no longer owned.

Since late July, at least 28 Russian draft offices were set on fire. Those detained for attempted arson often describe having been manipulated by scam artists.