A Russian couple’s dream vacation turned into a nightmare when they were swindled out of their cash by a shady “magic trick.” The culprit? An Iranian national who pulled off the trick while they were out exploring.
According to VN Express on Tuesday (October 14, 2024), the unfortunate couple was Dmitry Strizhakov (39) and his wife, who were enjoying a trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. On September 27, they were casually shopping on Hai Ba Trung Street, completely unaware that their shopping spree was about to get ruined.
While minding their own business, they were approached by an Iranian man named Pous Moshtaghhossein. He seemed friendly enough, striking up a casual conversation with the couple, which didn’t raise any red flags for them.
As they chatted, Moshtaghhossein smoothly pulled out a few U.S. dollars from his wallet and started talking about the difference between old and new currency. Classic “I’m just a curious tourist” act, right? He even expressed interest in Russian rubles and asked them about it.
Falling for the seemingly harmless chit-chat, Strizhakov decided to join in and pulled out his own cash—some U.S. dollars and a stack of Russian rubles. They continued talking, but little did Dmitry know that Moshtaghhossein’s fingers were sneakily working their own magic.
While keeping the couple distracted, Moshtaghhossein somehow managed to swipe a stack of cash from Dmitry’s wallet without anyone noticing.
It wasn’t until Moshtaghhossein disappeared that Dmitry decided to check his wallet—and surprise, surprise—he found a big chunk of his money missing. He had lost 25 hundred-dollar bills, three 100-euro notes, and one 50-euro note. Ouch.
Strizhakov immediately reported the theft to the local police, who didn’t waste time tracking down Moshtaghhossein. He was eventually found at an apartment in Thu Duc City and taken into custody for investigation.