Penza, 22 December 2014. PenzaNews. An elderly resident of Penza became a victim of a scammer, who, posing as a citizen of a foreign state, asked to exchange his euros for rubles.

As the press service of the regional department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs told PenzaNews agency, the stranger approached the old man in the yard.

“He explained that the bank refused to render the service, citing the need to first exchange euros into rubles. According to the scammer, this was only possible on the next day, and he needed money urgently. Then a stranger offered the retiree to exchange euros for rubles at a favorable rate. After the old man agreed, he proceeded to the bank where he cashed out his savings — 396 thousand rubles, and gave the money to the scammer, who exchanged them for 102 banknotes that euros. At home on closer examination the man saw that those were the tickets of ‘The Prank Bank’,” the department explained.

The press service added that the police initiated a criminal case on fraud.

“The features of the suspect and his accomplice: a typical white man, looks 40 years old, driving a dark-colored car,” the regional department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs noted.