Islamic State fighters were conned by Russian women who pretended they wanted to become their jihadi brides in a bid to extract money.Police discovered the fraud after they arrested three young women who were found to have used social media to contact militants.
They believe the trio are just the tip of the iceberg and that there could be hundreds of cases across the country.
The women apparently came up with the idea after being contacted on Facebook by men who were trying to develop an online relationship and eventually to persuade them to join them in Syria.
A police spokesman said: ‘They would complain that they didn’t have the money to afford it, after which the cash was wired over to cover the costs.’
The three girls, from the south-western Russian autonomous republic of Chechnya, apparently used fake accounts on social networks to communicate with the Islamists.
On the fake profiles, they claimed to show an interest in Islam which prompted them to be targeted for recruitment by the ISIS militants.
News website LifeNews managed to talk to one of the girls, named Maryam, who is being monitored by police at her home.
She has admitted to getting money from three men who she conned into paying her for travel to Syria without having the intention of going. In each case, she had set up fake profile.
She said her first victim was a man from Syria who would slowly lead to the discussion of the Islamic State before eventually asking her to join them.
Maryam says the Syrian militant told to her: ‘Would you not want to come to Syria? It is great here!’
She added: ‘I replied that I had no money to go there. Then he suggested for the first time that he could send me money.’
She was then blocked on social networks and decided to create further fake accounts where she conned another two men.
A screenshot from one of her accounts shows a conversation between one of the men in which she says: ‘I have no money to buy a decent clothes, not to mention a plane ticket, what should I do brother?’
He then replies: ‘I will help you as much as I can, sister, just like any other brother would.’
Police found out about the scam because they were monitoring the activities of the ISIS militants in the country and realised that money was being transferred to the women.
They believe that many other young women may be doing the same.
Initial reports said that three girls were facing up to six years in prison but after public outrage it was revealed that the charges will probably be dropped.
Online commentators said the girls should be praised for their patriotic efforts in conning money out of the Islamic State militants and it now seems likely that officials will take no further action.
A spokesman said: ‘There needs to be a complaint from the other side and it doesn’t seem as though this is going to be likely.’
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