According to information from the press service of AFM RK, the accused created a facade of successful entrepreneurs on social media and convinced people to invest in a "profitable" scheme.
They promised that the funds would be used in tenders, with investors receiving over 90% returns in just 40 days.
The minimum investment amount started at 1 million tenge. Participants could also earn by attracting new individuals — they received 10% from each deposit made.
In total, 60 people were drawn into this scheme, resulting in a total loss of 490 million tenge.
One of the organizers purchased an apartment in a prestigious residential complex, along with a parking space, using the investors' money, spending 69.5 million tenge.
To avoid confiscation, she initially registered the property in her mother-in-law's name, and then, when the investigation began, transferred it to a third party. However, the investigation proved that the transaction was fraudulent, leading the court to seize the apartment.
During the investigation, part of the losses was recovered — 72 million tenge.
The court found the accused guilty of organizing a financial pyramid and sentenced them to prison terms ranging from 5 to 7 years.
One of them was also convicted for money laundering obtained through criminal means.
The apartment and parking space purchased with the victims' funds have been seized and allocated towards compensating the damages.