Georgian Law Enforcement Busts Scammers Posing as Real Estate Brokers

Georgian law enforcement officers have sealed the Batumi office of Georgia Private Investment (GPI), a company that purportedly attracted foreign investment into Georgian real estate.

According to preliminary information, a criminal case has been opened over alleged financial fraud. The company had collected money from clients, promising to invest it profitably in real estate. Its founders later fled Georgia. Law enforcement agencies are now determining the number of victims and the total amount of losses.

The company’s owner, Anton Tiunov, has a controversial reputation. He was previously accused of extortion by a Georgian property developer, while a number of female brokers filed lawsuits and police complaints against him over alleged insults and disorderly conduct.

GPI executives are Russian citizens Anton Tiunov and Galina Dmitrieva. Tiunov is wanted in Russia on charges of misappropriating money and assaulting his own father.

Tiunov himself confirmed on social media that the office had been sealed, saying: “I’ve been on vacation since August 2. And on August 4, masked officers stormed the office.”

GPI has no assets registered in its name in Georgia. Clients entrusted their money directly to the company’s founders without any collateral or security.