The Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan has issued an urgent warning to citizens returning from Russia via international bus services, highlighting a surge in fraudulent activities where scammers exploit the reputation of the Uzautotrans service company to sell overpriced and counterfeit tickets.

According to the findings, perpetrators have been leveraging social media platforms and YouTube by posting unauthorized photos and videos of the carrier’s buses. They supposedly convince passengers that official ticket counters are completely sold out, thereby marketing fake documents at several times the standard rate.

The most alarming aspect of this scheme, as authorities claim, is that victims holding forged tickets are subsequently boarded onto illegal transport vehicles, exposing travelers to severe logistical, financial, and safety risks during the cross-border journey.

In response to these growing threats, the ministry reiterated official schedule guidelines, clarifying that Uzautotrans service buses depart from Moscow's 'Novoyasenevskaya' and 'Kotelniki' stations toward the Tashkent terminal strictly on Mondays and Thursdays.

Furthermore, travelers are strongly advised to purchase tickets exclusively through official station ticket offices or their certified online platforms and mobile applications. Standard pricing is officially set at 8,500 rubles for regular routes and 7,000 rubles for supplementary same-day services, urging the public to remain vigilant against scams.

Source: www.gazeta.uz