Russian grocery store owner’s compensation offer triggers bizarre Salmonella scam

Customers of a grocery store in Russia devised a bizarre scheme to obtain compensation for alleged salmonella poisoning fraudulently. This infamous method could end disastrously for the health of the fraudsters seeking to gain the equivalent of about £7,630.

The owner of a grocery store in Yekaterinburg, Russia, decided to protect his business's reputation. When it emerged that eighteen customers who bought eggs from him suffered from salmonella poisoning, he reacted immediately. He declared his readiness to pay each of them one million rubles (over £7,630) in compensation.

The problem is that the promise quickly became an opportunity for individuals not necessarily affected by this dangerous ailment. When more "sick" claimants approached him, he was dubious. He straightforwardly stated that it most likely had to do with his generosity.

In Russian media, he admitted that the initiative to provide compensation was "idiotic". He urged the residents of Yekaterinburg not to attempt to poison themselves deliberately and to avoid actions that could be harmful to their health (e.g., licking chicken eggs). Reflecting, Ivan Zaitchenko suggested that the prospect of quick profit had clouded their common sense.

Statament in mk.ru suggests that people complain about everything: about the food that was cooked a few days ago in factories that have already been checked and all analyses are within the norm, as well as the food that was eaten in April.

Salmonella poisoning can have serious consequences. Infected individuals may suffer from general weakness, frequent vomiting, and abdominal pain, as well as gastrointestinal issues. At that point, body temperature can reach up to 39 degrees Celsius.

In extreme cases, salmonella can also cause a rash on the abdomen and chest, and even meningitis and soft tissue infection. It lasts from a few days to a week.