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Miscellaneous
A man named Vladimir Sklyarov has been charged in the US with stealing $450 million from Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego through a fake loan scheme.
Federal prosecutors in the United States have charged a man named Vladimir Sklyarov with orchestrating a fraudulent loan scheme that siphoned approximately $450 million from Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego. The scheme, outlined in a recent indictment filed in a New York federal court, allegedly used the names of storied American families to lend credibility to the criminal operation.
Sklyarov, 63, who authorities say assumed multiple identities, is accused of founding a sham company called “Astor Asset Group.” He allegedly told victims the firm was linked to the prominent Astor family of New York, a name synonymous with vast wealth since the 19th century, to bolster his claims of immense financial resources.
According to the federal indictment, Sklyarov convinced Salinas Pliego—whose business empire spans media, retail, and banking—that Astor Asset Group could provide a massive loan secured by shares the billionaire owned. The pitch relied on false assertions of financial backing from the Astor family. In 2021, Salinas Pliego was seeking a $100 million loan. He eventually signed an agreement with the bogus firm for financing of at least $115 million, pledging shares in one of his companies valued at over $450 million as collateral.
US prosecutors allege that Sklyarov later illegally sold those shares. He used a portion of the proceeds to fund the loan itself, while he and his associates pocketed the remaining hundreds of millions of dollars.
Court records show Sklyarov was arrested in Chicago last Saturday. He is scheduled to appear for a hearing on Friday. The victim only discovered his shares had been liquidated in July 2024, when he received a fraudulent message from the company claiming he had defaulted on the loan—a move designed to justify the disappearance of the assets.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Salinas Pliego expressed shock at being ensnared in the fraud. “I feel like a complete idiot… How could I fall for this?” he said.
Authorities have identified Sklyarov’s origin as Athens, Greece. News reports indicate he is a US citizen of Ukrainian descent with a prior record of financial fraud cases.
