Recently, in Russia there has been an increase in the number of thefts of funds from deposit accounts of citizens.
According to the financial commissioner Svetlana Maksimova, the number of complaints about such cases increased from 1.5 thousand in 2023 to 2.5 thousand in 2024. The new fraud scheme is especially alarming, where attackers prematurely terminate deposit agreements on behalf of clients, depriving them of not only invested funds, but also accrued interest, Arsen Akopyan, founder of the Piera project fighting against fraudulent call centers, said.
The main reasons for the growth of such crimes are personal data leaks and the improvement of social engineering methods that allow fraudsters to gain access to citizens’ accounts, the expert explains. In response, the Russian government has developed a bill aimed at countering telephone and Internet fraud, which combines about 30 measures, including mandatory labeling of phone calls.
However, more steps are needed to combat fraudsters effectively: tougher penalties, increased liability for those involved in fraudulent schemes, including so-called “droppers” – dummies whose bank cards are used to cash out stolen funds. In addition, it is necessary to introduce a time delay in obtaining large loans, which will prevent cases when citizens, under pressure from fraudsters, take loans and transfer money to attackers, the specialist believes.
“An integrated approach only, including legislative initiatives, increased responsibility and active participation of financial organizations, will make it possible to resist the growth of fraud and protect the savings of citizens effectively,” Arsen Akopyan sums up.