MOSCOW, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Plagued by millions of telecom and online fraud cases, Russia has stepped up anti-fraud measures, with the latest package unveiled Tuesday expected to restrict international calls.
A total of 50,000 to 70,000 people in Russia fall victim to scammers every day, Stanislav Kuznetsov, deputy chairman of the executive board at Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, said at this year's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Russian law enforcement agencies have tightened their crackdown on fraud networks in collaboration with local governments, financial institutions and research organizations.
SCAMS VIA PHONE CALLS
Elena, a Moscow resident, still remembers the phone call that triggered a week-long nightmare. She found herself caught in a telecom fraud after transferring a total of 3 million rubles (40,000 U.S. dollars) to a self-claimed security official.
On the line was a man claiming to be an official with Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), who said that criminals were using her identity to take out loans and transfer funds abroad.
The caller told Elena to take out a "protective loan" to block the scammers' access to funds, stressing the need to go to the bank immediately to apply for it.
Frightened and confused, Elena followed his instructions, taking out loans from different banks and transferring 3 million rubles to him. Five days later, when the man suddenly stopped answering her calls -- the chilling truth dawned on her -- but it was too late.
In recent years, such cases have been far from uncommon, and the losses can sometimes be devastating.
Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs announced in October that a Moscow resident lost a record 450 million rubles to telecom and online fraud.
"In these scams, fraudsters usually create a sense of urgency to trigger fear and a desire for help, leaving victims no time to think rationally or see through the ruse," Alexander Lunev, team leader of security awareness at Russia's search engine operator Yandex told RIA Novosti news agency.
A study by Sidorin Lab, a Moscow-based internet agency, has shown that users aged 25-39 are the main targets of telecom and online fraud, making up 32.5 percent of recorded complaints in the first half of 2025. Another 31.4 percent came from those aged 40 to 59.
Kuznetsov warned that scammers typically target 5 to 6 people for every 100 calls made. "Usually, at least one person will transfer money to them," he added.
At the 35th meeting of the Coordinating Council of Prosecutors General of the CIS Member States in October, Alexander Gutsan, Russia's Prosecutor General, said that Russia recorded more than 765,000 cybercrime cases in 2024, causing losses of hundreds of billions of rubles.
For many victims, the scam follows a familiar pattern: an urgent call about a problem with their bank account, followed by step-by-step instructions that lead straight into a trap.
EVER-EVOLVING TRICKS
As public awareness and vigilance grew over telecom and online scams in Russia, fraud tactics evolved quickly.
Telecom scammers are also becoming more selective. Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Russia's largest mobile service provider, said Apple users became the primary targets of telecom fraud in 2025, accounting for 30 percent of all malicious calls nationwide. The shift stems from the belief that Apple users tend to have higher incomes.
Earlier this month, Russian police dismantled a criminal group that had been emptying bank accounts across 78 regions of the country.
For months, the fraudsters hid behind anonymous calls and messaging apps while a malicious mobile virus silently siphoned off funds from victims' accounts. By the time police detained the suspects, more than 200 million rubles had been stolen.
The criminals persuaded victims to install malware disguised as legitimate apps via WhatsApp and Telegram, then tricked them into entering their PIN codes, granting the scammers full access to their accounts, Irina Volk, spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs wrote on her Telegram channel.
Volk noted that criminal networks also rely on sending fake documents or alarming messages urging victims to call back, banking on the idea that people tend to trust parties who reach out first.
TECH-SYNERGY CRACKDOWNS
Facing this growing threat, not only have Russian law enforcement agencies stepped up crackdowns on large-scale fraud networks, but the local governments, financial institutions, and research organizations are also collaborating to prevent scams.
"The reach of online scam centers spans the globe, posing a dynamic and persistent global challenge," warned Cyril Gout, Acting Executive Director of Police Services at INTERPOL, when commenting in a new crime trend update released in June.
In 2024, 13.5 trillion rubles in fraudulent losses were averted in Russia, with over 72 million fraudulent transactions intercepted before they could cause harm to victims, said a report of Bank of Russia, the central bank.
In June, a package of roughly 30 anti-fraud measures passed by the State Duma came into force. The reforms include options for users to block spam and sponsored calls, tighter controls on SIM card issuance, and new rules limiting mass automated calling.
They also highlight banks' crucial role in protecting customers, with one provision requiring banks to cap ATM cash withdrawals at 50,000 rubles per day for 48 hours if suspicious or involuntary transactions are detected.
A second package, comprising about 20 additional measures, is now under review. It includes a ban on international calls made without the subscriber's consent and mandatory labeling of such calls, said Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday.
A third package is being worked on and will be introduced soon, Putin added.
Beyond these measures, a biometric database system designed to thwart fraudsters is currently under development in Russia. It will store and process individuals' unique biometric characteristics to verify identities, prevent unauthorized access, and support broader crime-fighting efforts.
According to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin's instructions after a strategic session on the development of the communications industry in May, the system would be operational by April 1, 2026. Authorities are also exploring the use of artificial intelligence to more effectively identify and block fraudulent calls in the future. ■
