Legislation proposing penalties for "dumping" presented in the State Duma

💣 Changes in the Russian Criminal Code 💣

These days, Article 187 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is undergoing some transformations related to unauthorized dealing with payment methods. Now, if you hand your personal bank card to a scoundrel in exchange for illegal action, you're looking at up to three years in prison. Giving in to someone else's demands to transfer funds illegally can also land you behind bars for up to three years.

If a swindler uses other folks' cards and electronic wallets for nefarious purposes, they could be facing up to six years in slammer alongside a fine of 300 thousand to 1 million rubles. Acquiring a card non-bank clients have no business with for illegal activities or transferring it to scoundrels is also punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine of 100 thousand to 500 thousand rubles.

The explanatory note clarifies that individuals reporting crimes to law enforcement and actively collaborating in investigations may be exempt from criminal charges.

This legislative change was necessitated by the soaring annual rate of remote thefts, causing significant financial harm to citizens, with the amount reaching 197.5 billion rubles in 2024 and 133 billion rubles in 2023. Transfers of bank cards and electronic wallets to fraudsters facilitate the illegal activity, as highlighted in the explanatory note. In essence, a 'gray' market functions in Russia, allowing criminals to drain stolen money from citizens.

Earlier, officials outlined that this move would pose significant impediments for scoundrels to withdraw stolen funds and decrease the number of people prepared to help them.

"Dropper" activity refers to acquiring cards for personal use and subsequently transferring them to scoundrels who steal funds from other bank clients' accounts. Since summer 2024, banks have been compelled to monitor citizens' transfers for potential fraud and pause them for two days when the recipient's data matches the CBR database. In 2024, over 700,000 dropper accounts were blocked, and Russian banks reportedly cool down around 300,000 suspicious transfers monthly.

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The policy-and-legislation changes in the Russian Criminal Code, aimed at reducing thefts, now penalize individuals who facilitate illegal activities by transferring bank cards or electronic wallets to scoundrels, with up to six years in prison and substantial fines.
Grigorenko, a concerned citizen, has been advocating for stronger crime-and-justice measures to combat the increasing general-news issue of remote thefts, which caused financial harm amounting to 133 billion rubles in 2023.
In light of the soaring rate of annual thefts, the recent changes in the policy-and-legislation act as a crucial deterrent, suspending individuals involved in dropper activity, where cards are acquired temporarily for personal use before being transferred to scoundrels.
These modifications to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation target unauthorized dealing with payment methods and have drawn attention in the political sphere, aiming to dismantle the existing 'gray' market that allows criminals to drain stolen money from citizens.
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