Online swindlers illegally obtained approximately 1.5 billion rubles from Yakutia's residents in the year 2023.
In Yakutia, a roundtable was held to tackle the escalating issue of internet fraud, affecting a wide spectrum of citizens. The event, spearheaded by the acting prosecutor of Yakutia, Sergey Gubin, aimed to safeguard residents' rights from crimes perpetrated via information and communication technologies.
Key stakeholders, including heads and representatives of various ministries, departments, law enforcement agencies, banks, public organizations, and media outlets, convened to discuss strategies. While specific platforms (VKontakte, Classmates, WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter) weren't pinpointed as primary targets, proposals centered around banks aiding in victim identification and bolstering preventive measures.
In 2023 alone, over 2,900 people fell prey to such crimes, with total damages exceeding 1.5 billion rubles in 2022-2023. The majority of victims were working-age individuals aged 30-49 (42.8%) and those aged 60 and above (18.7%).
Fraud schemes included phishing for victims' funds, opening credits in their names, conducting 'special operations,' demanding fund transfers to 'safe' accounts, and promising earnings on investments and cryptocurrency. Criminal cases involving impersonation of FSB, MVD, and Central Bank employees were also discussed.
Preventive measures in enterprises and organizations were proposed. All suggestions will be evaluated in the prosecutor's office's ongoing work, involving relevant ministries and departments.
From 2018 to 2023, such crimes in Yakutia surged by 317%. Deputy Prosecutor Sergei Gubin invited law enforcement, cybersecurity experts, and IT company representatives to the event.
The prosecutor's office press service reported on the outcomes but didn't detail specific crime types or fraudster methods. The roundtable emphasized the need for enhanced information transparency and vigilance in combating internet fraud.
