13.5 billion rubles stolen from Russians’ bank accounts in 2021

In 2021, scammers carried out more than 1 million unauthorized transfers from cards and accounts of Russian banks and stole 13.5 billion rubles. This is stated in the report of the Central Bank of Russia.

The bulk of the funds were stolen from individuals — 12.1 billion rubles. The remaining 1.4 billion rubles – from companies.

Of the total amount, only 920.5 million rubles could be recovered — 6.8%, the worst figure in at least two years.

In 2020, banks returned to clients 11.3% of the total amount stolen by scammers — 1.1 billion rubles. In 2019 — 14.6% or 935.9 million rubles. Until 2019, the regulator did not disclose these data.

The regulator attributes the growth of transfers without customers’ consent to the active development of online payment services and to the growth in the volume of money transfers.

According to the regulator, criminals predominantly use social engineering methods – by psychologically influencing the victim, they compel them to voluntarily transfer money or disclose data. In the course of calls, the perpetrators usually pose as the bank’s security service, law enforcement authorities, or the central bank.

In late March, the FSB in Dagestan and local police detained the organizers of a cryptocurrency pyramid with damages of 1 billion rubles.

Earlier, ForkLog reported that every second financial pyramid in 2021 attracted Russians using cryptocurrency .