Criminal Enterprises Employ Intermediaries to Perform Fraudulent Activities
In Russia, a concerning trend has emerged where fraudsters are using minors as intermediaries in their criminal schemes. By exploiting the lower visibility and perceived innocence of minors, these criminal networks are able to carry out illicit activities such as scam call center operations, money transfers, and other fraudulent tasks.
These minors often serve as unknowing or coerced tools, masking the true perpetrators' identities and avoiding direct legal detection. Similar schemes have been noted in neighboring regions, suggesting that criminal networks in Russia might also involve minors to operate large-scale fraud networks with reduced risk of prosecution.
Cyber-enabled organized crime is another area where minors may be recruited or coerced into performing fraudulent activities, including supporting ransomware or scam operations that exploit technological vulnerabilities while minimizing suspicion.
To combat this issue, several protection measures are being taken or recommended. Strengthening laws to criminalize using minors as intermediaries and increasing investigations targeting the networks exploiting children is one such measure. International cooperation is also essential to disrupt transnational crime rings.
Education and awareness programs are another crucial aspect of protection. Efforts are being made to educate minors and communities about the risks and signs of criminal exploitation, alongside digital literacy programs to reduce vulnerability to recruitment.
Enhanced monitoring of online platforms is also necessary to detect and prevent recruitment and use of minors in criminal schemes. Closer scrutiny of cryptocurrency and peer-to-peer financial transactions that facilitate money laundering is particularly important.
Starting from August 1, 2025, banks in Russia will be required to provide statements on accounts and deposits to parents or legal guardians of minors aged 14 to 18. This new law is an additional measure to protect minors in Russia from financial fraud.
However, it's important to note that many minors may not be aware that they are partaking in illegal activities and do not understand the consequences. Parents are encouraged to monitor their teenagers' account and bank card usage, as written consent does not guarantee awareness of the purpose, spending, or transfers of the child's account.
Adults can help protect their children from involvement in fraudulent schemes by warning them of the dangers. The intermediaries risk severe punishment for their involvement in these criminal schemes. The criminal liability for becoming a dropper, including fines of up to 300,000 rubles or imprisonment of up to 3 years, has been in effect since July 5, 2022, for individuals aged 16 or older.
While direct detailed examples specific to Russia are limited, the combination of cyber-enabled organized crime, use of call center fraud networks, and financial crimes using minors as intermediaries is recognized globally, including in Russian-related contexts. Measures focus on legal, technological, and educational interventions to protect minors from such exploitation.
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