In Russia, about 80 thousand people become droppers every month

Every month about 80 thousand people, including foreigners, become droppers in Russia. This was reported on February 20 by Deputy Chairman of the Bank of Russia Olga Polyakova at the Urals forum "Cybersecurity in Finance".

Droppers are front men involved in illegal schemes to withdraw funds from bank cards. According to Polyakova, the Bank of Russia is concerned about the scale of the problem.

"We see that about 80,000 Russian and foreign citizens become droppers. They are literally brought by buses to bank branches, two queues are lined up: one to get a bank card, the other to close an account and withdraw funds blocked by banks," she complained.

The deputy chairman noted that people are attracted by "easy" earnings. Meanwhile, the Central Bank sees certain difficulties in the lack of identification and double-checking of foreign citizens involved in this scheme.

February 19, Deputy Head of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) Andrei Khrapov said that droppers may be exempted from criminal liability if they assist the investigation.

In 2024, the Interior Ministry drafted a bill on punishment for droppers - bank customers who issue cards not for personal use, but for their transfer to fraudsters. Attackers withdraw funds stolen from bank customers to them. You can become a dropper by choice or by ignorance.