Cultural deception: how scammers use the "Pushkin Card"
Another fraudulent scheme related to the Pushkin Card program has been uncovered in Russia. The criminals managed to steal more than 30 million rubles from the budget, the Interior Ministry said. Izvestia found out how the fraud was organized and what could threaten the defendants.
A scheme for millions
Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB uncovered a fraudulent scheme with the Pushkin Card program. With her help, the criminals stole more than 30 million rubles from the budget, said Irina Volk, an official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The group operated in several regions at once, including the Ryazan and Novosibirsk regions. The scammers registered on the "PRO.Culture.Russian Federation" and announced the holding of cultural events that actually did not take place. The visitors allegedly bought tickets for them under the Pushkin Card program, and the money for them ended up in the pockets of the defendants.
According to investigators, in Ryazan, one of the organizers of the scam was the head of the department of the local museum. He set up a fake ticket sale through intermediaries, and in order to legalize funds, he registered sole proprietors for relatives and acquaintances, concluding fictitious contracts with them for holding events. As a result, during the year (from April 2023 to May 2024), the accomplices managed to steal and cash out more than 10 million rubles.
A similar scheme operated in Novosibirsk. There, three accomplices sold tickets for fictitious excursions worth about 4 thousand rubles each — the total damage amounted to more than 22.5 million rubles. During the searches, the police found large amounts of cash, equipment and documents confirming illegal activities in the suspects' possession.
Detention of intruders
The police have opened criminal cases under the article "Fraud on an especially large scale." The suspects face up to 10 years in prison. They are currently on their own recognizance.
How scammers use the "Pushkin Card"
The Pushkin Map project was launched in 2021. Young people between the ages of 14 and 22 can apply for a free card, which is credited with money (5 thousand rubles) every year to purchase tickets to events from the program's partners.: exhibitions, excursions, theatrical performances, concerts, workshops and film screenings.
Since the launch of the program, 11 million young people have become participants, who have purchased more than 75 million tickets for a total of 36.4 billion rubles. According to the Postbank, schoolchildren and students most often bought tickets to movies and theaters (28%), exhibitions and museums (21%), and concerts (11%).
However, the cards are popular not only among young people. Scammers are increasingly paying attention to them, at least for several reasons. Firstly, a lawyer, director of the Analytica research center, tells Izvestia.Business.Pravo" by Venera Shaidullina, the program receives annual funding — a fixed amount appears on each card every year. Secondly, the card is available to all young people from 14 to 22 years old, that is, millions of potential victims, people with low financial literacy. In addition, the funds on it have a limited validity period and a specific purpose, which motivates holders to spend them in any way.
And finally, according to lawyer Sean Betrozov, the registration process for events on the platform is "PRO.Culture.The Russian Federation" and reporting on them may not be strict enough, which makes it possible to create fictitious events and receive funds for unproven services.
"The young people themselves, who are the target audience of the program, may be less aware of the possible risks and more easily susceptible to the tricks of scammers," the Izvestia interlocutor notes.
Schemes of criminals
Criminals use various schemes to benefit from the Pushkin Card program. One of the most common is the creation of fake cultural organizations and fictitious events on the PRO platform.Culture.Russian Federation", as it happened in Ryazan and Novosibirsk region.
— Scammers register as organizers, announce non-existent events and sell tickets to them. The funds received from the sale are cashed out through controlled organizations. In some cases, tickets are purchased using the "Pushkin cards" of real users who may be involved in the scheme or not realize its illegality, says Sean Betrozov.
Another scheme, according to Venera Shaidullina, is related to offers to cash out funds from the Pushkin Card. It works like this: the user buys a ticket to a cultural event, then returns it, and the fraudster receives a refund to his account. At the same time, the young man is paid only a part of the amount (usually 30-50%) or nothing is paid.
There are also regular cases of resale of tickets purchased using the Pushkin Card, which is a violation of the terms of the program. For example, tickets to performances or concerts, purchased with a card and often at a discounted price, are resold for cash, which contradicts the intended purpose of the funds.
Different categories of people can participate in the schemes. Organizers are often those who have experience in the field of culture or education and can use knowledge and connections to create fictitious events. Sole proprietors registered as front persons through whom funds are cashed out are also involved.
Ordinary card users may also violate the law, either knowingly or unknowingly. The Pushkinskaya Card is a personalized card and is intended exclusively for use by its owner. Any attempts to transfer the card, sell it, or misuse it are considered a violation of the terms of the program and may result in administrative or criminal liability, experts remind.
Penalties for violations
As Sean Betrozov explains, depending on the nature and scale of the violation, various liability measures are provided for abuse of the Pushkin Map.
If the actions qualify as fraud on a particularly large scale, then, according to Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the perpetrators face imprisonment for up to 10 years with a fine of up to 1 million rubles. Such punishments are applied to the organizers of schemes that steal significant amounts of budget funds through fictitious events and cashing out of funds.
The verdict in the case of embezzlement of money in the program "Pushkin card" in the Basmanny Court of Moscow
In cases where actions fall under Article 159.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Fraud in receiving payments", the penalty is a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles, compulsory labor of up to 480 hours or restriction of liberty of up to four years.
"This article can be applied to card users who knowingly participate in cashing schemes or transfer the card to third parties," the Izvestia source explains.
In addition, for administrative offenses, such as transferring a card to another person or selling it, liability measures may be applied in accordance with the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. For example, Article 7.27.1 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation provides for fines for petty theft or causing property damage by deception.
Large-scale fraud schemes related to the Pushkin Cards have already been uncovered in Russia. So, in December last year, the Basmanny Court sentenced two entrepreneurs and a MGIMO student to terms of four to six years. They rented venues in Moscow and arranged concerts there, tickets for which were bought by front persons, and so "earned" more than 200 million rubles. In addition to serving time, the accomplices will have to compensate for the damage.
Accused of embezzling 200 million through "Pushkin cards" in the Basmanny Court of Moscow.
In November last year, a resident of Kaliningrad was detained for such acts, who was able to steal more than 13 million rubles, and in March 2025, a group of Muscovites who sold more than 300 fictitious tickets using Pushkin Cards, receiving more than 1 million rubles for this.
Control mechanisms
State control over the implementation of the Pushkin Map program is carried out primarily by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, since they are in charge of the project, providing both content (events) and technical implementation (digital platform). Treasury authorities, which carry out payments, and operators such as Postbank, which issue the card itself, are also involved in the control mechanism.
Formally, the control system includes verification of the accreditation of cultural institutions, registration of events through the PRO platform.Culture.Russian Federation", as well as attendance reporting. However, in practice, these measures may not be sufficient, says lawyer Sean Betrozov.
— The most vulnerable link in the Pushkin Card system is the weak identification of the fact of a real visit to an event for which the state has already paid. This gap can be closed technologically by introducing stricter verification and control mechanisms," the Izvestia interlocutor is convinced.
First, he believes, it would be possible to implement QR-code identification with geolocation, in which access to the event is possible only if the user is physically present at a specific location at a certain time. The use of this technology, already implemented in other services, can reduce fictitious visits to almost zero.
— In addition, explanatory seminars could be organized in schools and universities participating in the program for card users about the inadmissibility of cashing out and liability. Young people should clearly understand that "moonlighting" through a card is a criminal offense. The implementation of such measures does not require large—scale financing, but it will significantly strengthen the barrier for fraudsters," concludes Izvestia's interlocutor.
Izvestia requested a comment from the Ministry of Culture and the Postbank on possible vulnerabilities and measures to eliminate them, but no response had been received at the time of publication.
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