Helpful: why are smartphones being smuggled from Russia to Ukraine
The criminals have set up shipments of smartphones from Russia with an authorized Gosuslugi application and verified messengers. All this is done by the hands of so-called drop guides. A source familiar with the realities of the shadow economy told Izvestia about this and other nuances of cybercrime cuisine.
People as consumables
A source from Izvestia, who lives in an Eastern European country and deals with cryptocurrency, spoke on condition of anonymity about how fraudsters manage to circumvent barriers and continue to deceive Russians.
According to him, the number of Russians willing to provide their personal data for money is huge and in some places exceeds demand. Residents of new territories of the Russian Federation often become drops.
Innovations such as identification for SIM cards or the use of certain messengers to confirm entry into various services have caused virtually no damage to the criminal business, the Izvestia interlocutor believes. In his opinion, all this has only slightly increased the withdrawal time.
At the moment, we are talking about an established black market for drop services, where significant amounts are being spent. Prices in this segment, especially for cashing out purposes, have increased significantly, but demand is still high.
— My partners constantly use SIM cards of drops. The price for them has increased to 700 rubles apiece, but there is no shortage on the market," the source shares.
According to him, criminal Ukrainian call centers receive thousands of phones with activated "State Services" and other necessary applications. The "tubes" are sent first to Kazakhstan, then to Ukraine, the source tells Izvestia.
The source stressed that most of these smartphones are used for "gray" schemes involving cashing out funds, registering one-day firms, and similar actions. They are used to carry out transactions of criminally obtained funds (drugs, trafficking in illegal goods, weapons, etc.) and, of course, for telephone fraud.
The expert confirms
In professional slang, phones with installed and activated government services and messengers are called "warm", said Konstantin Parfenyev, an expert in the field of IT security and communications.
"Bank cards issued to a fake person are also linked to them," the expert says. — Shipments of such devices in batches indicate a systematic approach and an established channel for ensuring illegal activities, as well as the likely growth of various fraudulent schemes.
How to attract drops
The Izvestia source in Europe describes the hierarchy in the drop selection system.
— The organizer is in charge, who finds the drops and manages them. Intermediaries charge 20% of the amounts passing through the cards for their services, and 25% through companies and sole proprietors.
According to his estimates, up to 90% of the drops in all scams are residents of the new territories of Russia. The reason is the difficult economic situation.
— The former LPR and DPR are now the main markets for drops, the supply is even greater than the demand. People need money, and this is an easy way to earn.
Anyone who enjoys the trust of the population can be a drop guide, the source says.
"In Russia, it can be anyone with authority, such as the leader of a religious cell or the owner of a rehab, a district bandit or a student leader," the source claims. — The main thing is to have communication and trust from people who want to earn and give their personal data. I know cases when a social security worker and the chairman of a collective farm became drop guides. Very often, drops are ordinary drug addicts.
Stable inflow
For the stability of the scheme, a constant stream of new people is required.
— For such an activity, it is "interesting" to have at least 20 drops, and it is necessary to constantly change them, so the circulation of people should be large, — explains the interlocutor. He cites the example of a business partner who, in three and a half years, has "run" more than 150 cards from various banks through his business.
— This is plus or minus 80-100 different people, and about 30 companies and sole proprietors created according to their data.
In his opinion, the fight against the shadow economy by tightening control over ordinary citizens is not very effective.
"As long as there is economic inequality and demand for illegal financial services, the system will find new drops in the most vulnerable segments of society," he concluded.
What is the risk of a drop
For a front person, the risk is absolutely real and incommensurable with the profit, says Konstantin Parfenyev, a cybersecurity expert.
— During the arrest, he becomes the main person involved in the criminal case. He may be charged as an accomplice under serious articles of the Criminal Code, such as "Large-scale fraud" and "Money laundering." We are talking about the actual terms of imprisonment. This year, another article has been introduced in the Criminal Code specifically for drops and drop guides — for transferring electronic means of payment to third parties for remuneration and transactions involving their use.
The criminal liability is even stricter for the drop operator. His actions will be qualified as organizing a crime, which is an aggravating circumstance.
— Thus, this scheme is based on the fact that all the risks are borne by the direct performers, while the organizers remain in the shadows, — says Parfenyev. — For a person who agrees to become a drop, this is a direct and quick path to a criminal record.
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