Russia Introduces New Measures to Fight Against Fraudsters

The government`s new initiatives aim to bolster citizen protection against cyber fraud. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko`s office announced that this second package of measures encompasses around twenty proposals.

Russia has developed a new set of measures, comprising approximately 20 initiatives, aimed at combating fraud. These steps were announced by the office of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko.

Representatives from Grigorenko`s office clarified that “the second package includes about 20 initiatives for protecting citizens in the digital environment.” The corresponding document has been published on the portal for public discussion of normative legal acts.

One of the key proposals is the introduction of a mechanism for compensating damages caused by fraudulent activities. If funds are stolen from a mobile account due to the unlawful inaction of a telecom operator, the operator will be obliged to compensate for the losses. A similar rule will apply to banks: if a credit institution fails to take action to prevent the theft of funds after being warned by the operator about a suspicious transaction, it will also be held liable.

Among other initiatives is the creation of a unified platform for managing personal data consents on the “Gosuslugi” (Public Services) portal. This will allow citizens to view all previously granted consents, both in digital and physical formats. It is also planned to expand the methods for restoring access to Gosuslugi accounts, adding options for using biometric data, banking applications, a national messenger, or visiting multifunctional centers (MFCs).

For additional protection against fraudsters, citizens will be given the option to block incoming calls from foreign numbers. If a user chooses not to set a complete ban, such calls will be accompanied by a special label indicating the country of origin of the call.

It should be noted that as of August 1st of the current year, a law is already in effect in Russia that allows citizens to opt out of unsolicited mass mailings. This step is important, as such mailings are often exploited by fraudsters who, under the guise of promotional offers, may distribute fake services or malicious links.