The droppers issue multiple cards to help scammers withdraw money.
Photo: Shutterstock.
The Interior Ministry has sent the government a draft law on the criminal liability of droppers. These are front men who perform tasks for criminals, including telephone fraudsters. In most cases, these people are involved in the withdrawal and collection of stolen funds.
“It is proposed to define this activity as a crime of moderate gravity, and in some cases as a serious crime,” Danil Filippov, deputy head of the investigation department of the Russian Interior Ministry, said on Wednesday.
These are real and long sentences, up to 10-15 years in prison. At the same time, according to bankers, more than 100 thousand people are involved in droppership in some way. And, as a rule, they are young people, aged 14-24.
“I lost my card, I wrote down the PIN code on it”
Fraudsters use these people for different purposes. First of all, to open accounts and cards in banks. It is to them that victims send money, thinking, for example, that they are transferring funds to a “safe account at the Central Bank” (a common legend among fraudsters). After that, the money is sent further away to confuse the tracks or is withdrawn in cash from an ATM. And then they are handed over to the fraudsters.
On average, droppers apply for several dozen cards from different banks (see chart). But there are also one-offs. The record case identified by the authorities is 1,608 cards from one dropper. And the motivation here is obvious. For every letter opened, the dropper receives money.
As a rule, card opening services cost from 5 to 15 thousand rubles. It all depends on the region. Many droppers believe that there is nothing special about this. You can always say that you lost your card, but the PIN code was written on it. Now there is practically no liability for such a crime, but if the new law is passed, it will become a criminal offense.
“Part of a criminal chain”
It is advisable for fraudsters to confuse their tracks as much as possible. Therefore, the money stolen from victims is often transferred several times between different transit accounts. But in the end it is still withdrawn in cash. Because it is impossible to trace its further path. And for this purpose, droppers are used.
“These people realize that they are committing an illegal act, open accounts to withdraw the stolen money, withdraw the stolen funds themselves and transfer the cash to third parties, keeping a percentage for themselves. Or, on the orders of unknown persons, they take cash from victims who believed in the legend about a “safe” account and then deposit it through an ATM to the specified data. All these people are part of a criminal chain, because they are involved in the collection of stolen money and bear responsibility, including criminal liability,” Vadim Uvarov, director of the information security department of the Bank of Russia, explained in an interview with KP.
If in the case of a passive cashier who simply handed over his card to other people, there is still a chance that the young man did not understand that he was helping the scammers, then in the case of an active cashier the intention is obvious.
– I had my own curator who sent me addresses. I arrived and the already deceived victims gave me everything. Then I went to the nearest ATM and sent money to the details they had given me earlier,” said one of the detainees arrested in Samara last year.
These couriers work with droppers for a cut of the stolen amount. Usually, you get 5-10%. And given that some of the scammers’ “checks” amount to millions of rubles, the fee in this case is decent. A nice increase for a scholarship or a small salary in the region. But… for now.
Scammers look for extremes
In essence, when attracting easy money, criminals are looking for, in a nutshell, a “scapegoat”. That is, someone who will play the role of “last resort” in case something goes wrong. And many people have to play this role. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the police arrest thousands of young droppers across the country every year. In addition, criminals use them not only to commit financial fraud, but they can also be involved in drug-related and extremist schemes. These accomplices have previously been imprisoned for theft or fraud, and now the punishment for them can be even harsher.
BY THE WAY
This is no place for teenagers.
The State Duma wants to protect at least minors from these risks. They do not yet have enough life experience. Therefore, they often end up in such networks, trying to make a lot of money on them. Russians can open their own bank accounts and receive cards from the age of 14, immediately after receiving a passport. The deputies want to complicate this process. And make it so that a teenager can open a bank account only with the consent of his parents. Then it is unlikely that a minor will be able to get dozens of cards. For payments in the school canteen, a piece of plastic is enough. If suddenly the offspring wants to have more, the parents will naturally start asking questions.
The bill passed its first reading in the summer. It is expected to be adopted in the fall session.
GRAPHICS
How many cards do droppers usually design?
Up to 10 cards 41%
From 10 to 50 cards 53%
More than 50 cards 6%
According to Sber’s investigation.
