The government’s operational headquarters for combating cyber fraud has approved at its first meeting new scenarios to counter online crime. The measures will be implemented through the Anti-Fraud state information system (SIS). Under the new scenarios, users could have their remote banking services temporarily blocked if a threat is detected. Other measures under discussion include tighter requirements for concluding telecoms service agreements remotely. All these measures are intended to further reduce the number of online crimes. The problem, however, is that up to 40% of losses remain outside official reporting, distorting the data used to assess the fight against cybercrime
‘Fraudsters keep changing their schemes and rapidly adapting to new conditions. So, our countermeasures must work proactively,’ Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko said, according to a statement from his office following the meeting.
The operational headquarters for combating cyber fraud was established in early July to identify fraudulent schemes and develop measures to counter online crime, including within the Anti-Fraud SIS.
‘The task of the operational headquarters is to pool the efforts of the government and business to counter online criminals. Federal agencies, including law enforcement bodies, the Central Bank, as well as businesses such as telecoms operators, banks and digital platforms, have joined its work,’ the government message pointed out.
The cabinet has described the establishment of the operational headquarters as ‘one of the government’s comprehensive initiatives aimed at combating cyber fraud’.
The newly approved scenarios are noted to make it possible to prevent fraudsters from using SIM cards, bank cards and important user accounts. ‘For example, if an operator sends the Anti-Fraud system a signal that a SIM card has fallen into the hands of a criminal, remote banking services linked to that number are suspended for 24 hours. This prevents a fraudster possessing the SIM card from using it to authenticate in banking apps, transfer funds or take out loans,’ the government explained.
Another approved measure is to notify participants in the Anti-Fraud SIS when a subscriber terminates a telecoms contract. The new scenarios are intended to prevent cybercriminals from using bank cards, SIM cards and accounts
Russian authorities have been regularly stepping up their fight against online crime. Last year, the first legislative package of about 30 measures to combat telephone and cyber fraud, known as Anti-Fraud 1.0, was adopted. It includes a number of features including automatic caller identification for calls from organisations, a waiting period between messages when a password is changed on Gosuslugi (Translator’s note: a centralized platform for accessing federal, regional, and municipal public services), a ban on government agencies and banks making calls through messaging apps and the option for individuals to block spam calls and SMS messages themselves. The Anti-Fraud SIS was introduced as part of the first package of measures against cyber fraud and launched in March 2026. The platform brings together government agencies and commercial organisations and is designed to enable the rapid exchange of data to counter online crime. As of June this year, 12 organisations had been connected to the system, including Gosuslugi platform, the largest banks and telecoms operators
At the end of June, Russia adopted a second package of measures against digital fraud under the title Anti-Fraud 2.0. It limits individuals to 20 bank cards, introduces an emergency button on Gosuslugi for reporting fraud and allows subscribers to impose a self-ban on receiving international calls.
A third package of measures against cyber fraud Anti-Fraud 3.0 is currently under development. Interfax, with a reference to a source, reported that 14 measures had already been agreed upon and formed the basis of a draft law scheduled to come into force in 2028. Some of the measures concern the distribution of SIM cards.
In particular, the draft law proposes banning the distribution of SIM cards with an initial balance. Telecoms operators would not be allowed to credit money to a subscriber’s personal account to be paid for communication services before a service agreement has been concluded. The sale of SIM cards registered in another person’s name would also be banned. Requirements for subscriber identification would be tightened, including for contracts entered into remotely. A telecoms contract would be possible only after biometric identification of the subscriber.
Other proposals include banning individuals from selling SIM cards. Telecoms service agreements could be concluded only by legal entities and sole proprietors. Telecoms operators would also be required to monitor whether subscribers exceed the permitted number of SIM cards. Operators could additionally be required to retain for three years information on the network addresses and ports of both the subscriber and operator used when concluding a mobile communication agreement.
Owners of websites that allow users to register or log in would be required to retain information on user registration, authentication and termination of registration and provide it to government agencies responsible for operational and search activities or security.
Disclosed statistics prove measures to combat online crime to be effective. Over the past six months, the number of cybercrimes fell by 30% year on year, from 371,400 to 252,900, as reported by the Ministry of Digital Development. The ministry also noted that the number of online fraud cases fell by 90,000 last year when Anti-Fraud 1.0 was adopted.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, total losses from cybercrime in 2025 amounted to about RUB 195 bln, down 4% from the previous year. The number of cybercrimes fell by 1.8%, as reported by Andrey Khrapov, deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. He attributed part of the decline to the legislative package adopted last year.
‘As we can see, every measure adopted to restrict communications, fraudulent transactions, accounts and the ability to withdraw money reduces criminals’ opportunities,’ he said.
According to the Central Bank, Russian banks prevented the theft of RUB 1.8 trln in the first quarter of 2026, while individuals’ financial losses fell by 10.2% compared with the previous quarter.
Experts believe that losses from digital fraud may be even higher, partly because many victims never report the crime. By the end of 2025, the total amount stolen from Russians by cyber fraudsters may have reached RUB 300 bln, according to an estimate by Stanislav Kuznetsov, deputy chairman of the management board at Sber. The primary reason for varying figures lies in different calculation procedures. The regulator counts only fraudulent transactions carried out through banking apps. Law enforcement agencies rely on reports filed by victims. A whole range of fraud schemes remains outside the official statistics since they do not necessarily involve a bank transfer. According to the bank’s estimates, between 30% and 40% of total losses are excluded from any official reporting.
ORIGINAL: NG/Citizens to Be Protected from Cyber Threats Proactively
