During a live broadcast in Gostiny Dvor, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about the measures planned to be taken against phone scammers. In 2024, their activity reached its peak: according to Sberbank specialists, in February-March, about 20 million attempts to call Russian citizens per day were recorded.
According to the President, "Russian banks have learned to issue loans and issue them almost instantly." But at the same time, they do not always check the solvency of Russians applying for loans and do not always check whether scammers are taking out loans under other people's names.
What is happening now is very alarming, because the amount of this fraud is off the charts. Recently, there was a Sber event where German Oskarovich [German Gref, Chairman of the Board of PJSC Sberbank, — ed.] reported and said that throughout the banking system, from citizens' accounts only from the territory of Ukraine, where this fraudulent activity has been elevated to the rank of state policy, where specialists work under the control of special services, entire centers for extorting money from Russian citizens — only from this direction, more than 250 billion rubles were extorted. This is becoming a serious scale. [...] And, of course, we need to discipline this situation. We need to pay serious attention to this. For example, let them issue loans up to 50 thousand rubles online, immediately, and from 50 to 200 thousand rubles — people should be given several hours to check something additionally and make a final decision. Well, 200 thousand or more — this [loan processing process, — ed.] definitely needs to be stretched out over several days.
Putin noted that the issues of protecting the population from scammers are actively discussed in the State Duma and the Central Bank, and measures will be taken against banks that issue unsecured loans. It is also planned to tighten the punishment for intermediaries of scammers who open bank cards for them. Funds from gullible Russians flow into these ordinary unremarkable cards, and then the scammers calmly withdraw them. The President of Russia proposes to equate these intermediaries with accomplices in fraud and tighten their responsibility before the law.
Scammers have not yet called Vladimir Putin personally. However, there are people in his circle who have received such calls.
But now, as soon as they hear an unfamiliar voice and some suggestions related to some actions in the end, they immediately hang up. I highly recommend that all citizens of the country do exactly the same.
Putin also answered the question of whether it is planned to include fraudulent call centers in Ukraine in the list of priority targets for destruction with weapons due to their harmfulness. The President gave a negative answer.
No. The list of priority targets includes military facilities and facilities of the military-industrial complex, these may also be decision-making centers. But we will not waste ammunition on these centers, it is useless. It is necessary to make appropriate decisions within Russia, in the relevant authorities, in the Central Bank, in the Government of the Russian Federation and in the internal affairs bodies.
"First Technical" is following Putin's live broadcast for you and is conducting a text broadcast.
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