Scammers have come up with a new scheme to deceive Russians by offering them assistance in obtaining a loan from a microfinance organization (MFI) without undergoing biometric identification. This was reported by the Department for Combating Illegal Use of Information and Communication Technologies of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.
Law enforcement officials reminded that the rules for issuing online microloans in Russia changed on March 1. Now MFIs are required to verify the borrower's identity using the Unified Biometric System.
Fraudsters call potential victims and offer them to bypass this requirement. Scammers claim to know a loophole on how to get money quickly. They persuade the user to transfer a small amount up to 1500 rubles, allegedly for "activating the contract and guarantee."
In fact, this is a common money scam. After transferring such a commission, you will not receive any loan.
The department emphasized that no bank or MFI takes an advance payment for a "guarantee" of issuing a loan. Security officials asked Russians not to transfer funds to intermediaries, to check information about the organization in the Central Bank register, and to apply for a loan only on the official website. If someone promises to "bypass the system" for a reward, this is definitely a scam, the Ministry of Internal Affairs concluded.
