The summer wedding rush has attracted scammers who offer quick and queue-free marriage registration. Pyotr Shcherbachenko, Associate Professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, explained that fraudsters demand prepayment for supposedly expedited registration or to resolve bureaucratic formalities.

After receiving the money, the fraudsters provide victims with fake marriage certificates bearing counterfeit seals and signatures, which have no legal force. They are particularly active during the season when couples seek to choose a beautiful date and avoid queues at ZAGS (civil registry offices).

The expert urges people to contact only official bodies and not to trust intermediaries or dubious advertisements. Using a fake document can lead to serious problems when trying to confirm marital status.