Russian Government Reports Decrease in Digital Crimes Amid Enhanced Anti-Fraud Measures

Strategic Session Addresses Cyber Fraud Landscape

On December 17, 2025, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin led a strategic session focused on combating cyber fraud within the Russian Federation. The meeting underscored the government's ongoing efforts to protect citizens and financial institutions from digital crimes, noting a recent downturn in registered offenses. Prime Minister Mishustin stated that 'measures now in effect have led to a drop in registered digital crimes, something that happened for the first time since July of this year.' Over the past ten months, the overall number of digital crimes has declined by 9.5 percent compared to the same period in 2024, with October 2025 alone seeing a nearly 25 percent reduction from October 2024 levels.

Comprehensive Measures Bolster Cybersecurity

The reported decrease in digital crimes follows the implementation of a comprehensive system designed to counteract cyber fraud. Key initiatives include:

• Call Labeling: New regulations mandate that smartphones identify calling companies for incoming business calls, enhancing transparency and reducing impersonation attempts.
• Foreign Messenger Restrictions: Government agencies, lending organizations, mobile operators, and digital platforms are now prohibited from contacting users via foreign messaging services.
• Enhanced Authentication: Since August 2025, mobile phone operators transmit text messages required for accessing the Government Services website only after phone conversations have concluded, preventing real-time interception.
• Automated Anti-Fraud Systems: Banks have deployed advanced systems that analyze transactions, notify clients of suspicious activities, and terminate unauthorized operations. Last year, these systems prevented over 27 million operations without client consent, nearly doubling the figure from 2024.
• Real-time Fraudulent Call Blocking: Mobile phone operators actively analyze telephone traffic to block fraudulent calls in real-time.

Additionally, President Vladimir Putin signed a law in April 2025 that further restricts the use of foreign messaging apps for state institutions and major digital platforms, and mandates the creation of a state-run information system to track cyber offenders. In November, a law was enacted to increase administrative and criminal penalties for data breaches and the illegal circulation of personal data.

Legislative Reforms and New Systems Target Cybercriminals

Further legislative reforms, approved on February 10, 2025, have introduced stricter penalties for cybercrimes. These include prison sentences of up to 15 years for hacking and data theft, and up to 12 years for large-scale cyber fraud. The reforms also allow for the seizure of assets, including cryptocurrencies, and prohibit convicted offenders from working in IT, finance, or government roles for a decade post-release. Financial institutions have been granted the authority to freeze suspicious accounts within hours of detection.

A significant development is the establishment of the Anti-Fraud integral state information system, which will facilitate cooperation among banks, mobile phone operators, digital platforms, and law enforcement agencies. This system, approved by Prime Minister Mishustin in August 2025, is slated for a full-scale launch by March 1, 2026. In October 2025, Prosecutor General Alexander Gutsan announced the creation of a unified database of 'digital traces' of cybercriminals, containing data on over 6 million phone numbers, bank accounts, and websites linked to cybercrime.

Addressing the Broader Cyber Threat

Despite the recent decline, cybercrime remains a significant challenge in Russia, accounting for an estimated 40% of all reported crimes and resulting in losses of 'hundreds of billions of rubles.' In 2024, fraudsters stole a record 27.5 billion rubles ($300 million) from Russian bank accounts, marking a 74.4% increase from the previous year. The government continues to draft new legislative packages to enhance the speed of combating and investigating digital crimes, aiming to further prevent scamming incidents and protect the public.