Published on: 2026-05-27
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
About five million city residents use the Moscow Metro Card. With it, the capital’s residents have access to free or discounted travel on urban transport,discounts at partnersloyalty programs and much more. At the same time, the Muscovite card is a document confirming the right to benefits: it shows the last name, first name and patronymic of the owner, a photograph is placed, and the card itself can be used as an OMS policy and a unified reader ticket. The Muscovite card is one of the key social projects of the capital.
Fraudsters may call with offers to replace the card, claiming that it can be blocked if the SMS code is not provided, or send fake links to top up the Muscovite card, which grants the right to concessional travel. Experts of the city project“Call back yourself”It was said that in order not to fall for these and other tricks, it is important to independently check the status of your card on the mos.ru portal, not to follow links from suspicious senders, keep the card in a safe place, and not to give it to other people.
“The Muscovite card contains important information about a person that can be used by criminals for selfish purposes. If someone calls with an offer to replace the card, demands the code from an SMS, threatens to block the card, or asks to follow a link to extend the card’s validity period, these are scammers. In case of card loss, it is necessary to submit an online application on mos.ru for its replacement, indicating the reason as ‘loss of the card.’ For complex issues, you can also contact the official group’s private messages on the social network ‘VKontakte,'” Olesya Kuzmina, head of the ‘Muscovite Card’ project, explained.
CheckstatusYou can independently activate your card on the mos.ru portal or by calling the support phone: +7 495 539-55-55. In the capitalDepartment of Information Technologiesalso reminded that to arrangeMuscovite’s cardIt is only possible to do this online on the mos.ru portal, and only certain categories of Moscow residents who are entitled to benefits can obtain it. Any offers to help issue or purchase the card are illegal.
What schemes do scammers use and how to protect yourself from them
Criminals use several typical scenarios. For example, they call cardholders pretending to be social service employees and offer to replace the card, claiming that its expiration date has passed and it will soon be blocked. This should not be believed: if the card’s expiration date really is approaching, it is necessary to filestatementabout card replacement on mos.ru and specify the reason “Expired validity period”. Some privileged categories of Moscow cardholders have accessautomatic card issuance — this means that submitting an application is not required. A notification about the reissue will be sent to the personal account on the mos.ru portal and to the email. The card will be delivered to the selected MFC, and upon its readiness, it will also be deliveredofficial statement. In addition, Moscow card holders can independently check the card issue status, as well as the addresspublic services center, in which it will be delivered, using the service“Verification of the status of an active Muscovite card”on the mos.ru portal.
One more common scheme of deception is when scammers call and ask to provide a code from an SMS, for example, to unblock a card or activate a free ride. In this way, they try to gain access to banking applications or accounts on various resources. It is important to remember thatstatusYou can independently check your card on the mos.ru portal. The service allows you to find out the card’s validity period, the reason, and the date of its termination (including due to unauthorized use).
Track the status of the application, and also view personal benefits on the Muscovite card, also available in the personal account on the mos.ru portal in the section“Documents and Data”(The function is available for holders who received the card after December 1, 2022).
One more scheme used by criminals is mailing on behalf of the official portal mos.ru with phishing links. These emails suggest going to a fake page to top up the Muscovite’s card in order to save preferential travel. Opening such links is dangerous: they can be used to steal user data, including passwords.
Project Experts“Call back yourself”They recommend sticking to simple rules. First, never click on links from unknown senders. Second, if the address seems familiar but raises doubts, it is worth checking it. To do this, you need to go to mos.ru and compare the spelling of the links in the browser: check if the domain name matches, if there are no strange characters at the end of the sent link, and if the connection is secure (whether there is a lock or shield icon to the left of the address in the address bar).
In addition, it is important to keep the card in a safe place and not to transfer it to third parties. Only the holder may use the card, otherwise it can indeed be blocked.
Informational online project“Call back yourself”Created in 2022 by the Government of Moscow jointly with the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the city of Moscow. It helps the residents of the capital protect themselves and their loved ones from telephone and internet scams. The project’s website contains information about upcoming offline and online events, as well as available memos and expert recommendations, enrollment alreadyof the past webinarsand other useful materials. For the convenience of users, lecture recordings can be viewed on the project website, as well as on the social network page“VKontakte”and in the channel atRutube. On the website of the “Call Back Yourself” project, simple and clear advice from experts and relevant stories are available. At the events, real cases of victims are analyzed, attention is drawn to the methods used by fraudsters, and they also explain how to behave correctly in such a situation.
Map of a MuscoviteA personalized plastic card that allows the user to take advantage of city support measures: free or discounted transport fares, discounts and special offers from program loyalty partners, free admission to museums for schoolchildren and college students. In addition, the card can be used to mark attendance at project sessions “Moscow longevity“, to borrow books from the library, to use the capital’s social taxi, and much more. About one million people receive the Moscow resident card annually. Since 2001, more than 32 million cards have been issued.
You can learn more about the Muscovite map in the official project group on the social network“VKontakte”, on the project’s channel in“Makse”, as well as from the mini-series“Moscow in Digital”.
Creation, development, and operation of electronic government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services and electronic forms, corresponds to the objectives of the national project“Economy of Data and Digital Transformation of the State”and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital State Management.” More about the national project of Russia and the contribution of the capital can be found atspecial page.
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