Published on: 2026-10-16
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
In situations where money is urgently needed, people often turn to banks or microfinance organizations. However, a lack of knowledge in the financial sphere makes them victims of fraudsters. Experts of the project “Call me back yourself” We studied the most common types of fraud and prepared recommendations for safely arranging loans. Now residents can not only receive financial assistance but also protect their money and property.
“Situations in life can be different, and sometimes we really have to borrow money. But it is precisely in such moments, when funds are needed immediately and there is no time to study offers, that scammers most often operate. They disguise themselves with legal schemes, posing as pawnshops, commission shops, or leasing companies. A person is confident that they are taking out a regular loan, but in reality they sign papers that could cause them to lose their only car or family jewelry. It is also worth noting that the fraudsters often take out loans using someone else’s passport data: they get the cash, while the obligations and damaged credit history remain with the document owner. That is why it is worth periodically checking your credit history and activating a self-prohibition on new loans. If a company offers an “attractive loan” secured by collateral but is not on the official list of the Bank of Russia, it is better to refuse immediately. Checking the license on the website of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (CB RF) takes only a couple of minutes but helps avoid loss of property and time spent in courts,” said Valentina Shilina, project manager of “Call Back Yourself.”
Main fraud schemes
A common scam scheme involves taking out loans using someone else’s passport details and TIN. The owner of the documents only learns about the debt when the record already appears in their credit history, while the money ends up with the fraudster. To avoid becoming a victim of such a situation, experts from the “Call Yourself Back” project advise regularly checking your credit history. They recommend requesting a report twice a year from the credit history bureau (CHB). This helps to timely notice suspicious inquiries and obligations registered under a person’s name.
An additional protective measure is a self-ban on obtaining credits and loans. It can be set up through the public services portal or at the centers of “My documents This function blocks the possibility for fraudsters to secretly take out loans in someone else’s name at banks and microfinance organizations.
If the creditor still issues the money despite the prohibition, they will not be able to demand its return: by law, the citizen is fully released from such debt. A detailed instruction on setting up a self-ban can be found on the project’s website “Call me back yourself”.
Another common trick is providing money while misleading the borrower about the loan disbursement procedure. Deliberately unfavorable terms are especially common in microloans. The customer is not explained the full cost of the credit, the amount of overpayment and penalties is concealed, and the contract includes clauses that are clearly disadvantageous for the borrower. Signing such a contract without assessing one’s financial capabilities leads to debt dependency. A burdensome deal can be declared invalid in court, but experts recommend carefully studying all contract terms before signing and not agreeing to offers whose meaning is not fully clear.
Among the common fraudulent schemes in the field of consumer lending secured by movable property, experts highlight the issuance of a loan under a storage contract. In this case, an illegal lender offers the client a loan disguised as a “security payment.” In exchange for movable property — for example, a gold chain or jewelry serving as the collateral — the company gives the client money. After receiving the funds, the borrower is obliged to return the loan amount along with a storage fee, which actually represents interest. Illegal lenders set very high interest rates, and at the slightest payment delay, they can liquidate the pledged property, keeping all the proceeds for themselves, experts of the “Call Yourself Back” project remind.
Another fraudulent scheme is the issuance of a loan disguised as a return lease. The client is offered to sell their car to the company under a purchase agreement, and then immediately lease the same car, that is, take it on financial rent. Formally, the person becomes the tenant of their own car, making monthly payments and interest. If all obligations are fulfilled, the car is returned to the client at the end of the lease term. However, if payments are not made, the company has the right to seize the car. The fraudsters in this scheme aim not to recover the debt, but specifically to seize the property.
Caution is also needed with pseudo-consignment shops. Unlike legitimate consignment stores that simply accept goods for sale, some organizations offer the client money for an item with the obligation to buy it back later at an inflated price. In fact, these are consumer loans secured by collateral, but only pawnshops registered with the Bank of Russia are authorized to issue them. If the payment is delayed, the illegal lender will sell the collateral and keep all the proceeds for themselves.
Protection methods
In all the cases listed, before taking out a loan, experts from the “Call Back Yourself” project recommend checking whether the organization has a license from the Bank of Russia. This should be done before entrusting anyone with your savings or taking out a loan. You can check this on the official website Bank of Russia.
Experts also advise checking the Bank of Russia’s warning list. It publishes companies with signs of a financial pyramid, illegal lender, or other illegal market participants. If an organization is on this list, it is prohibited to cooperate with it. In addition, it is important to carefully study the contract terms and check the reliability of the lender. Complaints can be filed with the Bank of Russia against a company not on the list but acting illegally.
As experts from the “Call Back Yourself” project remind us, on the public services portal you can find out in which credit bureau the user’s credit history is located. It is possible to check it in each credit bureau for free twice a year. Additional information — here.
You can learn more about fraudulent schemes in the microfinance sector in material on the “Call Back Yourself” project website.
The informational online project “Call Back Yourself” was created in 2022 by the Government of Moscow in cooperation with the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the city of Moscow. It helps the capital’s residents protect themselves and their loved ones from telephone and internet fraud. The project’s website contains information about upcoming in-person and online events, expert reminders and recommendations, recordings of past webinars, and other useful materials. For users’ convenience, lecture recordings can be watched on the project’s website as well as on the page in the social network “VKontakte” and in Rutube channel.
The main components of the “Call Back Yourself” project are simple and clear expert advice, relevant stories, and a convenient format. At the events, real stories of victims are analyzed, attention is drawn to the techniques used by fraudsters, and guidance is provided on how to behave properly in such situations.
The implementation of the “Call Yourself Back” project contributes to the federal advertising campaign against cyber fraud, which is part of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State”. It is conducted to improve the digital literacy of residents, explain the mechanisms for protection against fraudsters, and reduce the damage from their actions. More details about Russia’s national projects and the capital’s contribution can be found at special page.
Get the main news promptly in the official Moscow city channels on messengers “Max” and “Telegram”.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.