Where to contact about online fraud

In accordance with Art. 159.6 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, theft or acquisition of rights to someone else’s property by deleting, entering, modifying or blocking computer information, as well as other interference in the functioning of information and telecommunication networks is interpreted as fraud, for which criminal liability is provided. But this does not stop criminals who create Internet resources with the aim of deceiving citizens and are constantly developing new algorithms for misappropriating their personal data and personal funds.

Internet fraud schemes

At the moment, the following schemes to deceive citizens are used in the virtual network:

• fake online store. In this case, the scammers take an advance payment for the product, but never send it to the buyer, and if they do send it, it is not the one indicated on the website (it may have a similar appearance, but differ in performance characteristics or be a cheaper Chinese analogue) ;
• phishing, when a website is created to capture payment card data. Having received the necessary information, attackers can use the owner’s money by gaining access to the card account;
• fictitious charity. On such an online resource for raising funds for those in need (seriously ill people, victims of natural disasters, etc.), photographs and documents of charitable organizations can be used, but to transfer funds, scammers indicate the details of their current account;
• sites containing content with malicious code that allows access to the user’s computer.

How to prove that money was sent to an online store

Note!

It is imperative to save all payment documents that are related to the order: payment receipts, issued invoices, payment details, checks for payment of delivery from the post office.

If the store does not issue an invoice, but simply provides payment details in personal correspondence, be sure to take a screenshot of these messages. The transfer to the card also needs to be recorded - this can be a check from the terminal, from a bank cash desk, or an account statement if you paid via Internet banking.

When paying, be sure to indicate the purpose of the payment - payment for the product and its exact name, including the article number, if any.

Where to go

A citizen who has encountered fraud on the Internet has the right to file a complaint:

1. To a hosting company.
2. Rospotrebnadzor.
3. Directorate “K” of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
4. The prosecutor's office.
5. Court.

Important!
It will be much easier for victims to get their money back, close the fraudulent resource, and bring the perpetrators to justice if they act not individually, but collectively, while simultaneously filing complaints with regulatory authorities. If the site was created to take over the property of users, then its operation period will be relatively short, and then it will “move” to a new web address. In this regard, the victim should complain about the scammers as soon as possible, especially if he was deceived and lost his money.

Types of Internet fraud

The crime of Internet fraud is based on the theft of money or other property. When committing a crime, the fraudster takes advantage of the victim’s trust or simply deceives her. In some cases, these may be relatives, friends, or work colleagues.

Responsibility for Internet fraud is provided for in Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Punishment under this article ranges from a fine to imprisonment. However, criminal liability does not prevent Internet fraud, and every day its varieties become more and more numerous.

Consider the following types of Internet fraud:

• Internet fraud with bank accounts;
• in online stores;
• using virus programs;
• through phishing.

Let's start with the last type - phishing. Internet fraud is primarily aimed at network users voluntarily alienating their money to criminals. The simplest way is to make the victim believe that the actions are legal. Naivety and inattention leads to the fact that the network user does not see the difference between the official website and its copy created by the criminal. The victim enters personal data, and it directly falls into the hands of the fraudster. The victim is not always able to immediately react to the fact of fraud, and the attacker in most cases manages to steal funds.

Note! Phishing is the spoofing of existing Internet resources in order to deceive users.

Online bank account fraud can occur in other ways. Various tracking and information theft programs allow you to calculate the personal information necessary to manage your account. Even losing a phone is an example of this, since most accounts are directly linked to a mobile number.

Fraud in online stores deserves special attention, as they attract network users to quickly make necessary purchases without leaving their own home. The scam lies in the fact that more and more anonymous online stores are appearing that are not officially registered. You are not provided with the organization’s constituent documents, are not given purchase receipts, and payments are made on trust terms. The victim transfers money to the seller’s bank card, and he disappears. Or, instead of the expected product, he sends a fake or a completely different cheap product.

Internet fraud using virus programs became widespread more than 10 years ago, but has not lost its relevance today. Viruses block the computer's operation and force the victim to transfer fairly large sums of money to the attackers' accounts as the only way to regain access to the personal computer.

Hosting company

If a citizen has enough knowledge to determine which hosting company supports the scam site, then he can try to get the resource closed by filing a claim with its customer support. This can be done through the feedback form, by email, or use any available contact to inform the provider about the illegal actions of his client to whom he provides his services (as a rule, such information can be obtained in the “About” section).

When drawing up a claim, it is important to succinctly describe what the violation of the law is (for credibility, you can even provide references to the norms of the current legislation of the Russian Federation) and provide relevant evidence (reviews of other victims, an extract from a card account about the transfer of funds, etc.).

Attention! Contacting a hosting company is relevant even if the user has encountered fraud on a foreign website, when the norms of Russian legislation cannot be applied.

Where can I contact?

Crimes committed on the Internet are subject to the same penalties as crimes committed in real life. In this case, this is Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Fraud”. Fraudsters may be additionally charged with other offenses:

• illegal business;
• crimes in the field of computer information;
• blackmail;
• extortion, etc.

Each case has its own unique characteristics. Depending on the situation, the victim should contact one of the following units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation:

1. The police are searching for the intruder.
2. The prosecutor's office establishes the guilt of the offender and controls the work of the police.
3. The court determines the preventive measure and decides to return the money to the victim.
4. Directorate “K” (cybersecurity) is a special unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for combating crimes in the field of information technology.
5. Department for Combating Economic Crimes (OBEP) – fights illegal acts in the financial sector.
6. Roskomnadzor is a service for monitoring the IT and mass communications sphere.
7. Virtual payment system support service - if you transferred money to a fraudster to an electronic wallet.
8. Bank hotline - if money has been debited from your account.

Rospotrebnadzor

Obvious fraud during service in an online store (for example, if the buyer received a counterfeit or not the product for which he paid) is a reason to contact Rospotrebnadzor, which is designed to protect consumer rights. Sometimes such violations are not obvious, therefore, if a consumer finds himself in such a situation, it is better to call the Service’s hotline number to clarify what actions of the store can be qualified as fraud and how best to act given the current circumstances. You can complain to Rospotrebnadzor:

• In writing, by sending a complaint against online scammers by mail to the address: 127994, Moscow, Vadkovsky lane, building 18, buildings 5 ​​and 7. The document should be accompanied by materials proving the fact of making a purchase in the online store (for example, a statement on a bank account), and the seller’s refusal to fulfill its obligations.
• Orally at a reception with an authorized official of Rospotrebnadzor, which is held in accordance with the schedule at rospotrebnadzor.ru/feedback/index.php. At your appointment, it is better to take two samples of a claim drawn up according to the following example:

One copy is handed over to the employee of the Department (the second must be returned to the applicant with the date and stamp of acceptance). Reception by the management staff of Rospotrebnadzor is carried out strictly by appointment. You can get detailed information by phone or.

• Electronically via the form petition.rospotrebnadzor.ru/petition/oper_msg_create/. In order for such a complaint to be considered within the period prescribed by law, the user must correctly indicate his personal and contact information, explain what actions of the online store indicate fraud and provide additional materials that can be used to study the situation (this can be done through the “Select” function file"). The text should also indicate all information available to the user that will help identify the owners of the resource (web address, email, any contact information, etc.). Such a complaint will not be considered if it contains only a link to an Internet resource without explaining the circumstances and stating the user’s requirements.

If a citizen does not want to contact the Central Office, he should send an application to his territorial unit using the details on the page https://rospotrebnadzor.ru/region/structure/str_uprav.php.

In what cases should you choose which body to complain to?

As a rule, online scammers operate under fictitious data . But there are times when you know your offender personally, or he doesn’t even try to hide and doesn’t deny what he did.

Court

If there is comprehensive evidence, you can file a claim through the court, bypassing other authorities. The court's decision will largely depend on the accuracy and literacy of the statement of claim. It is better to seek help from a lawyer; it will be difficult for a person without special education to take into account all the nuances.

Important: before going to court, try to resolve the dispute peacefully. Submit your claim by certified mail and keep a copy.

Another case when you need to go to court is fraud on the part of a legal entity (an organization or individual entrepreneur that owns an online store). It is necessary to send a written claim demanding to terminate the contract and return the funds in full. In case of refusal, within the framework of civil proceedings, you can file a claim in court for the protection of consumer rights. If the personal data of the attacker is not known, there is no confirmation of malicious intent, but you want to restore justice, law enforcement agencies will help.

Police

This body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs carries out the initial collection of evidence, identifying the attacker, detaining him and initiating a case. You can file a police report at the police station at your place of residence or at any office convenient for you, in this case it is not important. The investigation must be carried out at the location where the crime was committed.

In the case of Internet fraud, the crime scene is the World Wide Web. These cases are dealt with in Department “K”, and your appeal will be redirected there. Why go to the police if you can immediately write to Department “K”? Practice shows that most appeals from victims are refused consideration due to the fact that they are incorrectly drafted.

A police officer will help you clearly and consistently outline the course of events, eliminate unnecessary details from the statement and indicate points that are important for the investigation. You will be asked for possible evidence and asked to attach it to the document. As a result, you will get a complete and competent statement, which is difficult to compose yourself without experience. Of course, there are templates and samples on the Internet, but fraud takes very different forms, each case is individual.

Prosecutor's office

This body performs supervisory functions. It makes sense to submit an application to the prosecutor's office when it was not possible to exercise your right to protection by the police in the manner provided for in Art. 124, 125, 148 Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation. You can request a review of the actions of the employees of the department you contacted in two cases:

1. if you have been refused to initiate a criminal case due to the lack of corpus delicti, but do not agree with this decision;
2. if a criminal case has been initiated, but the investigative or inquiry authorities are inactive, you are in the dark about the progress of the case.

You can also contact the prosecutor's office if you are faced with fraud by a legal entity. In addition to the lawsuit, the victim can send an application to the prosecutor's office at the place of registration of the individual entrepreneur or company. In your appeal, you ask to check the legality of the organization’s work for fraudulent activities.

Department "K"

This is a special unit of the criminal police to investigate cases related to computer information. Its employees have extensive experience and all the necessary resources to calculate the identity and location of the criminal hiding behind fictitious accounts, websites, emails, and phone numbers. Directorate “K” is one of the most secretive in the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs system.

In what cases should you contact directly here:

• blocking the operating system of a PC or mobile device through special programs demanding money for returning access;
• hacking accounts on social networks, blackmailing and demanding money for returning access;
• theft of information or money from your accounts through malware;
• any fraudulent actions committed on the Internet (sale of non-existent goods, fake charity fees, financial pyramids, etc.).

You can submit an application to the regional Department “K” either in person (at the nearest police station) or online , through the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (section “Accepting applications”, addressee - Department “K”).

Department for Combating Economic Crimes

OEB (OBEP) is a department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation that deals with economic crimes and corruption. It makes sense to write an application to the territorial Department of Economic Security if the subject of fraud on the Internet is a legal entity. OBEP specializes in identifying complex and intricate criminal schemes involving fictitious documentation, fake contracts and shadow accounts.

Common forms of online deception include:

• credit fraud;
• real estate fraud;
• any non-compliance with the contract by a legal entity;
• misappropriation of money by an official through abuse of trust or deception;
• misuse of funds by the management of the organization.

Based on the application, OBEP officers conduct an inspection and make a decision : transfer it to the appropriate authorities to initiate a criminal case or refuse to initiate it.

Fraud on the Internet often occurs on the social network VK or related to Qiwi wallets. Therefore, on our website you can read about these offenses.

Roskomnadzor

This is a special federal service for control in the fields of communications, IT and mass communications. Internet fraud is also within the purview of Roskomnadzor. In what cases does it make sense to contact here:

• if you need to block a malicious site;
• if you need to block a fraudulent community or account on social networks.

Important: appealing to Roskomnadzor is only an additional method of punishment.
Other authorities are involved in detaining the criminal, taking preventive measures and returning funds. You can submit your application through the Unified Government Services Portal or on the official website of Roskomnadzor.

Virtual payment system support service

If you transferred money to the attacker to an electronic wallet (QIWI, WebMoney, Yandex.Money and others), it makes sense to contact the support service of this payment system. This way you can quickly block the fraudster’s wallet so that he does not have time to cash out the money or transfer it to another account. Most likely, the site administration will not provide you with the user’s personal data, but will cooperate with law enforcement agencies if such a request is received in an official form.

Bank hotline

Consideration of a complaint by the police takes some time, and action must be taken immediately. If money was transferred to a criminal from your bank account, call customer support and report what happened. In what cases is it necessary to contact:

• “Phishing” is the theft of your card payment information on phishing sites and fake online stores.
• Purchase from an unscrupulous online store: they received the money and did not send the goods.
• Theft of your card and debiting of funds, payment for purchases.

Important: just in case, you can ask to temporarily block your card to protect your account from even greater losses. For greater efficiency, send a statement of the disputed transaction to the bank, to which attach a copy of your statement to the police.

If bank representatives do not respond or delay solving the problem, it makes sense to contact the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

Directorate “K” of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia

One of the main tasks of Directorate “K” of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia is to combat fraud committed using the Internet and electronic payment systems. In order to obtain a return of funds transferred to the attackers, as well as to block a fraudulent site where illegal activities are carried out, the user can complain to Management “K” in the following ways:

1. At a personal reception with an authorized employee at the reception of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is located at: Moscow, st. Sadovaya-Sukharevskaya, building 11. Its operating hours can be found on the page https://xn--b1aew.xn--p1ai/help/Priemnaja_MVD_Rossii. You can obtain information about the procedure for considering accepted applications received by the Ministry of Internal Affairs by calling an automated telephone number. At the reception, it is better to submit a written complaint about online scammers, which will be transferred to the appropriate department.
2. By letter by Russian Post, sending a written request to the address: 129090, Moscow, st. Sadovaya-Sukharevskaya, building 11. Department “K” should be indicated as the addressee, and it is better to send it by letter with a notification to ensure that it has been delivered to the recipient. In the document compiled, it is important to indicate all the necessary details (web addresses) and any other available information (bank account number where the money was sent, electronic wallet, mobile phone, etc.) that will help identify the owners of the resource.
3. Online through a special form on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation xn--b1aew.xn--p1ai/request_main, where you can indicate exactly to whom the complaint is addressed. The procedure for submitting such an appeal is not particularly different, so the user must accurately indicate his personal data, choose the method of receiving a response and describe as accurately as possible the circumstances that prompted him to seek protection of his rights. In the “Text of appeal” field, you must provide the address of the fraudulent site and any information that can be used to analyze the situation.

Important! A citizen can submit an appeal to his territorial division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, since in any case it will be transferred to the final recipient - to Department “K”.

You can find out the necessary information to file a complaint with the territorial authority on the website xn--b1aew.xn--p1ai/contacts/sites.

How to write an application? Step-by-step instruction

There are no clear requirements for the content of the application ; it is written in free form. But there is a certain structure that must be followed in order for the document to be accepted by the authorized bodies. The application must include:

• “Hat” is the full name of the body (prosecutor’s office, court) where you are submitting the application. If this is a police department, then the application is written to the head, indicating his position. This is where you fill in your passport details and contact information.
• A clear and consistent statement of events that the complainant attributes to fraud. In this part, it is necessary to identify all the persons involved in the case, list the facts, indicating the time and place. Avoid speculation and false information, do not write about your personal attitude towards the criminal and his actions, state your thoughts briefly. Ideally, the document should not occupy more than one A4 sheet.
• When contacting the prosecutor's office, indicate that you do not agree with the actions of the police or ask for an investigation into the fact of the inaction of the investigation.
• Indication of all the data known to you: website address, attacker’s name (even if it’s not real) or nickname, card or e-wallet details, e-mail, phone number, etc.
• References to legislation (Article 159 of the Criminal Code) and other norms relevant in this case. If you are not sure, it is better to limit yourself to general phrases (“Please check”).
• Date, signature of the applicant.
• Appendix – documents explaining the situation.

Do not forget that in an official document you need to maintain a business style of speech, avoid curses and grammatical errors . The application can be written either by hand or typed on a computer and printed, but the signature and date must be filled out in the victim’s own hand.

What can serve as evidence?

Crimes committed on the Internet have their own specifics, but evidence is important here too. Any information about the criminal can form the basis of a check and significantly help the investigation.

• Receipts for payment.
• Statement of your bank account.
• Printing of correspondence and e-mail messages.
• Screenshots of correspondence on social networks.
• Documents received from the swindler, contracts.
• Details of calls and messages by your phone number.
• Photos, videos, hand-made recordings of telephone conversations.
• Any other evidence of interaction with Internet criminals.

What will happen next?

When filing a fraud report, do not forget to take a tear-off coupon with the date, time and reference number (KUSP No.).

Important: the law obliges police officers to accept your application; they have no right to refuse.

The response should arrive by mail within 3-10 days. Based on your appeal, a decision will be made: either to initiate a criminal case, or to refuse to initiate it in the manner provided for in Art. 144, 145, 148 Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation. In case of refusal, you have the right to appeal it to the prosecutor's office. It takes from 3 to 10 days to consider the complaint.

If a police officer behaves inappropriately with you (is rude, uses obscene language, ignores questions, persuades you to withdraw your statement), you have the right to contact the head of this police agency. He is obliged to conduct an internal inspection and bring the police officer who committed violations to disciplinary liability.

For the Economic Security Department, the maximum period for considering applications is 30 days. But due to the large number of violations in the market sphere and the relative difficulty of disclosing them, the Department for Economic Crimes often does not have time to conduct an inspection within the prescribed period. As a result, a so-called “technical refusal” is issued. In this case, you can achieve justice in the prosecutor's office, but time will be lost.

The investigation process itself can drag on for a long time, with the case being redirected from one department to another , with requests to websites, to the bank, and waiting for answers. It is not always easy to find the recipient of the funds, because... Fraudsters can use anonymous domains and wallets registered with someone else’s data.

Prosecutor's office

Fraud, regardless of the form of such activity, is subject to criminal liability, as indicated by certain provisions of the current legislation. In this regard, the user has the right to complain about online scammers to the Prosecutor’s Office even if the claims submitted to the Office “K” and Rospotrebnadzor did not bring the desired result. It can be done:

1. In writing, by sending the completed document to the address of your territorial unit, details of which can be found on the page gov.ru/contacts/map/?DISTR=&SUBJ=. Due to the fact that such an appeal may become the basis for initiating a criminal case, the application should clearly describe the situation, indicate the details of the parties to the conflict (for example, you can write the number of the electronic wallet to which the funds were transferred) and the website address. The envelope can also contain additional materials that can be used during the investigation.
2. At a personal reception held by the prosecutors on duty. You can obtain information about their operating hours directly from your territorial unit, where you can also make an appointment if this is a prerequisite for submitting an application in person. During the visit, you will need to present your passport, provide known information about the fraudulent site and, if possible, provide evidence that will allow you to conclude that illegal activity is taking place.
3. Online by submitting an electronic complaint to your territorial unit. But this can only be done if such a function is available to residents of the region (as a rule, this option is located on the right in the vertical menu). In particular, this opportunity is provided to residents of Moscow, who can submit claims electronically via the link mosproc.ru/ipriem/iemail.php. After describing the facts that, in the opinion of the victim, indicate obvious fraud, it is worth attaching to the form any electronic documents that indicate criminal activity by the owners of the Internet resource.

How to file a police report?

As such, there are no samples or templates for statements about Internet fraud. The statement to the police is submitted in any form. The condition regarding the reporting of personal information is important. Anonymous applications will not be accepted for consideration.

In general, the application is a document addressed to the head of the police department. Therefore, the introductory part of the application contains an indication of the name of the territorial unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, as well as its head.

In the text of the statement, the victim describes the fact of Internet fraud and asks that the perpetrators be held accountable. The statement of fraud provides an indication of the date of its preparation, and is signed personally by the applicant.

It is also possible to contact the police department in person with an oral statement. As a rule, a law enforcement officer independently, but under your dictation, draws up a written statement of fraud. After drawing up the application, you must read it carefully, sign it and add: “In my words, it was drawn up correctly. I have read it."

Otherwise, you have the right to determine the content of your complaint or incident report yourself; you do not need a sample fraud statement. Applications to the police are accepted around the clock, without holidays or weekends.

Court

The main goal pursued by citizens who are faced with online fraud is to recover lost funds, which is primarily relevant for situations with online stores, where fakes and counterfeits are sold under the guise of high-quality or original products. But the initiator of the lawsuit may not only be the applicant who has suffered certain financial losses. If he previously contacted the Prosecutor's Office, then after studying the facts provided, it can act as the prosecution in a criminal case. But even in this case, a citizen can file a claim for monetary compensation for his losses (including moral damage).

Fraudsters can only be sued if their identities have been established during the investigation. This is the main problem of such processes: not being able to establish who is carrying out illegal activities, the Prosecutor's Office cannot hold them accountable, and the victim is deprived of the opportunity to recover monetary compensation or moral damages.

Deception on social networks: VKontakte, Facebook, Odnoklassniki

Social networks have become an inextricable part of the Internet and everyday life. They provide not only communication options, but also business options. Bank accounts of the user are linked to personal pages on social networks, who can make cashless purchases.

However, social networks provide unlimited opportunities for online fraud. They allow the scammer to interact with hundreds of thousands of users at the same time.

Popular types of fraud include fundraising for the treatment of seriously ill people. Groups appear on social networks to support the patient, and invoices are issued to transfer financial assistance. The Internet does not allow one to reliably verify the documents of a patient in need of help, so charity is based solely on the user’s trust. Thus, in the case of fraud, the criminal, without much effort, enriches himself within a short period of time at the expense of users imbued with misfortune, and then spends the collected funds at his own discretion.

Inexperienced users of social networks often fall for deception and have their profiles blocked by the administration. A letter is sent to the mail demanding payment for the possibility of further use of the account. Attackers can also send calls to social networks to download this or that program under reasonable pretexts. In fact, it is a virus or other malware.

Fraud is particularly vile when the criminal introduces himself as a friend of a relative of the user and reports about an incident and the need for financial assistance. Users do not always check the information received and, in a panic attack, transfer money to the attacker to help a loved one.

Every user of social networks can become a victim of fraud, but this does not mean the need to completely abandon their use.

The legislative framework

To file a complaint against online scammers, you should rely on the following legislation:

1. Civil Code of the Russian Federation N 14-FZ dated January 26, 1996. (as amended on March 28, 2017).
2. Criminal Code of the Russian Federation N 63-ФЗ dated June 13, 1996. (as amended on July 18, 2017).
3. Federal Law "On the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation" N 2202-1-F dated January 17, 1992. (as amended on July 29, 2017).
4. Federal Law “On Police” No. 3-FZ dated 02/07/2011. (ed. dated July 29, 2017).
5. Federal Law “On the procedure for considering appeals from citizens of the Russian Federation” No. 59-FZ dated May 2, 2006. (ed. 03.11.2015).

Rules of digital hygiene