Fraud Prevention

In 2024, overly trusting residents of Sverdlovsk region gave a total of 4.5 billion rubles to fraudsters. In the first two months of 2025, that figure reached another 600 million. Criminals are constantly devising new schemes to extort "our hard-earned money," using the most sophisticated psychological tricks and modern technologies.

Law enforcement agencies in our region are keeping a close eye on this issue. The Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Sverdlovsk Region has a special unit dedicated to combating cybercrime – the Department for Combating the Illegal Use of Information and Communication Technologies.

Deputy Head of the Department, Police Lieutenant Colonel Alexey SHAKLEIN, during a direct line at the editorial office of "Oblastnaya Gazeta," answered questions from "OG" readers and explained how to recognize when you are being called by phone scammers, what new internet fraud schemes Ural residents most often fall for, and how to protect your savings.