The Bank of Russia reported a 20% increase in the number of financial pyramids and other illegal schemes identified in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
According to the regulator, more than 4,000 fraudulent and illegal schemes were detected during this period. Of these, over 88% involved fake investment offerings, with 2,300 online Ponzi schemes uncovered in the first six months of 2025.
“The number of financial pyramids increased by 1.4 times year on year. However, their lifespan has become shorter, and the Bank of Russia is able to detect them much more quickly,” said Ilya Kochetkov, Director of the Non-bank Lending Department.
The data also show that the number of illegal lenders dropped by more than half compared to last year, with authorities identifying over 460 such companies in early 2025. Nearly 1,400 fake brokers were also found operating illegally.
Fraudsters have increasingly created several related schemes under different brands as a tactic to avoid having their websites blocked. From January through June, the Bank of Russia initiated actions to block around 11,000 online resources linked to scammers. About half of these sites shared similar structures.
Law enforcement agencies responded by opening more than 200 administrative cases for illegal consumer loan activities based on information from the Bank of Russia. More than 300 additional response measures were taken during this period.
Further details can be found in analytical materials published by the Bank of Russia.
