Russian Court Bans Advertising for Renting and Selling Third-Party Bank Cards
The Chertanovsky District Court of Moscow has declared information about the rental and sale of third-party bank cards prohibited for distribution in Russia. The ruling covers one website and two Telegram channels that actively offered users the opportunity to temporarily hand over their cards or sell them outright.
According to the press service of the Moscow courts, such proposals violate the rights and legitimate interests of citizens. The owners of the resources could not be identified, and the domain name registrars turned out to be foreign companies. The court satisfied the administrative claims and recognized the published information as banned for distribution within Russia.
These advertisements are typically used to recruit drops — individuals whose cards and bank accounts are employed to receive, transfer, and cash out stolen money. Scheme organizers promise card owners safe earnings and assure them that no problems will arise. In reality, issues primarily affect the formal account holder.
VTB warned about such schemes as early as 2024. A person who transfers their card may be added to bank blacklists, lose normal access to financial services, and become a defendant in a criminal case. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has also reminded citizens that transferring bank cards and accounts to outsiders can result in criminal liability.
Fraudsters are especially active in targeting children and teenagers by luring them with quick payouts. If stolen funds pass through a rented card, police will first approach the individual whose name is printed on the card rather than the anonymous Telegram curator.
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