Almost 1.5 billion rubles were stolen from Nizhny Novgorod residents by remote scammers.

      On June 22, 2026, at 09:42, Incidents: In the Nizhny Novgorod region, a third of all registered crimes are attributed to remote offenses. This was reported by the Deputy Head of the Department for Combating IT Fraud, Colonel of Police Sergey Barinov, during a briefing.

      In the first five months of 2026, the region recorded 2,344 frauds and thefts committed remotely. Compared to the same period last year, their number has decreased by a third. The police attribute this trend to changes in legislation and measures taken by law enforcement officers.

      The region employs the practice of holding accountable those involved in "dropper" activities—transferring SIM card and bank account data to outsiders. Algorithms are also used to identify those involved in IT thefts. Since the beginning of the year, 217 individuals have been brought to criminal responsibility.

      Despite the decrease in the number of crimes, the overall damage continues to rise. Over the course of five months, it amounted to almost 1.5 billion rubles. Criminals are increasingly exploiting software vulnerabilities in computers and smartphones, as well as new aggressive social engineering methods.

      "Often, the victims themselves create conditions for crimes through their thoughtless actions or naive trust in appeals from strangers, transferring personal data or directly handing over money under any pretext," noted Sergey Barinov.

      Earlier, Nizhny Novgorod residents were informed why teenagers and elderly people are more likely to become victims of fraud. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials for 18+.