Since the beginning of 2026, cybercriminals have swindled more than 242 million from the residents of Kirov.
The prosecutor's office of the Kirov region has reported alarming statistics on digital crimes. Since January 2026, 1,083 residents have fallen victim to criminals operating through the internet and phone. A sad increase occurred in just seven days — 81 people were caught by the fraudsters' bait.
The financial losses for citizens have been colossal. The total amount stolen has exceeded 242 million rubles, with 19.7 million of that amount stolen in just the last week.
Criminals are constantly improving their schemes. Not only are standard stories about "safe accounts" and calls impersonating law enforcement (police, FSB, prosecutor's office, or specialists from "State Services") being used, but now fraudsters have learned to deceive victims' relatives using artificial intelligence. This technology allows them to impersonate a person's voice and convince their loved ones that urgent help is needed.
Additionally, there is an active scheme involving mobile operators. Under the guise of extending a service contract for a number, personal data is extracted from the victims.
Legal mechanisms have been deployed to combat the consequences of the fraud. The prosecutor's office of the Kirov region has already filed 440 lawsuits against so-called "droppers" — people who cash out stolen funds. Another 24 lawsuits concern the recognition of loan agreements as invalid, as many citizens have taken out loans under the psychological pressure of fraudsters.
The supervisory agency urges locals to remain vigilant: criminals are transitioning to new technological methods to deprive people of their savings.
Другие Новости Кирова (НЗК)
Since the beginning of 2026, cybercriminals have swindled more than 242 million from the residents of Kirov.
Residents of the region continue to fall victim to the tricks of criminals in large numbers. Just in the past week, they transferred almost 20 million rubles to scammers, while the criminals actively use neural networks to forge voices.
