Fraudsters have stolen 562 million from Kirov residents through new schemes.

      Since the beginning of 2026, 1,693 residents of the Kirov region have fallen victim to remote thefts. Over the past week, 51 more victims have been added. The total damage during this period has reached 562.4 million rubles (+35 million rubles over the week). This data was provided by the press service of the regional prosecutor's office.

      Fraudsters, as noted by the supervisory agency, operate using tried-and-true but increasingly complex schemes. The criminals pose as employees of the prosecutor's office, the FSB, the tax service, the Central Bank, the "Gosuslugi" portal, the post office, and energy suppliers. In addition to mobile phones, messengers are actively used for communication. To confirm their "affiliation" with these structures, the scammers send victims photographs of fake IDs and certificates.

      Moreover, third parties often get involved. They act as couriers: personally collecting money from the victims and handing over fake documents in return, which creates an illusion of legality for the victims.

      Particular concern is raised by the use of artificial intelligence technologies. As reported by the prosecutor's office, during the commission of crimes, fraudsters often substitute their image or voice, including using the voice of a close relative of the victim.

      The prosecutor's office of the Kirov region is taking measures to protect citizens' rights. In the interests of socially vulnerable victims of remote thefts, 591 lawsuits have been filed to recover funds from the account holders to whom money was transferred (+17 over the week). Another 30 lawsuits have been filed to declare invalid the loan agreements concluded by the victims under the influence of deception (+5 over the week).

      The agency urges residents of the region to be vigilant: "With each passing time, fraudsters resort to new tricks to swindle your savings," the prosecutor's office emphasizes.

      Citizens are reminded: if a caller on the phone or in a messenger demands that you transfer money, claims to be an employee of a government agency, or refers to a relative in trouble, it is necessary to end the conversation and call your relatives or official authorities back yourself. Artificial intelligence can imitate a voice, but it does not negate the simple rule: a real employee never requests transfers to third-party accounts. A Kirov resident wanted to go on a date but ended up losing 76,000 rubles. "Safe scanning": a family from Kirov lost 6.4 million rubles. The prosecutor recovered 80,000 rubles from a Siberian dropper for the benefit of a deceived Kirov pensioner.