In a recent article by RBC on Sberbank's new pilot project to recover stolen funds, Magomed Rakhmatulaev, a criminal law attorney, provided commentary.
As the publication notes, Sberbank has begun holding preventive talks with “droppers” — cardholders through whom stolen funds are withdrawn. After such talks, many of them voluntarily file a statement about an “erroneous” transfer, which allows the money to be returned to the victims without lengthy court proceedings and the involvement of law enforcement agencies.
In his commentary, Magomed Rakhmatulaev drew attention to the key problem with the traditional legal route:
“There is a risk that by the time the court decision is handed down, there will be no money left in the dropper's account.”
This simple but critically important point highlights the main difficulty: while the court proceedings are ongoing, the fraudsters have time to withdraw and cash out the funds, which negates all the efforts of the victim.
The experts in the article agree that a preventive approach is more efficient and rational, especially when it comes to so-called “imaginary” dropers who themselves have become victims of fraud. However, as our lawyer emphasizes, this approach only works as long as there is voluntary consent from the other party.
Read the full article with an analysis of new banking practices at the link.
