ECONOMIC CRIMES IN RUSSIAN CONDITIONS: FEATURES, CONSEQUENCES AND WAYS OF PREVENTION

Economic crimes pose one of the most serious threats to the stability and development of the Russian Federation, as they undermine the foundations of economic activity and harm the state budget, businesses, and the interests of citizens. These illegal activities include a wide range of acts, such as fraud, embezzlement, illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, money laundering, and corruption schemes, which are often disguised as legitimate economic activity [1].

In the context of the digitalization of the economy, globalization, and external sanctions, economic crimes are evolving, becoming more sophisticated, organized, and transnational, requiring the state to continually improve its mechanisms for identifying, preventing, and suppressing such violations. According to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, economic crimes are classified in Section VIII, which provides for liability for crimes against property, in the sphere of economic activity, and against the interests of service in commercial and other organizations [2]. For example, Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code defines fraud as the theft of another's property through deception or abuse of trust, while Article 171 defines illegal entrepreneurship as conducting activities without registration or a license that cause significant damage. These crimes are characterized by high latency, meaning many remain hidden because victims do not always report them to law enforcement, and criminals employ complex schemes involving offshore companies, cryptocurrencies, and proxies.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of such crimes, associated with the development of online commerce and financial technologies, where fraudsters exploit the vulnerabilities of digital platforms for phishing, pyramid schemes, and data manipulation. The legislative framework for combating economic crimes in Russia is based on the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, as well as special federal laws, such as the Federal Law "On Combating Corruption" of December 25, 2008 No. 273-FZ and the Federal Law "On Combating the Legalization (Laundering) of Criminally Obtained Incomes and the Financing of Terrorism" of August 7, 2001 No. 115-FZ [3]. The key strategic document is the Strategy for Economic Security of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030, approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 13, 2017 No. 208, which identifies the main threats, including corruption, the shadow economy and external economic challenges, and proposes measures to neutralize them, such as deoffshorization of capital, strengthening control over financial flows and the development of innovative technologies for monitoring [4]. In addition, in 2025, a government commission approved a bill to increase fines for economic crimes by 1.5–5 times, which is aimed at increasing the deterrent effect of punishments, since current fines have lost their effectiveness due to inflation and economic changes. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of such crimes associated with the development of online commerce and financial technologies, where fraudsters exploit the vulnerabilities of digital platforms for phishing, creating pyramid schemes, or manipulating data. The legislative framework for combating economic crimes in Russia is based on the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, as well as special federal laws, such as the Federal Law "On Combating Corruption" of December 25, 2008, No. 273-FZ, and the Federal Law "On Combating the Legalization (Laundering) of Criminally Obtained Incomes and the Financing of Terrorism" of August 7, 2001, No. 115-FZ [3]. The key strategic document is the Strategy for Economic Security of the Russian Federation through 2030, approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 208 of May 13, 2017, which identifies the main threats, including corruption, the shadow economy, and external economic challenges, and proposes measures to neutralize them, such as deoffshorization of capital, strengthening control over financial flows, and the development of innovative technologies for monitoring [4]. Furthermore, in 2025, a government commission approved a bill to increase fines for economic crimes by 1.5–5 times, which is aimed at enhancing the deterrent effect of punishments, since current fines have lost their effectiveness due to inflation and economic changes.

The Main Directorate for Economic Security and Anti-Corruption (GUEBiPK) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, established in 2011 on the basis of the former units for combating the theft of socialist property and tax crimes, plays a leading role in the practical fight against economic crimes. Its functions include identifying threats to economic security, conducting operational investigative activities, conducting inspections, preventing corruption, protecting property, and international cooperation in combating cross-border crime. GUEBiPK coordinates the work of regional units of the OEBiPK, which conduct operational activities such as analyzing financial statements, monitoring bank transactions, and raids on enterprises [5]. Other key bodies include the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, responsible for investigating serious economic crimes, the Prosecutor General's Office, which oversees compliance with laws in the economic sphere, and the Federal Security Service (FSB), which focuses on crimes threatening national security, such as the financing of terrorism through economic channels [6]. Rosfinmonitoring plays a vital role in combating money laundering by analyzing suspicious transactions and blocking accounts. For clarity, here's a table of the main agencies involved in combating economic crime:

Table 1.

The main agencies involved in combating economic crimes

Economic crime statistics in Russia demonstrate a steady increase in damages and the number of detected cases, indicating the relevance of the problem. According to data for January-October 2025, damages from such crimes exceeded 266.2 billion rubles, 20% more than for the same period in 2024 and the highest figure since 2023 [1]. During this period, 88,700 economic crimes were detected, 68.7% of which were serious and especially serious [2].

In 2024, 105,437 such crimes were registered, a 0.2% increase compared to the previous year [4]. Trends include an increase in digital fraud, where criminals use fake websites and apps to deceive citizens, as well as an increase in corruption in public procurement and tax evasion among small businesses [7]. Regional leaders in the number of economic crimes are Krasnodar Krai and Samara Oblast, where embezzlement of public funds is frequently recorded [8]. A statistical table is provided to illustrate the dynamics:

Table 2.

Dynamics of economic crimes

Examples of economic crimes in 2024-2025 include high-profile cases such as banking fraud, where a group of individuals created fictitious loan agreements for fictitious borrowers, causing billions of rubles in damages to banks; tax evasion by large companies by underreporting income through offshore schemes, which resulted in hundreds of millions in budget shortfalls; embezzlement of funds in commercial organizations, such as when managers appropriated corporate assets under the guise of fictitious contracts; commercial bribery, as in the case of officials receiving bribes for favorable decisions in construction tenders; and money laundering through cryptocurrency platforms, where criminal proceeds were converted into digital assets to conceal their origins [9]. One high-profile case involves the theft of funds from a pension fund, in which officials manipulated investments, causing losses amounting to tens of billions, or the agricultural subsidy fraud, in which farmers submitted false reports to obtain grants [10]. These examples illustrate how economic crimes are often intertwined with corruption and exploit oversight gaps. Measures to combat economic crime in the Russian Federation include both repressive and preventative approaches: strengthening investigative operations, implementing digital transaction monitoring systems, enhancing the skills of law enforcement officers, international cooperation through Interpol and the FATF, and conducting educational campaigns to improve financial literacy among the population. In particular, the Main Directorate for Economic Security and Combating Corruption (GUEBiPK) conducts targeted outreach to businesses, organizing seminars and inspections to prevent violations, and also uses big data for risk analysis. In 2025, new measures were introduced, such as expanding the use of bail as a preventive measure for those suspected of economic crimes, thereby avoiding excessive pressure on businesses and increasing the level of damage compensation [11]. However, assessing the effectiveness of these measures, it can be concluded that they are not fully sufficient to curb the growth of economic crime. Despite the creation of effective mechanisms and a 30% reduction in certain indicators, such as official forgery, overall damage increased by 20% in 2025, and the share of serious crimes remains high – 64.27% in 2024. This is due to insufficient prevention, gaps in legislation, the impact of sanctions that encourage shadow schemes, and the low effectiveness of fines, which requires their increase [12]. Experts note the need to find new approaches, including strengthening prevention and community engagement, since current measures, although effective, are not fully addressing the crime dynamics. In conclusion, combating economic crime requires a comprehensive approach combining legal reforms, technological innovation, and prevention to ensure the country's long-term economic security.