07 May 2020

The Group-IB company revealed over 30 net sources where Moscow City lockdown digital passes are sold. The Cybersecurity experts reported that the fraudsters got active on April 13, when the citizens of Moscow started filing applications for these passes. The fabricated documents can be purchased at different web sites, on Instagram as well as via Telegram bot. 

Roman Belanov, a lawyer with Khrenov&Partners, notes that both seller and buyer of a bogus pass may be held criminally responsible. “I presume that in this situation, when all initial actions may be easily documented, there will be grounds to initiate a criminal case under Article 327 (falsification of documents). Police may take necessary steps and carry out operational activities in order to identify the persons who operate this service. The seller may be sentenced to up to two years in prison, while the person who deliberately used a fabricated document may receive up to six months of prison time. This person does not execute any actual work duties, and if a real criminal case is opened on use of this pass, it will be easy to prove the absence of working relations and reasons to issue the document”.