Monday04 November 2024
inbusinesskz.com

Who is a dropper and how to avoid becoming one?

The Financial Monitoring Agency has issued a warning about the increasing instances of Kazakhstan residents being drawn into large-scale schemes that exploit their bank cards for the laundering of criminal proceeds.
Кто такой дроппер и как избежать этой роли?

©kp.kz

“By offering their cards for financial transactions, citizens risk becoming ‘droppers’ without realizing they are being drawn into criminal schemes. The funds may originate from cybercrime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, or other illegal activities,” stated Alibek Abdilov, the official representative of the Financial Monitoring Agency of Kazakhstan.

According to an analysis conducted by the Financial Monitoring Agency, 30,000 bank cards were utilized in drug trafficking schemes, with a total turnover of 22 billion tenge.

Involvement in such schemes can lead to serious consequences, including asset confiscation and administrative or criminal penalties.

- Recent studies by the Financial Monitoring Agency indicate that individuals facing financial difficulties, such as the unemployed, students, and members of vulnerable populations, are at risk of becoming ‘droppers’ in pursuit of easy and quick earnings,” explained Alibek Abdilov.

In Astana and Karaganda, students and a 64-year-old pensioner from Temirtau participated as ‘droppers’ in a criminal money laundering scheme linked to drug sales via a Telegram shop. Over 100 million tenge was laundered through their accounts, while the total turnover of this drug shop exceeded 2 billion tenge.

In another instance, a 20-year-old student from Almaty had his card used to receive almost 22.5 million tenge from more than 900 individuals. The transfer amounts, ranging from 7,500 to 15,000 tenge, correspond to the price of single doses of narcotic substances. Subsequently, this money was transferred to the criminals' cryptocurrency wallets.

Alibek Abdilov urged Kazakhstan citizens: “Dear citizens! If you are offered to transfer money for a reward, and the conversation is only online, and you do not know the individual or company promising you easy earnings, we recommend exercising caution to avoid becoming entangled in a criminal scheme.

If you encounter such offers, cease all contact with the scammers, do not transfer any money. Report the fraud to the relevant authorities, who can assist you in resolving the situation.”

Reference from “KP”

A dropper (from English to drop) is slang for a participant in various types of fraud using the bank accounts of a front individual, where stolen funds are deposited.

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