This article describes laws adopted in recent years to stimulate investment and protect capital. It also concludes that the threat of financial pyramids is growing. Between 2022 and 2024, the Bank of Russia identified 8,910 such organizations using non-cash transfers and digital platforms to raise funds.
The Prosecutor General's Office is actively combating investment pyramids. Thus, in 2023 and 2024, four individuals were convicted under Article 172.2 of the Russian Criminal Code. In 2023, the Feodosia City Court sentenced the director and accountants of a credit union to suspended prison terms for luring 625 depositors totaling 470 million rubles. In Lipetsk, the Capital Invest credit union defrauded 2,233 people of 1 billion rubles, but the case was returned to the prosecutor three times due to violations of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The prosecutor has extensive powers related to combating financial pyramid activities, which requires additional organizational measures.