Russian Laws The Scammers Violate

What Russian laws do the scammers violate? Are the scammers criminals? See the answer at the bottom of this page.

Here are some articles from the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

 

Article 159. Swindling

1. Swindling, that is, the stealing of other people's property or the acquisition of the right to other people's property by fraud or breach of trust –

shall be punishable by  a fine in the amount up to 120 thousand rubles,  or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period up to one year, 

or by compulsory works for a term of up to 180 hours,

or by corrective labor for a term of six months to one year,

or by arrest for a term of two to four months,

or by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to two years.


2. Swindling committed by a group of persons in a preliminary conspiracy; or also with the infliction of considerable damage on an individual, -
shall be punishable by a fine in the amount up to 300 thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period up to two years,

or by compulsory works for a term of 180 to 240 hours,

or by corrective labor for a term of one to two years,

or by deprivation of liberty for the term of up to five years.

 

  1. Swindling committed by a person, through his official position or also on a large scale –

shall be punishable by a fine in the amount 100 to 500 thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period from one to three years,

 or by deprivation of liberty for the term of two to six years with the fine in the amount of up to 10 thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wage of salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of up to one month, or without such fine.

 

  1. Swindling committed by an organized group or on an especially large scale –

is punishable with the deprivation of freedom for a period of five to ten years with a fine in the amount of up to 1 million rubles or in the amount of the wage of salary or any other income of the convicted person for a period of up to three years, or without such a fine.

 

Article 171. Illegal Enterprise

1. Operating an illegal enterprise without registration or violating the rules or registration, or equally provision to the bodies, performing state registration of juridical persons and individual entrepreneurs, the documents, containing deliberately provided false information, or operating an enterprise without a special permit (license), in cases where such permit (license) is obligatory, or with the breach of licensing terms, if this deed has caused large damage to individuals, organizations, or the State, or is attended by profit-making on a large scale,

-  shall be punishable by a fine up to 300 thousand rubles, or  in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of up to two years,

or by compulsory works for a term of 180 to 240 hours,

or by arrest for a term of four to six months.


2. The same deed:
    a) committed by an organized group;
    b) attended by profit-making on a especially large scale;
- shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of 100 to 500 thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of one to three years,

or by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to five years, with a fine in the amount of up to 80 thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of up to six months, or without any fine.

Chapter 28. Crimes in the Sphere of Computer Information

Article 272. Illegal Accessing of Computer Information

  1. Illegal accessing of legally-protected computer information, that is, information on machine-readable media, in computers, computer systems, and their networks, if this deed has involved the destruction, blocking, modification, or copying of information, or the disruption of the work of the computers, computer systems, or their networks, -

shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of up to 200 thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of  up to 18 months,

or by corrective labor for a term of six to twelve months,

or by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to two years.

  1. The same deed, committed by a group of persons in a preliminary conspiracy or by an organized group, or by a person through his official position, and likewise by a person who has access to computers, computer systems, or their networks, -

shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of 100 to 300 thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of one to two years,

or by corrective labor for a term of one to two years,

or by arrest for the term of three to six months,

or by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to five years.

Article 273. Creation, Use, and Dissemination of Harmful Computer Viruses

1. Creation of computer viruses for the introduction of changes to existing programs, which knowingly leads to the unsanctioned destruction, blocking, modification, or copying of information, the disruption of the work of computers, computer systems, or their networks, and equally the use or dissemination of such viruses or machine-readable media with such viruses,-

shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to three years, with a fine in the amount of up to 200 thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of up to 18 months.
2. The same acts, which have involved by negligence grave consequences, shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term of three to seven years.

Article 274. Violation of Rules for the Operation of Computers, Computer Systems, or Their Networks

  1. Violation of rules for the operation of computers, computer systems, or their networks by a person who has access to computers, computer systems, or their networks, which has involved the destruction, blocking, or modification of legally-protected computer information, if this act has inflicted substantial damage, -
    shall be punishable by disqualification to hold specified offices or to engage in specified activities for a term of up to five years,

or by compulsory works for a term of 180 to 240 hours,

or by restraint of liberty for a term of up to two years.

2. The same act, which has involved by negligence grave consequences, shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to four years.

Article 327. Forgery, Manufacture, or Sale of Falsified Documents, Government Awards, Stamps, Seals, and Forms

  1. Forgery of an identification card or any other official document which gives the rights and releases from duties, for the purpose of the use or sale of said document, and likewise manufacture for the same purposes or sale of falsified government awards of the Russian Federation, the RSFSR, and the USSR, or of stamps, seals, and forms, -
    shall be punishable by restraint of liberty for a term of up to three years,

or by arrest for the term of four to six months,

or by deprivation of liberty for the term of up to two years.

  1. The same deeds, committed with the goal to hide another crime, or to ease commission of that other crime, -
    shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to four years.
    3. Use of a knowingly forged document shall be punishable

by a fine in the amount of  up to 80 000 rubles, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of up to six months,

or by compulsory works for a term of 180 to 240 hours,

or by corrective labor for a term of up to two years,

or by arrest for a term of three to six months.

 

Article 291. Bribe-giving

  1. Bribe-giving to a functionary, in person or through a mediator, -
    shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of up to 200 thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of up to 18 months,

or by corrective labor for a term of one to two years,

or by arrest for a term of three up to six months,

or by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to three years.
2. Bribe-giving to a functionary for the commission of known illegal actions (inactions), -

shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of  100 to 500 thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of one to three years,

or by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to eight years.


Note: A person who has given a bribe shall be released from criminal responsibility if the bribe has been extorted by a functionary or if the person has informed of his own free will the body possessing the right to institute criminal proceedings about the fact of the bribe-giving.

 Are the scammers criminals? From the legal point of view only the court can decide if a person is guilty or not, if he/she is a criminal or not. However that may be there exists presumption of innocence. You sent $$$ to a girl in Russia ("scammer"). If you manage to bring her to the court, your lawyer will have to prove that she swindled you while her lawyer will try and prove that it was a voluntary gratuitous gift from you. In the latter case she is absolutely innocent.

To know how to institute criminal proceedings click here.