The Central Bank of Russia issued a public warning that illegal online platforms, including crypto exchanges and online casinos, are using settlement schemes that can draw individuals into criminal transactions without their knowledge. The Bank described a model in which organisers disguise illegal payments by putting users into direct contact with criminals. In one example, a person buying cryptocurrency through an illegal exchange may be instructed to transfer fiat money directly to a seller’s bank card, where the seller may be connected to the funding of terrorist or other criminal activity. In another example involving illegal online casinos, a player may receive transfers that appear to come from the casino but are instead routed from drug buyers, potentially making the player an unwitting party to a drug transaction. The Bank cautioned that interacting with illegal structures can lead to reputational harm, account blocking, and other restrictions on access to banking services, and recommended avoiding illegal online platforms.

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