Russia dismantles over 1,000 illegal lenders in 2025 crackdown
Russian authorities have cracked down on illegal lending over the past year. The Central Bank of Russia uncovered more than a thousand unlicensed lenders in 2025 alone. Regulators also targeted online platforms and social media accounts promoting unlawful credit schemes.
In 2025, officials identified 1,118 entities suspected of operating outside legal lending rules. Many of these used a network-based approach, opening branches under one brand but registering them to different individual entrepreneurs. This tactic made detection harder for regulators.
Over the year, authorities flagged over 4,000 social media pages and classified ads offering illegal loans. These were marked for blocking to prevent further fraud. The Central Bank of Russia also expanded its monitoring tools, using data from Rosreestr and the Federal Bailiff Service to track illegal mortgage lenders. This effort exposed 137 cases of unlawful mortgage lending.
Despite the rise in some areas, the number of illicit online lending schemes dropped from 1,111 in 2025 to 694 in 2024. The decline suggests that stricter enforcement may be having an effect.
The Central Bank of Russia's actions have led to a noticeable reduction in certain types of illegal lending. By leveraging new data sources and blocking fraudulent online activity, regulators aim to curb unlicensed credit operations. The ongoing efforts highlight the scale of the problem and the measures being taken to address it.
