Alyshkan Akylbekov, an operative of the department for combating IT-related crimes of the Bishkek City Police, shared information on Birinchi Radio about measures to combat cyber fraud.
He noted that the problem of cybercrime remains significant, and law enforcement agencies are working daily to identify and prevent such crimes. Citizens regularly report cases of fraud to the police and banks.
Akylbekov pointed out the prevalence of schemes where criminals impersonate police officers, GKNB agents, or bank employees to gain access to citizens' money. Cyber fraud is characterized by the fact that all operations occur remotely: through phone calls, messengers, and websites, which allows fraudsters to exert psychological pressure on their victims.
“Most often, the victims are elderly people who speak Russian and grew up in post-Soviet countries. Those who do not speak Russian are less likely to fall for such tricks,” he added.The police officer emphasized that many victims themselves provide fraudsters with their personal data, information about their bank accounts, and passwords. This information is then used against them, leading to significant financial losses. There have been cases where people not only sent money but also took out loans or sold property to transfer funds to the fraudsters.
Akylbekov also reminded about legislative initiatives in the fight against cyber fraud. In August of last year, a law was passed, signed by the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, which amended several legislative acts. Article 209, part 1, was introduced into the Criminal Code, providing for liability for the transfer and sale of electronic payment means and SIM cards to third parties.
“Citizens often create opportunities for fraudsters themselves by obtaining bank cards in their names and providing access to electronic applications. For this, they may receive small amounts of money — from five to ten thousand soms. Due to ignorance of the law or intentionally, they provide their data, allowing criminals to withdraw funds from their cards,” he explained.The situation with SIM cards is similar. Akylbekov warned that number owners should not share access to their accounts in WhatsApp and other services, as fraudsters can gain access to accounts and use the numbers for deception.
From August 2023 to the end of 2025, the cyber unit of the Bishkek City Police detained 116 droppers — people who sold their bank cards. Of these, 30 were prosecuted. Akylbekov noted that after the introduction of the new article, there has been a decrease in the number of cyber crimes involving dropper cards in the republic, indicating the effectiveness of the measures taken.
