Scams and fake intermediaries

This page explains the types of scams targeting Turkish citizens preparing to travel to or living in Russia, and the official ways to protect yourself from them. Intermediaries promising an "easy solution" for visas, jobs, and migration registration may take your money and may also put you in a position to be penalized under Russian law or deported. Below you will find the official channels, how to check an intermediary's authority, signs of financial fraud, and what to do if you are scammed.

• E-visa: obtained only through the official e-visa website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the mobile application on that website. The fee is also paid on the website or in the application.
  • No invitation or reservation document is required for an e-visa.
  • The e-visa is issued within no more than 4 calendar days.
  • See R1.2 for details.
• Consular visa: applications are submitted to Russia's consulates in Türkiye or to the official visa center. The visa center only receives the application; the consulate makes the decision (see R1.5).
• Invitation: issued by units of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs or Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The application is made by the inviting person or organization in Russia (see R1.4). An intermediary selling a "ready-made invitation" in person does not fulfill this official process.

• Job placements from Türkiye (İŞKUR announcement):
  • the authority to mediate the employment of workers abroad belongs only to İŞKUR and private employment agencies authorized by İŞKUR
  • Turkish or foreign companies must sign the individual service contract prepared by İŞKUR with the worker and have it approved by İŞKUR units
  • you can check the accuracy of overseas job advertisements through the provincial directorates of the Ministry of Labour and Employment or the "open jobs" section on the İŞKUR website
  • agencies with mediation permits are published on İŞKUR's list of private employment agencies
• In Russia: private employment agencies operate with accreditation from and under the supervision of the Federal Service for Labour and Employment (Роструд). Accredited agencies are published in Rostrud's registry.
• Requirement for lawful employment: your employer's permit to employ foreign workers and your personal work permit (see R3.1). Working with a tourist or business visa is prohibited; see R3.5 for penalties.
• Warning signs to watch for:
  • the intermediary does not clearly provide the employer's name and workplace address
  • an upfront payment is requested for a "visa, job, and registration package"
  • the employment contract is not provided to you or the work permit process is not explained

• What is fictitious registration (Criminal Code Art. 322.3, Note 1): registering a foreign national for migration purposes in the following ways:
  • knowingly relying on false information or documents
  • without the foreign national actually intending to stay at that address
  • without the homeowner actually intending to provide the residence to the foreign national
• Penalty for the person arranging fictitious registration: a fine of 100,000–500,000 rubles, up to 5 years of compulsory labor, or up to 5 years in prison (Art. 322.3).
• Foreign national providing false information: a foreign national who knowingly provides false information or a fake document in migration registration is fined 2,000–5,000 rubles; deportation may also be imposed. In Moscow, St. Petersburg, Moscow Region, and Leningrad Region, the fine is 5,000–7,000 rubles (Code of Administrative Offenses Art. 19.27).
• Fake documents: producing, purchasing, and using a fake official document falls under Criminal Code Art. 327. A foreign national who has used a fake document is denied permission to enter Russia (Federal Law 114-FZ, Art. 27, para. 9).
• For how to complete migration registration correctly, see R2.1; for having the landlord register you at the home you rent, see R8.4.

• Warning from the Bank of Russia: scammers may ask you to let them use your bank card for other people's money transfers in exchange for a small fee. They thereby transfer money obtained from victims through other people's accounts. Do not use your personal accounts for suspicious activities and do not give anyone access to them.
• This conduct is a crime: giving your electronic payment instrument or access to it to another person for personal gain is punishable by a fine of 100,000–300,000 rubles or up to 3 years in prison (Criminal Code Art. 187/3).
• According to the Bank of Russia, signs of illegal financial companies include:
  • promises of high and guaranteed returns
  • an invitation to "bring a friend"
  • applying pressure and rushing you to make a decision
• Before depositing money with a company or taking out a loan or debt, check the company by name, tax number (ИНН), or registration number (ОГРН) through the Bank of Russia's "Check a financial market participant" service. Be careful if no registration record appears.
• The Bank of Russia publishes a list of companies in which signs of illegal activity have been detected.
• A common method warned about by the Bank of Russia is calling from a bank number and asking for your confidential information. Do not share your card details, passwords, or confirmation codes with anyone.
• If your card or online banking has been blocked and you want to challenge the inclusion of your account in the fraud database, you can use the Bank of Russia's online application page.

1. File a written complaint with the police. Be sure to obtain a report listing the money, property, and documents you lost. If the police do not want to accept your complaint, insist.
2. Call your bank immediately and have your card blocked.
3. If your passport was also lost, obtain a loss certificate from the police and contact a Turkish diplomatic mission (see R10.1).
4. Notify a Turkish diplomatic mission or the Consular Call Center: +90 312 292 29 29 (24/7, also via WhatsApp). The mission may provide contact details for a lawyer and certified translator.
5. If you were scammed by an intermediary in Türkiye, inform the provincial directorate of the Ministry of Labour and Employment and consult a lawyer about legal remedies.

• Bank of Russia (Банк России) — illegal financial companies and banking transactions
  • Address: 12 Neglinnaya Street, Building V, 107016 Moscow
  • Phone: +7 499 300-30-00; +7 800 300-30-00 (within Russia); from mobile phones 300 (free)
• Federal Service for Labour and Employment (Роструд) — private employment agencies and labor rights
  • Phone: +7 800 707-88-41 (toll-free throughout Russia)
• Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR) — job placements from Türkiye abroad; provincial directorates and service centers
• Turkish diplomatic missions — see R10.1 for duty phone numbers and addresses

• Trying to obtain an e-visa from websites or intermediaries other than the official website.
• Leaving Türkiye for a promised "job in Russia" without an İŞKUR-approved contract.
• Paying to register for migration purposes at an address where you do not actually stay.
• Giving your card or online banking access to someone else in exchange for a small fee.
• Depositing money with a company not listed in the Bank of Russia's registry because of promises of high returns.
• Leaving the scene without obtaining a report from the police.

• An intermediary promises a "fast visa without an invitation." Can I trust them? E-visas are already issued without an invitation and are obtained only from the official website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Apply yourself.
• My landlord is not registering me; someone is offering to register me for money. What should I do? Registration at an address where you do not actually stay is fictitious registration and is a crime. See R2.1 and R8.4 for proper registration.
• Someone offered me money to use my card. What will happen? Giving your card or access to it to another person for personal gain is a crime; up to 3 years' imprisonment is предусмотрено.
• How can I tell whether a Russian company is genuine? Search for the company in the company registry of the Russian Federal Tax Service (ЕГРЮЛ). For financial companies, use the Bank of Russia's participant-checking service.
• How can I tell whether a job offer from Türkiye is genuine? Check whether the intermediary agency is on İŞKUR's list and whether the advertisement appears in İŞKUR's "open jobs" section.

• Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Official e-visa website
• İŞKUR – Private employment agencies with mediation permits
• İŞKUR – Job search and open jobs
• Rostrud – Registry of accredited private employment agencies
• Bank of Russia – Financial market participant search
• Bank of Russia – List of companies showing signs of illegal activity
• Russian Federal Tax Service – Company and ИП registry search (ЕГРЮЛ/ЕГРИП)