Russian Police Investigate Kazakh Bank Card Holders Amid Growing Fraud Concerns

Russian authorities have started summoning individuals who have obtained bank cards from Kazakhstan remotely, according to reports from various media outlets on Friday, citing unnamed sources.

Several cardholders shared with the Ostorozhno Novosti Telegram channel that law enforcement representatives informed them of an ongoing investigation related to Kazakhstan. Reports indicate that the Russian Interior Ministry is probing over «1,000» Russian individuals who hold Kazakh bank cards.

So far, neither the Kazakh nor the Russian authorities have publicly addressed the investigation.

Following the withdrawal of Visa and Mastercard from Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, there was a significant increase in remote applications for Kazakh bank cards.

Kazakh officials estimate that between 2022 and 2024, around 700,000 Russians obtained bank cards from Kazakh banks.

However, due to pressure from Western countries, Kazakhstan prohibited the remote issuance of individual identification numbers in January 2025, which are necessary to apply for bank cards.

At the same time, many major banks in Kazakhstan have halted the issuance of debit cards to non-residents or limited their validity to a maximum of 12 months.

According to Ostorozhno Novosti, Russians can still acquire individual identification numbers through “assistants” or “facilitators” in Kazakhstan despite the ban, implying that the ongoing criminal investigation may focus on these intermediaries.

Kazakh financial regulators have stated that over 90% of cardholders involved in suspected money laundering activities are non-residents and have relayed this information to international law enforcement agencies.