Moscow court bans information on renting and selling third-party bank cards in Russia

The Cherтановский District Court of Moscow has ruled that information about short-term rental and sale of third-party bank cards, published on several online resources, is prohibited in Russia. For PSPs, acquirers, and banks, this is another signal that card “rentals” and dropper schemes are being treated as an enforcement target, not just a nuisance on the edge of the market.

1. The court said the material was posted on one website and two Telegram channels. According to the press service of Moscow courts, publishing information about renting and selling third-party cards violates the rights and lawful interests of Russian citizens.
2. The court granted the claim and declared the content on those resources forbidden for distribution in Russia. It also said the owners of the resources could not be identified because the domain registrars are foreign companies.
3. Russian authorities and banks have repeatedly warned about dropper schemes, where individuals rent out bank cards and access to banking apps to fraudsters. In practice, that is the plumbing behind a lot of payment abuse: someone else’s card, someone else’s account access, someone else’s liability.
4. In June 2025, Russia introduced criminal liability for transferring access to cards and for participating in unlawful operations with electronic means of payment. Offenders face up to six years in prison.
5. In August 2025, the government proposed limiting the number of bank cards a single Russian citizen may hold to no more than 10 cards. The measure, according to the original reporting, is aimed at cyber fraud and droppers who hand their cards over to criminals.