The Shadow Empire of Qiwi: The Ministry of Internal Affairs uncovered a network of 24,000 anonymous wallets used to withdraw 30 billion rubles
Law enforcement agencies have shut down a large-scale shadow financial network built on the Qiwi payment system. During the investigation, which effectively draws a line under the history of this service, key figures were arrested, and the total volume of illegally withdrawn funds exceeded 30 billion rubles.
Officers from the Main Directorate for Economic Security and Anti-Corruption of the Ministry of Internal Affairs detained three participants of the scheme in Moscow, including the heads of the Intercom group of companies and the beneficiary of the terminal business. According to the investigation, in 2022-2023, the criminals used stolen personal data to register straw persons (drops) and open anonymous Qiwi wallets in their names. In total, over 24,000 accounts not linked to real bank accounts were created in this way. Through the terminal network, the organizers funneled over 30 billion rubles abroad.
Bridge between fiat and cryptocurrency
The investigation established that anonymous Qiwi wallets served as a key link for transferring funds from shadow fiat circulation to cryptocurrency transactions. Money from illegal online casinos, bookmakers, and drug trafficking passed through them. The drops personally came to the defendants' offices for wallet verification, creating an appearance of legality.
A criminal case was opened on February 11, 2026, under Articles 187 (illegal circulation of payment instruments) and 193.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (currency transactions using forged documents on an especially large scale). The Meshchansky District Court of Moscow sent all three into custody on June 25, but the alleged organizers of the scheme, according to the investigation, are abroad and remain beyond reach.
Ghost of Qiwi: from license revocation to revival
This story is the logical conclusion of years of state efforts to close the channel of anonymous financial transactions. Restrictions began as early as 2019: first a ban on cash withdrawals, then on anonymous top-ups. In February 2024, the Central Bank revoked the license of Qiwi Bank, which was among the top 100 Russian banks. The reason was systematic violations of anti-money laundering legislation and servicing of shadow counterparties.
In parallel, the brand got a second wind. In December 2025, Qiwi, together with the fintech group Zaymer, launched the Qplus electronic wallet based on the Euroalliance bank. The new service allows storing rubles and tenge, transferring funds, and opening foreign currency accounts. Against the backdrop of the scheme uncovered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, this rebranding raises serious questions from law enforcement.
Expert opinion: The exposure of this network is just the tip of the iceberg. The fact that the "anonymous wallets — cryptocurrency" link was used to withdraw funds once again confirms: Russian authorities will tighten control over all channels where uncontrolled exchange of fiat for digital assets is possible. The market of P2P exchangers and unlicensed crypto services faces a serious crackdown.