MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/. The number of illegal operators in the securities market from January to March 2026 decreased by 19% compared to the previous quarter, the Bank of Russia reported.

"In the first quarter of 2026, 257 internet projects with signs of illegal professional participants in the securities market were identified, which is 19% fewer than in the fourth quarter of last year. These were primarily illegal forex dealers (161 entities) and illegal brokers (67 entities)," the regulator notes.

At the same time, the number of unique projects also decreased: of the 2,500 aimed at blocking the websites of illegal professional participants, who in most cases "manipulate" trades in the client's personal account or hide behind a non-existent license from a foreign regulator, almost 2,000 were duplicate websites for these projects.

As earlier, the most "in-demand" service was trading on crypto exchanges. According to the Bank of Russia, illegal brokers and forex dealers used more than 2,000 crypto wallets to raise funds.

Meanwhile, 472 entities with signs of illegal lenders were identified in the first quarter of this year, a 36% increase compared to the previous quarter. According to the regulator, the number of illegal lenders operating exclusively online, without physical offices, increased (54%). Online projects primarily used social media pages and groups to disseminate information about their services. More than 1,300 illegal online resources were blocked, including over 800 social media pages distributing information offering illegal loans.

Offline, illegal loans were most often issued by pseudo-pawnshops and online consignment stores, camouflaging the transactions with purchase and sale agreements, storage agreements, and commission agreements. Some companies used words and phrases in their names intended only for professional lenders (microfinance organizations, pawnshops, credit cooperatives) to mislead customers.