Financial Scams in Kazakhstan 2026: How to Spot and Report Them
In January–July 2026, Kazakhstan registered 13.1 thousand cases of online fraud. Most often, scammers call pretending to be "from the bank". Here are the main schemes, the warning signs and what to do if your money is already gone.
Up to date as of October 2026. Rules change — check the regulator's website before you act.
Banks and brokers are supervised by the ARDFM, Kazakhstan's financial market regulator (call center 1459); the payment system and the Anti-Fraud Center by the National Bank (nationalbank.kz, 1477); pyramid schemes and money mules are investigated by the Financial Monitoring Agency (AFM). None of them ever calls people asking for card details.
Main schemes of 2026
| Scheme | Cases (Jan–Jul 2026) | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Calls and SMS "from the bank" | 2.9 thousand | "There's a suspicious transaction on your card, tell us the code" |
| Phishing: websites, links, apps | 2.7 thousand | A fake bank, eGov or ENPF page |
| Fake service ads | 2.6 thousand | Prepayment for a service that doesn't exist |
| Online shopping | 1.9 thousand | A fly-by-night store |
| Online loans | 1.3 thousand | A loan taken out in your name |
| Pyramid schemes and dubious investments | 770 | "30% a month", "investment club" |
Finprom.kz data for the first seven months of 2026. In total, this is 19.5% of all registered crimes.
How to spot a scam
- "Security service", "ARDFM officer", "National Bank safe account". Such calls don't exist. A bank never asks for your PIN, CVV or SMS codes.
- A letter "from the ARDFM" about recovering lost money. The regulator does not return money and does not recommend lawyers. Next they ask for a "fee", a "tax" or payment for a "wallet analysis".
- Fake broker. Promises 20–50% a month, rushes you, asks you to send money to a private person's card or to a crypto wallet. Ads often use logos of government agencies and big companies, such as Kazatomprom.
- Pyramid scheme. Returns far above the market, payouts funded by new members, bonuses for referrals, closed chats. The warning signs are in the article signs of a financial pyramid.
- A "job" with your card. You are offered money to receive and forward transfers — this is acting as a money mule.
What you risk
- Being a money mule is a criminal offense. Article 232-1 of the Criminal Code (since 16.09.2025): giving access to your account or card, or making transfers for third parties for a fee — up to 7 years in prison with confiscation of property. By April 2026, 446 cases had been registered under it. Details in the article money mules and P2P.
- Organizing a pyramid scheme — Article 217 of the Criminal Code, up to 12 years. Pyramid investors usually lose their money.
- A loan in your name. If a scammer gets access to your eGov or bank account, they can take out a loan.
- Passwords and codes for ENPF and eGov give access to public services and your data.
What to do if you have been scammed
- Call your bank right away using the number in the app and block your cards and accounts.
- Change your passwords for your bank, eGov and email.
- File a police report (102). Keep the phone numbers, messages and the details of where the money went.
- Getting money back. The National Bank's Anti-Fraud Center has been operating since July 22, 2024. If the amount has been frozen, the recipient's bank returns it no later than the next business day after a police notice authorized by a prosecutor. If the money is no longer in the account — only through the courts.
- Don't pay "money recovery lawyers" — that is the second wave of the scam.
How to protect yourself in advance
- Set up a voluntary loan ban: eGov → "Voluntary refusal to receive bank loans and microcredits" → sign with your digital signature (EDS). The ban is visible in your credit history, and you can lift it at any time.
- Check a broker in the ARDFM license register or the AFSA (AIFC) register before sending money. A comparison of licensed companies is in the article brokers in Kazakhstan.
- Don't follow links from SMS — open your bank's app yourself. We explain what phishing is in the glossary.
More warning signs — in the free lesson "How to avoid scammers".
Aspiro Invest — a medium-term portfolio: what to hold, when to review it, and where the protective levels are.
- Your bank, the ARDFM and the National Bank never ask for SMS codes and never move money to "safe accounts".
- Returns of 20–50% a month are a sign of a fake broker or a pyramid scheme.
- "Renting out" your card is a criminal offense under Article 232-1, up to 7 years.
- If you have been scammed: your bank, new passwords, police at 102 — as fast as possible.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if the "bank security service" calls me?
Hang up and call your bank yourself using the number in the app or on the back of your card. Employees of banks, the ARDFM and the National Bank never ask for your PIN, CVV or SMS codes and never offer "safe accounts".
Where do I report scammers in Kazakhstan?
First to your bank to block your card, then to the police (102). Keep the phone numbers, messages and payment details. You can verify information with the ARDFM call center at 1459 and the National Bank at 1477.
Can I get back money sent to scammers?
If the National Bank's Anti-Fraud Center managed to freeze the amount, it is returned upon a law enforcement notice authorized by a prosecutor — no later than the next business day. If the money is no longer in the recipient's account — only through the courts.
How do I check a broker in Kazakhstan?
Find the company in the ARDFM license register or, if it operates in the AIFC, in the public AFSA register. A foreign license does not give the right to operate in Kazakhstan. A promise of 20–50% a month is a sign of a scammer.
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