The State Duma intends to introduce fines for illegal donation boxes

The authors of the initiative are confident that in this way it will be possible to suppress the activities of fraudsters. Most of the factions supported the idea.

The new article "Violation of the rules for installing and using boxes for donations" refers to the establishment of responsibility for citizens, legal entities, officials within the framework of the law "On charitable activities and charitable organizations". How to write Izvestia, the document enshrined the use of boxes for donations only if the agreement or resolution authority, or if the collection of money prescribed in the charter of the organization.

The author of the project was Natalya Kostenko, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Control and Regulation. She clarified that although the norms were adopted in April 2020, responsibility for their violation has not yet been spelled out. She pointed out that cybercriminals often use information about collecting funds for treatment, for example, sick children, which is publicly available on the Internet, use their photos and collect money, ostensibly to help them. And due to the lack of legal responsibility, it is impossible to punish such fraudsters.

Now, depending on the varying degrees of guilt, such persons will be subject to fines ranging from five to 150 thousand rubles. The instrument of fraud - that is, the box itself, will be confiscated.

The publication also reports that the initiative has already received government approval. The Cabinet of Ministers even proposes to expand it and eliminate the rule on illegal collection of donations only if they are collected on behalf of non-profit organizations.

Recall that against the backdrop of the covid pandemic, new types of fraud associated with charity have blossomed in the country. For example, the attackers offer Russians to donate money to allegedly help in the return of compatriots who are stuck abroad.