The key facts
- 32% of respondents cite unexpected expenses as the main reason for lifting the self-ban
- 58% are ready to lift the ban only for the duration of the loan application
- About 30 million people have set the self-ban
Main reasons for lifting the self-ban
Analysts at the financial marketplace Vybery.ru surveyed more than three thousand Russians and found out under what circumstances they are ready to lift the self-ban on taking out loans. The study's findings were reported by RIA Novosti (based on materials from Life.ru). For 32% of survey participants, the trigger is unexpected expenses that their own savings cannot cover. About a third of respondents would allow lifting the restriction for a planned major purchase, a mortgage, or a car loan. Another 10% are ready to lift the ban to refinance debts or obtain a loan on more favorable terms, and 8% — for business development and paying for professional education. Meanwhile, 16% of respondents see no reason to lift the restriction.
Temporary lifting is the prevailing strategy
Over the past year, 38% of study participants considered the possibility of lifting the self-ban. Notably, the majority of those who would allow lifting it — 58% — are ready to do so only for the duration of the loan application, after which they intend to reinstate the ban. Another 11% do not plan to restore the protection, and the rest found it difficult to answer. This picture is consistent with the very logic of the service: it is designed as a reversible protection that a person can switch on and off at their own discretion.
Concerns about fraudsters
The risk of criminals' actions was named by 36% of respondents. Anna Romanenko, director of the communications policy department at Vybery.ru, explained that fraudsters do not receive notifications about the lifting of a self-ban and have no real-time access to the relevant database; to take out a loan in someone else's name, they would need personal data or access to a Gosuslugi account. According to her, strong passwords and two-factor authentication help reduce such risks.
Scale of the service's use
The self-ban service for loans and credits launched on Gosuslugi on March 1, 2025. According to figures cited by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, by that time the restriction had been set by about 30 million people. He also noted that more than 1.8 million Russians had set a ban on issuing SIM cards, and about four million people had used the 'Protection from Fraudsters' section on the portal; the government, in his words, is considering additional measures against phone fraudsters, including the possibility of blocking calls from abroad.
