‘There are hardly any independent currency exchange offices left in many cities now, Yekaterinburg included, so all the swindles normally occur in the capitals,’ SKB-Bank’s Operating Department’s Director Larisa Larionova said to UrBC.

In the meantime, instances of fraud related to exchanging currency are officially reported to become alarmingly frequent. Most often, customers don’t get the whole sum on their hands or they are given raised bills. The victims say a bank whose name the office may bear is most often the one no longer operating.

‘The best advice that can be given to Russians now is to have their currency exchanged at the banks. Unlike independent offices, our banks offer you the banknotes right at one of the cash desks. Moreover, a customer can get acquainted with all the terms of the transaction as well as get information on the bank’s status and registration documents,’ she added.

‘Apart from being absolutely safe, having one’s currency exchanged at the bank is also more convenient, as these kinds of transactions are often related to money orders and deposit operations. This means it’s so much easier to get everything done in one place,’ Larisa Larionova explained.