To judge or to forgive: on the issue of criminal responsibility of biodrops

Modern fraud tends to deeply merge technology and social engineering methods. Criminals not only deceive people but also create new hybrid schemes of fraud, involving random individuals. In this regard, the chosen research topic holds high priority relevance. The subject of this study is the criminal law phenomenon of "biodrop" as a distinct participant in modern organized fraudulent schemes, as well as the issues of holding such individuals criminally liable in Russia. The author pays special attention to recognizing the biodrop as an independent category, highlighting its individual characteristics. The investigation of law enforcement practices and the content of foreign legislation revealed that other terms with identical semantic meanings, such as "victims," "innocent mules," "victims of financial exploitation," and others, are actively used. The author employed methods such as analysis and synthesis, which helped identify the problem and determine the relevance of the topic through an examination of statistical data on crime rates from 2003 to 2024. A comparative legal method was applied to compare Russian legislation on droppers with foreign approaches to similar issues. Studying practical questions related to the investigation of frauds involving drops allows for the conclusion that the biodrop occupies a stable position and therefore requires recognition as an independent phenomenon. This term originated from the classic drop, but with consideration of important distinguishing features. Given the prefix "bio-," this term should be viewed positively. Within the framework of this work, the author proposes a definition of a biodrop. A biodrop is a physical person used by an organized criminal group as a tool for carrying out financial operations within the context of a serious or particularly serious crime against property. A biodrop is a person acting without selfish interest, who has suffered property damage due to other criminal acts, involved in the joint commission of crimes through the application of social engineering techniques.