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This article deals with the criminalistics aspects of dropping, that is a new form of criminal activity having become widespread in the context of the digitalization of the economy and criminalized by Federal Law No. 176-FZ of June 24, 2025. It is emphasized that dropping has been beyond cyber fraud and is actively used in schemes of criminal incomes laundering, drug trafficking, and terrorism and extremism financing. Since dropping has become an integral element of the criminal economy, the author substantiates the need for research and development of an independent criminalistics methodology to solve and investigate illegal trafficking of acting electronic means of payment (dropping), taking into account its stable structure, digital specifics, re-mote nature of coordination and difficulties in legal qualification. The author points out gaps in the legislation, in particular, absence of crypto-currency transactions coverage, as well as the insufficient training of investigative and detective bodies to counteract this phenomenon. The article provides a theoretical basis to form / develop a new direction in criminalistics in the sphere of digital crime.
illegal trafficking of acting electronic means of payment (dropping), electronic means of payment, cyber fraud, cryptocurrency, digital economy, criminalistics, methods to solve and investigate
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