Deceptive Recruiting: How Fake Job Ads Lure Innocent Russians into Military Contracts

Army recruiters in Moscow are allegedly deceiving Russians into signing military contracts through misleading job advertisements that assure no involvement in front-line combat, according to an exiled news outlet, Vyorstka, which cited anonymous sources aware of the situation.

Numerous postings for roles such as «drivers, security personnel, and construction workers in safe areas» have reportedly surfaced on platforms like Avito since as early as March. However, sources within the Moscow Mayor’s Office have indicated that these advertisements are part of a campaign by a Defense Ministry contractor to artificially boost recruitment figures and receive bonus payments.

Last month, Vyorstka disclosed a resurgence in recruitment efforts in the city after a period of inactivity. President Vladimir Putin claimed last week that the military is now enlisting as many as 60,000 «volunteers» each month.

According to insiders, the contractors responsible for the deceptive job ads lack the authority to assign recruits to non-combat positions. «It’s merely a tactic to draw in more recruits,» one recruiter whose contact information was in an ad explained to Vyorstka. An official labeled this practice as “the most blatant 100% scam.”

Upon arriving at a military recruitment center on Yablochkova Street in northern Moscow, recruits rarely refuse the contracts presented to them.

A man from Krasnodar shared that he was offered a one-year contract along with a complimentary flight to Moscow, only to find out upon arrival that the terms were open-ended. He signed the agreement regardless.

“A typical profile of someone who falls victim to this deception is provincial, naive, willfully uninformed, and someone who has not previously served in the military,” remarked a Moscow official.

Since 2023, Russian authorities have been promoting contract military service, emphasizing high salaries as a significant incentive.