The event was organized with the support of the Government of the Rostov Region, the Interregional Department of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service for the Southern Federal District (MRU Rosfinmonitoring in the Southern Federal District) and the Southern Federal University.

The participants of the lesson were schoolchildren, representatives of regional authorities, as well as students and teachers of the SFedU Faculty of Economics – participants and prize-winners of the Olympiad of previous years. The main topic of discussion in 2026 was the "Dark side of artificial intelligence." The students were told about how modern technologies can be used in fraudulent schemes: the creation of fake messages and websites, calls from "robots", identity substitution using deepfake technology, as well as the importance of protecting personal data and creating a digital footprint.

Denis Borisov, Deputy head of the Interregional Department of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service for the Southern Federal District, addressing schoolchildren, stressed that criminals have already learned how to fake voice and face using neural networks, which means that no one is immune from cyber threats.

According to him, children today are more savvy and more knowledgeable in the digital environment than even us adults. But our task is to show them the negative sides of this area and warn them about the risks. Financial literacy and digital hygiene should become the norm of a culture of human behavior, and these norms are formed in schools. That's why we conduct financial security classes in all schools in the region so that every child knows how to protect themselves.

Opening the lesson, school principal Victoria Plotnikova emphasized the importance of financial literacy for everyone and the country as a whole: "Protecting personal money and confidential information is not only about each person, but also about the security of the country as a whole. It is from such personal steps that overall security is formed. Therefore, such events are being held today with the support of the government of the Rostov region."

Natalia Kosolapova, Dean of the SFedU Faculty of Economics, Doctor of Economics, told the students about the International Financial Security Olympiad, which annually gathers participants from different countries. She noted that this is a first-level Olympiad, which provides significant benefits for admission to leading universities in Russia.

 "Today I'm not alone, I have students of our faculty with me who have already participated in the Olympiad. We will tell the guys how to get to this Olympiad and, most importantly, what you need to know in order to win it. The school track is currently developing very actively, and Rosfinmonitoring is doing a great job by inviting children to participate," Natalia Kosolapova emphasized.

The finalists of the Olympiad get the opportunity to study at the Sirius Educational center, where they meet with top officials of the state and participants from other countries. The thematic lessons that open the Olympiad cycle serve as a significant stage of immersion in the topic of financial security: they help to get acquainted in advance with key concepts, current risks and the logic of competitive tasks. The lesson materials are available not only to the participants of the Olympiad, but also to anyone who is interested in financial security issues.