Pick flowers: what tricks to expect from scammers before March 8th

Fraudsters may become more active on the eve of International Women's Day, experts have warned. Experts expect that attackers will take advantage of people's desire to buy gifts to loved ones at favorable prices and willingness to spend more than usual. For more information about what tricks to expect from scammers before March 8, see the Izvestia article.

What is International Women's Day interesting for scammers

International Women's Day is not only a time of flowers, congratulations and inspiration, but also a period when scammers become more active, says Vitaly Fomin, head of the information security analyst group at the Digital Economy League, in an interview with Izvestia.

— Carelessness and haste can lead not only to financial losses, but also to leakage of personal data, — the expert notes.

In addition to the mass nature, intruders are also attracted by the fact that gifts on March 8 are given in teams, so if only one person is successfully deceived, you can get a very substantial jackpot, adds Alexandra Shmigirilova, GR director of the Security Code information security company.

Marina Probets, an Internet analyst and expert at Gazinformservice, points out that fraudsters use International Women's Day to distribute phishing mailings with promises of lucrative offers, prize draws, "exclusive" discounts on goods or services, as well as to create fake websites imitating popular online stores or flower and gift delivery services.. The emotional background of the holiday makes people more trusting and reduces the critical perception of information, which significantly increases the chances of fraudsters to succeed.

What schemes were already used by fraudsters before March 8

Previously, on the eve of March 8, scammers often created fake online stores, offering discounted gifts that were difficult to ignore, says Alina Bayramova, an analyst and researcher of cybersecurity threats at R-Vision. People ordered goods, transferred money, but purchases never arrived. In some cases, the site existed for only a few days: the scammers collected the payment, and then disappeared without a trace.

— To appear more convincing, scammers could fake the design of well—known marketplaces, post fictitious reviews and even use paid advertising in search engines and social networks, - says the interlocutor of Izvestia.

Another popular scheme was false hoaxes. The victims received messages on behalf of supposedly well—known brands with the promise of valuable prizes - smartphones, jewelry, certificates. To "get a win," it was proposed to pay a small "tax" or enter bank card details to "confirm registration." The scammers claimed that after the debit, the account would be verified, and the prize would be sent. As a result, the victims either lost money immediately, or transferred payment data to the scammers, which led to further theft of funds.

In addition, by International Women's Day, as a rule, the number of fake websites that allegedly sold electronics, jewelry, sweets and flowers increases, as these categories of goods are included in the list of the most popular gifts, adds Vitaly Fomin. The scammers also used ad services: before the holiday, they published collections of gifts at very low prices to attract customers and convince them to purchase a bouquet or gadget.

— Other ads were placed in the profile to create the illusion of account authenticity, says the expert. — When a user clicked on a phishing link and entered his card details to make a purchase, the attackers gained access to his bank data.

What fraud schemes to expect before March 8 in 2025

From year to year, by March 8, cybercriminals are launching similar scenarios, but they are improving their technical capabilities to obtain greater financial benefits, Evgeny Egorov, a leading analyst at the Digital Risk Protection department at F6, said in an interview with Izvestia. In addition, crimes are increasing due to an increase in the number of participants in fraudulent groups and an increase in the availability of participation in such criminal projects.

— In 2025, more sophisticated phishing attacks using artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize messages and create realistic fake websites may appear in the arsenal of scammers by March 8, Marina Probets predicts.

In addition, scammers can use deepfake technologies to create video messages from famous personalities or loved ones asking for financial assistance. We can also expect more active use of messengers and social networks to spread malicious links and messages, while criminals will use trending topics and current events related to the holiday.

Telegram bots, which disguise themselves as gift booking, flower delivery or discount services, are particularly dangerous, adds Alina Bayramova. They may collect personal data, offer to pay a "commission" for receiving a prize, or redirect users to fraudulent payment systems.

— We should also expect an increase in attacks through hacked accounts on social networks, — says the specialist. — Scammers can send "gift certificates" on behalf of friends and relatives, encouraging people to click on dangerous links.

Finally, Vitaly Fomin predicts that before March 8, 2025, we should expect an increase in the number of phishing pages promoted through contextual advertising, where the user sees products according to their interests and is highly likely to open the ad. It can be an advertisement for discounted flowers or a weekend tour. By clicking on the link, he will be taken to a fraudulent website. If you specify your bank details there, you may lose both money and access to the card.

How to protect yourself from fraud schemes before March 8

The fraudulent schemes, timed to coincide with March 8, are aimed at a wide range of users, but elderly people, women prone to impulsive purchases, and those who trust strangers or do not verify information from unreliable sources are especially vulnerable, says Marina Probets.

At the same time, according to the expert, the theft of personal data can lead to further negative consequences, such as obtaining loans in the name of the victim, embezzlement of funds from accounts and other crimes. Such scams can severely undermine victims' trust in others and cause them psychological problems.

The main fraud schemes before March 8 have not changed for many years and have demonstrated their effectiveness, says Alexander Vurasko, Director of Development at the Solar AURA External Digital Threat Monitoring Center (Solar Group). Therefore, in order not to fall for the tricks of intruders, it is worth following a number of security rules.

— Use only official resources and check their exact address through a search engine, — advises the specialist. — Do not transfer funds to strangers, and do not pay for goods and services on unverified sites.

In addition, Alexander Vurasko urges not to provide personal data, including usernames and passwords from social networks and messengers, as well as two-factor authentication codes on suspicious, unofficial websites and in conversations with strangers. Finally, it is important to use antivirus software for additional protection against malware and phishing attacks.