Letters of the law: fraudsters began to use schemes with lawsuits
Fraudsters on the Web can deceive Russians using schemes related to lawsuits, experts have warned about this. Attackers send disturbing messages to potential victims on the subject of fictional legal problems, and then use users' confusion to further deceive them. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
What is the interest of scammers in the subject of lawsuits?
The main goal of scammers is to force a person to commit an ill—considered action, which will be the key to the further development of the scheme, says Alexander Samsonov, a leading expert at the Security Code development and testing department, in an interview with Izvestia. Intruders primarily affect the emotions of potential victims, causing them to feel insecure.
"Therefore, fraudulent schemes — whether it's a phone call or an email — often use the legend of certain legal problems with the person himself or his relatives," explains the specialist.
The subject of lawsuits and other "disturbing" legal documents is attractive to fraudsters because it exploits people's natural fear of legal consequences and government agencies, adds Marina Probets, an Internet analyst and expert at Gazinformservice.
Under stress and anxiety, people tend to ignore danger signals, such as suspicious links or requests for personal information, and focus on resolving the situation as quickly as possible.
What schemes with lawsuits should we expect in 2025
In 2025, we can expect further development and complication of fraudulent schemes using the subject of lawsuits, says Marina Probets. Scammers are likely to use personalized phishing more actively, based on data obtained from leaks or social media, to make their emails more convincing.
"We can expect better forgery of official documents and websites, the use of deepfakes to imitate government officials or lawyers, as well as a combination of various social engineering methods to increase psychological pressure on victims," says the Izvestia interlocutor.
In addition, according to the expert, it is possible that schemes related to new technologies may appear, for example, using artificial intelligence (AI) to create convincing fake video or audio recordings. An increase in the number of cryptocurrency scams is also likely, where victims may be threatened with lawsuits for allegedly illegal transactions. In general, fraud using the topic of lawsuits will become more sophisticated and difficult to recognize, requiring users to be more vigilant and critical thinking, Marina Probets emphasizes.
In turn, Dmitry Galov, head of Kaspersky GReAT in Russia, adds that attackers often use decoys such as fines and lawsuits to attack companies. They are betting that a person will get scared and perform the necessary action for the attackers, for example, download an infected file.
"Some time ago, our colleagues recorded a campaign in which attackers attacked organizations through letters allegedly from partner companies that filed pre—trial claims and demanded repayment of debts," the expert says. — If the victim downloaded the file as an attachment, Cobalt Strike penetrated the device. Initially, software with this name is a legitimate tool, but it can also be used by hackers to carry out targeted cyber attacks.
What schemes with lawsuits and fines were used in the past years
Fraudulent schemes with official documents are perhaps the oldest form of social engineering, says Yakov Filevsky, an expert in sociotechnical testing at Angara Security. Previously, "traffic police fines" were very popular, because they are often not surprising to the average motorist.
— Nevertheless, the official Internet resources for checking fines for the most part "put out" such a fraud scheme, - says the interlocutor of Izvestia.
In addition, in previous years, fraudulent mailings were recorded on behalf of government agencies (tax service, police, court) or large companies, which reported alleged debts, violations of rules or the need for urgent payment of a fine, adds Marina Probets.
Such letters usually contained a link to a fake website that mimics an official resource, where the victim is asked to enter personal information or other confidential data. There were also schemes with fake court summonses, demands for payment of non-existent debts or threats of arrest.
— The purpose of all these schemes is to intimidate the victim and force her to act quickly and thoughtlessly, giving scammers access to personal data or money, — Marina Probets emphasizes.
How to protect yourself from legal action schemes
Fraudulent schemes on the subject of lawsuits are aimed at a wide range of users, regardless of their age, social status or level of technical literacy, says Marina Probets. The danger of these schemes lies in the fact that they exploit basic human emotions — fear and anxiety, which makes people vulnerable to manipulation.
"As a result, victims may lose significant amounts of money and provide fraudsters with access to their confidential data, including bank details, passwords, and personal information, which may lead to other negative consequences," warns Izvestia's interlocutor. — In addition, the psychological damage from such attacks can be significant, causing stress, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness.
You can protect yourself from fraudulent schemes using the topic of lawsuits by following a number of precautions. First, never open suspicious links and attachments in emails, especially if you did not expect such a message. Secondly, you should always check the sender's address and make sure that it corresponds to the official address of the organization on whose behalf the letter was allegedly sent.
Third, do not provide personal information, bank card information, or other confidential information by phone or email if you are not sure of the authenticity of the request. If you have any doubts about the authenticity of the letter or call, you need to contact the organization directly using the official contact information provided on the website.
— Install antivirus software and update it regularly, — concludes Marina Probets. — And finally, be vigilant and remember that government agencies and large companies usually do not contact citizens by email or phone with demands for urgent payment or provision of confidential information.
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