Fraudsters used 'mammoth pox' to defraud Russians

In March-April 2025, cybercriminals began using several new schemes based on data circulating in the media about an "unknown virus" that allegedly affects Russians en masse. It has also been dubbed "mammoth smallpox." According to the data available to the editorial board, about 7,000 citizens received such letters and messages during this period.

Letters of the law: fraudsters began to use schemes with lawsuits

Users are being threatened with legal problems for further deception

About 30% of the recipients live in Moscow and the region, another 13% - in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. Also, such attacks have been recorded in other regions of the Central and Northwestern Federal Districts, in the Volga region, in the Southern Federal District, and in the Urals.

"There are several main schemes of deception with the "unknown virus". Most often, the victim receives an email or a message in messenger with an urgent call to be tested for the presence of this pathogen. The service is offered for free and a link is sent to sign up. After entering the data, fraudsters steal personal data, which can be used, for example, to gain access to other services, including banking applications," said Pavel Kovalenko, director of the Fraud Prevention Center "Informzaschita".

Read more in an exclusive Izvestia piece:

Tusk of Evil: Fraudsters Used "Mammoth Pox" to Deceive Online