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- May Criminal Code: what tricks to expect from scammers before the holidays
May Criminal Code: what tricks to expect from scammers before the holidays
Fraudsters may become more active on the eve of the May holidays, experts have warned. Experts expect that the attackers will try to take advantage of people's desire to arrange holidays for themselves and their loved ones at favorable prices, as well as spend more than usual, including on charity. What tricks to expect before the May holidays, read in the Izvestia article.
Why now
Moscow holidays are a time of relaxation, and people are ready to spend their money on them, says Alexandra Shmigirilova, GR director of the Security Code information security company, in an interview with Izvestia. At the same time, many Russians leave planning at the last moment, and therefore start shopping and booking in a hurry. This often reduces their caution.
—Online tools are used to save time, but this type of purchase creates opportunities for fraudsters," the expert notes. — Using modern technology, they try to deceive customers and sometimes succeed.
The May holidays are also a time for country picnics, when most of the country's residents are not ready for calls from scammers, adds Nikita Leokumovich, head of the Department of Digital Forensics and cyber intelligence at Angara SOC.
—A relaxed state increases the risk of clicking on phishing links from promotional emails or banners," says the analyst. "The likelihood of targeted hacker attacks is also increasing, since most companies employ only shift workers from IT and information security departments, or even the entire organization's staff goes on a long weekend vacation," the specialist notes.
Thus, the May holidays give attackers the opportunity to attack several profitable areas at once, taking advantage of the reduced vigilance of citizens and companies, Nikita Leokumovich emphasizes.
What schemes are worth waiting for
As a rule, every year, fraudsters launch new schemes and scenarios for the May holidays related to vacations, holiday payments or fake marketing campaigns, Evgeny Egorov, a leading analyst at the digital risk protection department at F6, told Izvestia.
"Before the May holidays, as well as during the summer months, attackers can create fake resources for buying tickets, booking hotels and other services related to recreation and travel," says the expert. — In April, F6 analysts identified a scheme in which scammers post videos on social networks offering a profitable apartment or house rental, and send a link to a phishing site for booking.
Cybercriminals usually attract the attention of potential victims with favorable conditions such as very low prices or unique offers such as "only here and now". If the cost of a product or service is significantly lower than the market average, this should arouse suspicion.
Also, attackers often send false messages about non-existent payments. For example, in 2024, on Victory Day, F6 analysts discovered fraud schemes targeting the elderly, including war veterans. The criminals offered non-existent lump-sum payments from 50,000 to 300,000 rubles to potential victims, but before receiving the funds, the victim had to pay a "commission", "conversion" or "legal services". The result was the loss of significant amounts of money from the accounts of the victims.
— Probably, this year criminals will try to use similar schemes of deception again, — Evgeny Egorov predicts.
In addition, the appearance of fake fundraising is possible — not only for the benefit of veterans of the Great Patriotic War, but also for the benefit of veterans of the SVO in Ukraine, adds Sergey Polunin, head of the Gazinformservice IT infrastructure solutions protection group. In this sense, the fraudsters' May campaign can be very successful, since modern images are vivid and evoke a great response from Russians.
What schemes have the scammers already used?
As Vitaly Fomin, head of the information security analyst group at the Digital Economy League, told Izvestia, with the proliferation of QR codes, fraudsters have also learned how to use them for their own purposes.
—For example, when buyers pay for tickets or services using a fake code, they disclose their personal data to intruders," the expert recalls.
In addition, according to Vitaly Fomin, cybercriminals distributed fraudulent lotteries and promotions with large prizes. When clicking on a questionable link or registering on a website, users risked infecting their device with malicious software and providing attackers with access to their bank details, among other things.
Other popular schemes are the use of deepfakes and calls on behalf of relatives and friends who are in a difficult situation and are requesting money transfers, Nikita Leokumovich adds. These attacks are especially dangerous during the May holidays, when people are relaxed, traveling, and responding more quickly to seemingly urgent requests.
How to protect yourself from scammers
Fraud schemes on the eve of the May holidays are primarily aimed at those who prefer to actively spend their weekends traveling or attending events, says Vitaly Fomin. In addition, the attackers sometimes target elderly people, who are more likely to fall for fake promises of holiday social benefits and fake calls from relatives asking for help.
"The main danger of such schemes is the theft of personal data, including bank details, and access to accounts in messengers and on Public Services," the expert says.
In order to protect yourself from the May fraud schemes, Alexandra Shmigirilova advises you to follow the basic rules of cyber hygiene. First, contact only official websites to confirm the veracity of the data and do not trust messages from social networks or emails that you have not requested. Secondly, collect information about your destination, read reviews, and explore forums to learn more about your chosen destination. Do not transfer money upfront to individuals and use purchase protection on trusted platforms.
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