An IT expert warned Russians about a new fraud scheme

The scammers have come up with a new scheme of deception — under the pretext of digitizing data to preserve seniority, they gain control over the victim's account on the Gosuslug portal. Elena Maksimova, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Head of the KB-4 Department of Intelligent Information Security Systems at RTU MIREA, announced this on Tuesday, May 6.

"Elderly people are especially vulnerable, who are more likely to become victims of criminal acts," Maximova warned in a conversation with Lenta.Ru .

According to the expert, scammers create chats in instant messengers, posing as employees of organizations where the victim previously worked.

Under the pretext of digitizing data to preserve seniority, they simulate a group dialogue: participants ask questions, discuss the need for the procedure, and then receive a message about the "keys to the Rostrud", which are supposedly necessary to complete the process. The "colleagues" in the chat confirm receipt of the codes, creating an appearance of legitimacy. After 1-2 days, they write to the victim: "only you are left."

The IT specialist warned that after such a dialogue, scammers use a fake account with the Gosuslug logo.

Then the victim receives a six-digit code, which she forwards to the conversation. After that, the attackers claim that this is the access code to the Gosuslug account, and they allegedly gain control of the account. At the same time, an "unauthorized login" notification is received from another fake account.

The next step is to send a fake power of attorney, which states that the victim allegedly transferred the right to dispose of property to another citizen.

"The scheme ends with a call from a false employee of the department, who, under the pretext of "asset protection," convinces them to transfer money to a "secure account" or arrange the sale of an apartment. If the victim cannot speak for one reason or another, the scammers continue to manipulate through messages," she explained.

She stressed that data on seniority and pension should be clarified only through the FIU or the official portal, without trusting any chat rooms. If your account is threatened with hacking, you must immediately contact Gosuslug support or law enforcement agencies.

Seasonal aggravation: what to expect from scammers during the spring holidays

Intruders are attracted by the high demand for travel services

Earlier in the day, Izvestia wrote that during the May holidays, the number of fraud cases related to the purchase of tourist vouchers or fake airline tickets is growing. The attackers use situational phishing and create fake websites of airlines and ticket marketplaces, promising lucrative offers. 360.ru .

Scammers actively advertise fake websites on the Internet, luring users with offers of "favorable" prices for flights and tours, RT reports. When a gullible person clicks on a link and leaves personal data and bank card information for making a purchase, the scammers receive payment and send a confirmation of the purchase. However, at the airport, the victims discover that their tickets are invalid.

The day before, police detained a 20-year-old girl suspected of fraud against a pensioner, the Moscow City News agency reports.