The expert warned about new fraudulent schemes with deepfakes

The attackers began calling Russians en masse under the guise of opinion polls in order to record their voices for the subsequent creation of deepfakes. Igor Bederov, director of the Internet Search company, told Izvestia about this.

According to the expert, criminals carefully imitate real surveys, posing as employees of VTsIOM, marketing agencies or government funds.

"They choose relevant topics — pension reform, family support — and prolong the conversation by adding background noises for greater credibility," Bederov explained.

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The specialist identified several characteristic signs of fraudulent calls. During a conversation, attackers may ask for CVV card codes, passwords, or passport information under the pretext of verification. It is also worth being wary of background noises, interruptions in communication, or attempts to exert emotional pressure — to cause fear by reporting "data theft" or seduce with the promise of a big win.

"Just 20 seconds of voice recording is enough to create a deepfake. At the slightest doubt, you should interrupt the conversation and call the organization back at the official number from its website," the expert warned.

Bederov recommends using special applications to verify phone numbers, voice assistants of telecom operators, and be sure to enable two-factor authentication in all significant services.

"Never provide CVC/CVV codes or SMS codes - real sociologists never request such information," the specialist emphasized.

To protect citizens from such schemes, the Digital Education project is working, warnings from banks and information security companies are regularly published, and corporate training programs are conducted. The expert urges Russians to be especially vigilant and spread information about new fraud schemes among relatives and friends.

Earlier, on May 14, Bederov told Izvestia about how to protect yourself from fraud through pick-up points. He explained that deception can be detected primarily by an unexpected call "from the delivery service" without prior notification through the official application or email.