VTB warned about a new fraud scheme involving "pension recalculation"

The scammers convince them to recalculate the pension, then they extort large sums on behalf of law enforcement officers under the guise of "protecting savings." This was announced to Izvestia on July 3 by Dmitry Revyakin, Vice President of VTB Bank and Head of the Corporate Interests Protection Department of the Security Department.

According to him, fraudsters make phone calls and, under the guise of a social worker or an employee of a state institution, convince a pensioner to contact the MFC, allegedly to "recalculate his pension." When an unsuspecting victim actually comes to the multifunctional center, the real employees explain that no recalculation is required and it was a call from scammers.

The fraudulent scheme does not end there. Soon, the pensioner gets a call again, posing as an FSB officer. The attackers report that information has been received from the multifunctional center about attempts to deceive pensioners, and now they are conducting an investigation. Using trust in government agencies and fear for their savings, a pseudo-employee of law enforcement agencies intimidates the victim and convinces her to "protect the money" by transferring it to a "special account."

"Criminals have developed a multi—step combination, playing on the most painful fears of the elderly - the loss of savings and trust in the state. First, they pretend to take care of pension rights, then, disguising themselves as defenders, they themselves rob victims. It is important to remember that neither the FSB nor other government agencies ever require you to transfer money over the phone in order to save it," concluded Revyakin.

Numbered background: Victims of phone scams have been waiting for cases to be filed for months

What influences the detection of such crimes?

In February, the Department for combating the illegal use of information and communication technologies of the Russian Interior Ministry reported that intruders were trying to get parents' money by influencing children. It is clarified that the scammers pose as employees of the Russian Post, Gosuslug, and the FSB and convince children of the need to "declare" the family's valuables.