The number of fake calls under the guise of replacing the intercom has tripled

The number of fake calls from intruders posing as employees of intercom services to replace equipment has tripled, they convince citizens to tell them SMS codes that are allegedly necessary to obtain new keys, Izvestia found out.

This is how fraudsters gain access to people's accounts on the Gosuslugi portal and other digital services. This scheme began to be distributed in February 2025. According to Kaspersky Who Calls, by July, the number of complaints about such calls had tripled.

According to Kaspersky Lab experts, the scammers' goal is not just to get the code, but to use the access they gain to process various documents on behalf of the victim, including various certificates. After a few days, they can contact the victim again, but this time under the guise of representatives of government agencies or banks. Under the pretext of protecting against fraud and "hacking into a personal account," they intimidate a citizen by talking about loans or suspicious actions.

Further events develop according to the classic scenario: the victim is persuaded to confirm transactions, transfer money to a "secure account", install unauthorized applications, demonstrate the screen or transfer access to the device, experts noted.

Anton Nemkin, a member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications, federal coordinator of the Digital Russia party project, told Izvestia that "Replacing the intercom" is another example of how intruders use everyday situations to get personal data and SMS codes.

Since June 1, an innovation has been in effect in Russia designed to block such schemes: a special code to confirm the operation will be sent only if a phone call is not being made on the mobile device at that moment. First of all, this concerns users of "Public Services". According to him, this increases the chances that a person will have time to break off contact with a fraudster, think about the situation and not transfer confidential data.

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

Door reception: the number of fake calls under the guise of replacing the intercom has tripled