The expert spoke about protection from fraud in the housing and communal services sector

In recent months, fraud cases related to the management of apartment buildings have become more frequent in Russia. Intruders call or write to citizens, posing as chairmen, senior housekeepers, or representatives of management companies. Andrey Popov, head of the Information Security Department at Khlynov Bank, told Izvestia on November 4 how to protect yourself from scammers in the housing and communal services sector.

Scammers actively collect information about victims to increase the effectiveness of attacks. Various methods are used for this purpose. Among them are the parsing of public profiles in social networks, the purchase or theft of databases. Social engineering is also used when attackers call the victim's friends, posing as her or an employee of the organization, to find out more information.

"The attackers, under various pretexts, for example, to "clarify and update information about the owners of the apartment and the people living in it," ask for additional information — passport data, information about bank accounts and cards, or a one—time SMS code," Popov said.

If a person confides in him and provides passport data or bank card details, the specialist continued, fraudsters can gain access to his online banking or government services. The data obtained is often used to commit more complex crimes, when, for example, "police officers" or other "authorities" start calling the victim.

Popov stressed that in order to prevent fraud, it is important to follow a few simple rules — do not transfer personal data, do not click on suspicious links and do not open attachments from unfamiliar messages. It is also worth checking the information by contacting the management company on the official phone.

"Please note that the house committee and its representatives never process or collect such information, and employees of government departments and housing and communal services do not call citizens via messengers. Remember: the best protection against fraud is healthy skepticism and five minutes to verify information. Take care of yourself and your money," the expert concluded.

Earlier, on October 28, the Department for combating the illegal use of information and communication technologies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation reported that fraudsters began to actively deceive people through fake online stores of major brands, using the theme of sales, including during the "Black Friday" period. According to the agency, citizens may encounter fake online stores that copy the design of official sites, offer discounts of up to 90% and require prepayment.

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