- Статьи
- Society
- If you're lucky in the cards: Russians are being deceived with the help of virtual credit cards
If you're lucky in the cards: Russians are being deceived with the help of virtual credit cards
Scammers lure out personal information under the guise of offering to issue a virtual credit card, the Interior Ministry said. Izvestia investigated what measures are already being taken to prevent such crimes, as well as how users can distinguish a fake card offer from a real one.
New tricks with credit cards
Fraudsters are increasingly luring Russians with promises to approve a large loan, even to those who have a damaged credit history or receive a pension. Under this pretext, they convince you to visit a fake website, enter personal information there and make a "commission" fee. As a result, all the transmitted information gets to the attackers, who use it to steal funds and other illegal actions.
The Interior Ministry warns: you should not trust promises of a loan to everyone, and even more so, send an advance payment until the loan is confirmed. Citizens are also advised not to leave personal information on questionable Internet resources.
Attackers are constantly coming up with modern ways to steal money using digital tools, Inna Litvinenko, associate professor of Economics and Management at the Russian State University of Social Technologies and a member of the public council under the Ministry of Education and Science, told Izvestia.
Technologies that are supposed to ensure the safety of citizens and protect them from fraud are simultaneously becoming the ground for the emergence of new forms of cybercrime and financial scams.
Given that over half of the population already has loans, the attackers take advantage of this by offering fictitious ways to "fix" their credit history, she noted. Such promises should alert anyone who is faced with an offer to apply for a loan immediately, providing personal information.
Any official bank has its own system for verifying clients and their past obligations, so it does not require any additional fees for reviewing the application. Insisting on a commission is another alarming signal indicating possible fraud.
— The most important advice in this situation is not to rush to make a decision and not to engage in dialogue. If you need to take out a loan, and the conditions are so tempting, you need to check online whether this credit institution has a license issued by the Bank of Russia," the expert noted. — The specified information is public and publicly available.
At the same time, according to her, it is not necessary to clarify these data with the representatives of the financial structure themselves, but it is better to check on your own, interrupting communication and giving yourself time to think soberly and evaluate the proposal.
Common Cyber Fraud Formats
Nowadays, scammers are more actively using messengers, social networks and fake websites, sending tempting offers to issue a "profitable" bank card, Sergey Elin, an expert on financial and legal security at the Moscow branch of Opora Russia, told Izvestia.
Deception can be detected by a number of signs. This is communication through unofficial channels, the presence of errors in the text, urgent requests to urgently transfer personal or payment information, as well as links of questionable origin.
Real financial organizations issue cards exclusively through their own websites, applications, or branches and never ask for PIN codes, SMS passwords, or the card itself.
"In 2025, Russia is implementing a wide range of legislative and technological measures aimed at curbing financial crimes," he recalled. — Banks are required to carefully verify the identity of customers when issuing cards, increased control over the activities of intermediaries and offices, and the possibility of remote activation without the personal presence of the customer is excluded.
At the same time, new protection mechanisms have been introduced: a self-locking function for making loans, a cooling-off period for making an informed decision, the ability to file a complaint against fraudsters and receive certificates of suspicious transactions directly through banking applications.
A single anti-fraud platform that unites the efforts of financial organizations is also actively developing. In addition, educational campaigns are being conducted, labeling of phone calls has been introduced, and programs to inform the public about the most common fraud schemes have been expanded.
If a person has already transferred their data or card to intruders, it is necessary to immediately block the card through a banking application or by phone, as well as change passwords to all financial services, Sergei Yelin noted. You should contact the bank for advice and get a certificate that you may need to contact the police, and if you suspect a compromise of the SIM card, notify the telecom operator. Quick reaction and informing the bank often help to prevent financial damage.
Fraudsters most often use unofficial communication channels — messengers, social networks or personal numbers, Petr Shcherbachenko, associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, confirmed in an interview with Izvestia.
Real banks send messages only through official applications, SMS from a company number or e-mail, and also never ask for CVV codes, SMS passwords or card details to "verify identity" or pay for services. A classic trick of scammers is to create artificial urgency by reporting account blockages or suspicious transactions in order to force the victim to act quickly.
— The fight against fraud is conducted on several levels: banks use anti-fraud systems, behavioral pattern analysis and multifactor authentication to block suspicious transactions in real time. The government is introducing protective measures: self-locking on loans and cards, a cooling—off period for issuing loans, special buttons for complaints in bank applications and a limit on the number of registered SIM cards per person to reduce the risks of fraud," he noted.
In case of a data leak, he said, it is necessary to act immediately — block the card through the app or by phone, contact the bank to track suspicious transactions and contact the police, providing all known information about fraudulent activity. Quick reaction helps to minimize financial losses and prevents new crimes.
Izvestia sent a request to the Interior Ministry's press service, but no response had been received at the time of publication.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
