Russians were warned about fraud when playing "Secret Santa" online

On the eve of the New Year, Russians participate in the popular game "Secret Santa" on social networks and messengers. In real life, the action is an anonymous gift giving, which gives all its participants a festive mood and a sense of surprise. However, this action can be dangerous online, experts from the Solar AURA Monitoring Center for external digital threats warn Solar Group. They told Izvestia about this on December 24.

"Users can not only be left without gifts, but also become accomplices in a dangerous crime. The essence of the game in social networks is as follows: users publicly share bank card data in the hope that another participant in the campaign will want to become their "Secret Santa" and transfer money to the account as a New Year's gift," the experts explained.

Gift selection: fraudsters have intensified attacks on Russians under the guise of delivery

The number of such calls has doubled since mid-December.

On the one hand, it may seem that there is nothing wrong with publishing a card number without a three-digit code on the back or a PIN, but droppers can use public data for criminal purposes.

The scheme looks like this: a fraudster sends money to an unsuspecting user, contacts him, warns him that he made a mistake, and then asks him to transfer money to a card that belongs to the drops and is used for money laundering. As a result, the user becomes an accomplice to a criminal offense.

In order not to become a violator of the law, experts from the Solar AURA Monitoring center for external digital threats recommend carefully monitoring transactions and, if possible, setting up alerts about all transactions on a bank card.

"There is no need to share any bank card data in the public space. Also, you should not rush and constantly improve financial and computer literacy," the experts concluded.

On May 12, the Department for Combating the Illegal Use of Information and Communication Technologies (UBK) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation reported that fraudsters disguised as buyers could steal bank card data by offering to pay for goods to the seller through a payment on an allegedly secure website. According to the agency, the information ends up in the hands of intruders when clicking on the link.

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