How to recognize a call from scammers and not become a victim of phone scams

The number of phone frauds in Russia continues to grow, despite the active work of law enforcement agencies and banks to counter cybercriminals. Calls from alleged employees of banks, government or law enforcement agencies have become part of the daily reality for many Russians. How hackers work, what to pay attention to during a conversation, and what security rules will help save data and money are described in the Izvestia article.

Who is more likely to fall for the tricks of scammers

It is widely believed that mostly careless, elderly or insufficiently literate people fall for the tricks of scammers. However, statistics refute this stereotype. According to the Bank of Russia, the most common victims of intruders are economically active Russians between the ages of 25 and 64, who have a stable income, several bank accounts and regularly use digital services.

Children and teenagers are especially vulnerable due to the fact that it is easier to deceive them, attract them with easy earnings and involve them in fraudulent schemes. The Central Bank points out that every tenth defrauded citizen is between the ages of 14 and 19. There is also an increase in the number of citizens over the age of 65 among the victims. Moreover, the proportion of women is significantly higher than the proportion of men.

Scammers are well trained in psychology and social engineering techniques. They know how to adapt to the victim, manipulating her emotions and trust, and constantly improve their scenarios using the official symbols of banking or government structures. Therefore, a person of any age, social status, level of education and income can fall for the bait of scammers.

What information are scammers collecting?

Having only the phone number of a potential victim at their disposal, fraudsters can obtain a significant amount of information about her: establish the region of registration of the number, find out the name and patronymic of the owner through merged databases, and also determine which bank she uses.

This allows you to address a person by name using their personal information, which significantly increases trust. Later, during the conversation, the attackers extract confidential or financial information in order to gain access to data and, ultimately, to money. To do this, they seek to find out:

• codes from SMS messages;.
• bank card details;.
• login information for online banking;.
• passport data.

What schemes are used by scammers?

In order for the victim to lose his vigilance and not have time to check the information, scammers use different schemes and apply well-practiced psychological techniques. Often, combined attacks are used, combining techniques and psychological manipulations.

One of the most common schemes is a call from a "bank security officer." The caller reports suspicious transactions, an attempt to apply for a loan, or account hacking. To "protect funds," he asks you to provide SMS codes and transfer money to a "secure account."

Fraudsters are no less often represented by employees of state or law enforcement agencies — the police, the prosecutor's office, the FSB and Rosfinmonitoring. They claim that a criminal case has been opened against the victim, her accounts are involved in money laundering and require them to follow their instructions to resolve the problem. In case of disobedience, the scammers threaten arrest and trial.

Calls on behalf of a specialist from a telecom operator or a delivery service are also common. Under the pretext of blocking the number, problems with the parcel, or the need to extend the service, the attacker forces you to click on the link, install a malicious application, or provide confidential data.

A separate scheme aimed at pensioners is a call from a "social service or foundation employee." The scammer promises payments, compensations or benefits, which require "paying state duty" or providing access to a bank card. After that, the pensioner is left without his savings.

How scammers steal access to "Public Services"

To gain access to an account on the Gosuslugi portal, fraudsters most often use the phishing method, creating fake "twin" sites or sending SMS messages to the victim with false warnings and links to "verify identity" or "unlock the account."

By clicking on such a link and entering their username, password, and one-time SMS code, the user voluntarily gives the attackers the keys to access personal data. Another common method is a call from a "technical support" or "security service" employee, who, under the pretext of verification or threat of hacking, convinces a person to dictate the received confirmation code.

A compromised account provides access to a vast array of personal data, from passport information and INN to information about real estate, driver's licenses and medical policies. As a result, fraudsters get their hands on a powerful tool to commit a range of crimes.

For example, they can apply for online loans or loans, use the data for blackmail and new fraudulent schemes. Thus, the loss of access to the Gosuslug account is not just an inconvenience, but a serious threat to the financial security and privacy of a citizen.

What should alert you in a conversation

Cybersecurity experts and law enforcement agencies advise hanging up the phone if at least one of several key signs is present in the conversation. The first and most obvious is a call from an unknown number, especially received via messenger.

It is important to remember that official institutions do not use Telegram, Viber, or WhatsApp (owned by Meta, whose activities are recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) to resolve financial or legal issues. And the presence of the bank's logo in the avatar of the account in the messenger is not a guarantee of its authenticity.

Other alarming signals:

• The interlocutor demands immediate action, without giving time to think about and verify the information.
• Please provide confidential information (PIN, CVV card code, or SMS password).
• An offer to "protect" accounts by transferring money to another account.
• Threats and blackmail in case of refusal to comply with the requirements.
• Please provide access to the device's screen or install an application that is not from the official App Store or Google Play.

How to protect yourself and your loved ones from scammers

Following simple rules will reduce the risk of becoming a victim of scams to a minimum. The main rule is never to tell anyone the codes from SMS, passwords, full card details and other data — banks do not request them. It is strictly forbidden to follow the links from messages from unfamiliar numbers and install the suggested programs on your smartphone.

At the slightest suspicion of fraud, a suspicious call should be terminated. If the information you provided seemed important, you can call the organization on whose behalf you called at the number indicated on the website or on the back of the bank card.

It is also important to keep in mind the specifics of the departments' work. Employees of the Central Bank do not call individuals, their function is to supervise financial institutions. Police officers, prosecutors, and the FSB do not resolve issues requiring money transfers by phone. Their task is to inform and invite them to the department for paperwork.

It would not be superfluous to enable additional security options in banking applications, in particular, to set limits on online transactions. To protect elderly relatives, you can use special services, for example, "Close by" in the Savings Bank, which will notify family members about suspicious transactions.

What should I do if the data got to the scammers?

If the attackers still managed to get the codes from the SMS and other information, it is necessary to act immediately and according to a strict algorithm, reporting the fraud to the police and the bank.

• The first step is to block the card and accounts, preventing criminals from further accessing the funds.
• The second step is to report a fraud attempt to your bank via the website or mobile application. In the request, you need to specify the number from which you called, the time of the call, describe the deception scheme and provide all known information about the attacker.
• The third step is to file a police report. You can do this through the nearest branch or online through the Gosuslugi portal. The sooner the application is filed, the higher the chances of law enforcement agencies detaining criminals.

Additionally, you can file a complaint about a suspicious phone number on the Roskomnadzor website or through a special anti-fraud application from the Bank of Russia.

Earlier, Izvestia wrote that scammers began using accounts of "deceased" people.

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