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- Wrong turn: how scammers speculate on the topic of obtaining a driver's license
Wrong turn: how scammers speculate on the topic of obtaining a driver's license
Fraudsters can use various tricks against Russians who want to get or return a driver's license, experts have warned about this. Users are often willing to pay for a "quick solution" to an issue without thinking about the risks, which is what the attackers use, simultaneously collecting passport data and photos for other criminal schemes. For more information about how scammers speculate on the subject of driver's licenses, how dangerous such tricks are and how to protect yourself from them, read the Izvestia article.
What is the topic of a driver's license interesting to scammers?
For many people, a car is the most convenient way to travel, in particular, to get to work, the city center, or to take children to clubs, so the loss or deprivation of a driver's license can greatly affect everyday comfort, says an expert on network threats and a web developer at the Security Code company in an interview with Izvestia." Konstantin Gorbunov.
"Users are often willing to pay for a "quick fix" without thinking about the risks," the expert notes. — In addition, scammers collect passport data and photos, which they then use for other criminal schemes.
The topic of driver's licenses attracts fraudsters due to a combination of factors - the high emotional vulnerability of victims who are willing to pay for a prompt solution to the issue and the minimal cost of organizing schemes, adds Ekaterina Edemskaya, an analyst engineer at Gazinformservice. At the same time, the "service" is perceived by customers as valuable, which allows them to request large amounts. Another advantage for scammers is geographical flexibility: you can work from any region, making the search more difficult. And since many victims violate the law themselves by agreeing to "gray" methods, the likelihood of reporting to the police tends to zero, making the scheme virtually unpunished.
What driver's license schemes should we expect in 2026
In the spring of this year, we should expect an increase in the activity of scammers in popular messengers, where they will offer a "guaranteed" refund or receipt of rights. Phishing sites with detailed stories about the alleged difficulty of legal paperwork will also spread, Konstantin Gorbunov predicts. Payment will be requested in cryptocurrency, which makes it more difficult to track and refund money.
— Calls on behalf of driving schools will also continue in order to steal accounts on Gosuslugi, — the Izvestia interlocutor notes. — In addition, an increase in schemes using artificial intelligence is expected — deepfakes and voice imitations of alleged traffic police officers or lawyers to convince promises of early repayment of rights.
Ekaterina Edemskaya agrees that this spring scammers will actively use neural networks to create realistic fakes and fake pages of "official" messenger services. In particular, the scheme of "mirror" rights will remain, when the data of a real driver is combined with a photo of the client, but such fakes are becoming easier to detect through the digital databases of the traffic police.
At the same time, the risk of leaks is growing: attackers collect passports and signatures under the guise of paperwork, and then sell the data or take out loans per person. There may also be a surge in phishing under the pretext of "verifying rights through Public Services" with the requirement of confirmation codes. The main trend is masquerading as legal services, the Izvestia interlocutor notes.
What schemes on the topic of driver's licenses have you encountered before
Meanwhile, online fraudsters have been trying to speculate on the topic of obtaining a driver's license for several years: according to Evgeny Egorov, a leading analyst at the Digital Risk Protection department of F6, ads for the sale or assistance in returning a driver's license on behalf of "anonymous employees" of the inspectorate regularly appear on messengers and social networks. Scammers announce approximate prices from 20 to 90 thousand rubles, depending on the category.
"The attackers promise victims "legal" documents that they will allegedly add to the traffic police register — they first require an advance payment, 40-50% of the cost, and bank details," the expert says. — After receiving the money, under the pretext of registration of rights, the fraudsters ask to send passport data, a photo of the signature on a white sheet, a scan of individual pages of the passport and a medical certificate.
If the latter is not available, the scammers offer to "arrange" it for an additional fee of about 5 thousand rubles, notes Evgeny Egorov. Using the obtained data, the attackers create a picture or video of a fake document that does not exist. The scammers send these images to the victim and demand to deposit the remaining money, after which they promise to add the ID to the database. Immediately after the transfer of the remaining amount, the attackers disappear. According to the source, as of the beginning of 2025, at least three cybercriminal groups used this scheme.
Who are the drivers license schemes aimed at and what are the dangers?
First of all, the driver's license schemes are aimed at motorists who have already faced problems: deprivation or the need for urgent replacement of documents, as well as fines, says Nikita Novikov, an expert on cybersecurity at Angara Security. At the same time, those for whom the car is part of their professional activity are especially vulnerable.
— First of all, students of driving schools are at risk, as well as motorists, for whom disqualification is a rather critical step that can dramatically reduce their comfort level or completely deprive them of income (for example, taxi drivers), — adds Konstantin Gorbunov.
According to the expert, such schemes entail three main risks: financial losses, criminal prosecution for trafficking in forged documents, as well as compromising personal data with the possibility of using them for illegal purposes. In addition, there is a danger of blackmail: knowing about an illegal transaction, scammers can demand new amounts under threat of exposure, warns Ekaterina Edemskaya.
How to protect yourself from fraud schemes on the topic of driver's licenses
In order to protect themselves from fraud schemes on the subject of driver's licenses, cybersecurity experts interviewed by Izvestia advise following certain rules. In particular, Ekaterina Edemskaya reminds that legal registration or return of rights is possible only through a personal appeal to the traffic police. The transfer of passport scans, photos, or document data to unknown persons creates risks of leakage and further fraud.
— Official services work exclusively on the domains of public services and traffic police, any other resources should be considered suspicious, — the expert emphasizes. — Promises of "guaranteed results" or "adding money to the database" are always a sign of deception. Vigilance, checking sources, and avoiding gray schemes remain the most effective precautions.
It is important to carefully check the addresses of websites and not pass on confirmation codes or personal data to third parties, Nikita Novikov adds. Any attempts to put pressure on urgency or proposals to resolve the issue remotely outside of official procedures are a sign of fraud.
— Remember that counterfeiting and buying counterfeit papers is a crime that is punishable by law. Those who transfer personal information to such "sellers" can be attacked using other fraudulent schemes," concludes Evgeny Egorov.
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