- Статьи
- Internet and technology
- Parade calculation: what schemes to expect from scammers before May 9th
Parade calculation: what schemes to expect from scammers before May 9th
Fraudsters can use various schemes to deceive Russians before May 9, experts have warned about this. In previous years, the attackers have already used tricks related to non-existent compensation, directed against the elderly, including veterans of the Great Patriotic War. This scenario may happen again this spring. For more information about what schemes to expect from scammers before Victory Day in 2026, what are the dangers of these tricks and how to protect yourself from them, read the Izvestia article.
What is the topic of May 9th interesting to scammers?
The schemes of fraudsters before Victory Day are a classic manipulation through an "emotional hook," the chairman of the Coordinating Council of the non—governmental security sector (CS of the National Security Service of Russia) said in an interview with Izvestia Igor Bederov.
— May 9 is a sacred date for most families where the memory of the war is alive, — says the expert. — Criminals understand this perfectly well and work on two fronts at once: on the one hand, they put pressure on a sense of nostalgia and respect for the older generation, and on the other, they use a social information channel about allegedly due payments.
According to him, the theme of May 9 turns the "cold" call center of scammers into a trust machine, in front of which an elderly person loses his vigilance faster. According to analysts at major banks, the "Victory Day payments and gifts" scheme has become a regular, systematically recurring social engineering technique. The attackers do not need a complex hack — they just need to force the victim to voluntarily give the code from the SMS, the source said.
In turn, Irina Dmitrieva, an expert in the field of cybersecurity and analyst at Gazinformservice, draws attention to the fact that the exploitation of patriotic sentiments is convenient for influencing any stratum of the population — from young people who are ready to respond to the collection of financial assistance to military veterans, to veterans themselves who would like to receive support in any of its incarnations..
What schemes of scammers to expect for Victory Day in 2026
By Victory Day this spring, fraud schemes targeting the elderly, including war veterans, may become more active, says Evgeny Egorov, a leading analyst at the Digital Risk Protection department at F6. According to the expert, in previous years, criminals offered potential victims non-existent lump-sum payments ranging from 50,000 to 300,000 rubles, but before receiving the funds, the victim had to pay a "commission", "conversion" or "legal services".
—As a result, cybercriminals stole significant amounts of money from the accounts of the victims," the source tells Izvestia. — It is likely that this year criminals will again try to use deception schemes related to the topic of payments.
One of the most dangerous tricks before May 9 is phishing sites promising to arrange a payment on behalf of government platforms or funds for veterans or relatives of participants in their military operations by Victory Day, agrees CEO of Secure-T (Solar Group) Khariton Nikishkin. On one of these sites, as the expert notes, the second, for example, promises a payment of 50-200 thousand rubles.
However, if you enter your username, phone number, and text message code on a similar online resource, the user will give the scammers access to their confidential data, which the attackers are happy to use against the victims, instead of receiving a payment.
In addition, on the eve of the holiday, criminals are actively distributing malicious greeting cards, Khariton Nikishkin continues.
— Such congratulations on the file can be received both in messengers and by mail. There is a virus inside the postcard that can steal data from the user's device, including passwords and access to banking applications, he warns. — Finally, offers with huge discounts or sudden charity fees before May 9th can also be a hoax.
What fraud schemes have you encountered before May 9th?
Meanwhile, fraudsters have been trying to use various schemes to deceive Russians before Victory Day for several years. According to Nikita Novikov, an expert on cybersecurity at Angara Security, most fraudulent tricks against pensioners and veterans have traditionally been based on offering gifts and cash payments.
"The attackers posed as representatives of state and municipal authorities, social protection, and promised the victims lump—sum payments and gifts for Victory Day," the source tells Izvestia. — In order to receive money, elderly people were asked to give a text message code or provide bank card details under the guise of "confirming the transfer" or "paying taxes."
One of the non—classical schemes of the past years is the supposedly free "help" of intruders in collecting information about a missing relative during the Great Patriotic War, Irina Dmitrieva adds. As a rule, to provide such assistance, it was necessary to fill out a phishing form in which the hooked victims entered their personal data.
Fraud schemes associated with the Great Victory Day commemoration have an impact on both military veterans and their relatives and all people involved in the commemoration who regularly participate in charity events, the expert notes. At the same time, according to Nikita Novikov, anyone who opens a greeting card with malicious code or is led to an advertisement leading to a phishing site can become a victim of intruders.
— The main target is, of course, citizens over the age of 75, especially veterans and equivalent categories, — admits Igor Bederov. — However, in 2026, the attackers shifted their focus to the grandchildren and children of the elderly. Some of the new schemes target grandchildren, who have family photo archives and banking applications stored on their laptops.
How to protect yourself from fraud schemes before Victory Day
In order to protect themselves from the tricks of scammers in the run-up to May 9, experts interviewed by Izvestia advise following certain cybersecurity rules. In particular, as Evgeny Egorov notes, it is worth checking the sites you are going to visit, especially if you want to enter bank or other personal data on them.
— One of the ways to check is using Whois services, where you can find out the date of domain registration, — says the specialist. — Scammers usually register domains a couple of days before the attack — such resources are highly likely to be fraudulent.
In addition, according to Evgeny Egorov, attackers often create domain names that are consonant with well-known brands. The difference may be in one character, and it will not always be noticeable at first glance, but when you go to such a resource, you will find yourself on a fraudulent site.
In turn, Khariton Nikishkin recommends:
— check information about payments only on the official websites of government services by entering the address manually;
— use only proven services and applications for booking goods and services;
— do not transfer prepayment to private cards;
— do not click on links or download files from suspicious messages.
— If you have doubts about the information you received on the phone from unknown people, talk to your loved ones, and if you are invited to a meeting, take a trusted person with you, — Nikita Novikov concludes.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
