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- We went on shift: how scammers speculate on the topic of vouchers to children's camps
We went on shift: how scammers speculate on the topic of vouchers to children's camps
Malefactors can use various schemes to obtain vouchers to children's camps, experts have warned about this. Scammers take advantage of the human factor — the pursuit of the best offers, the desire to save money, trust in the presented activity programs and reviews allegedly written by satisfied parents. For more information about which holiday schemes in children's camps should be expected in the summer of 2026, who they are aimed at and how dangerous they are, as well as how to protect yourself from intruders, read the Izvestia article.
What is the topic of recreation in children's camps interesting to scammers?
The topic of summer camps is interesting to scammers primarily because of the demand, which is growing in May–June, when parents are actively looking for vouchers for children, says Maria Mikhailova, head of the Angara MTDR brand protection group, in an interview with Izvestia. Parents are afraid of missing out on places or benefits, which makes them more vulnerable to intruders.
— Another reason for the increased interest is the cost of the trip, — the expert notes. — For example, the price for accommodation in country health camps can start from 50 thousand rubles, so one successful attack pays off the scammers' efforts.
The attackers skillfully use the human factor: Elena Zavodova, head of the department of audits and compliance with information security requirements at the Ural Center for Security Systems, complements the haste when trying to get the best vouchers, the desire to save money, trust in the presented activity programs and reviews allegedly written by satisfied parents.
Fraudsters, according to the expert, use victims' motivation and use social engineering, creating a stir, including around "burning" offers with big discounts and promises of benefits when providing personal information.
What schemes on the topic of vouchers to children's camps to expect in 2026
Olga Altukhova, a cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky Lab, believes that one of the likely cheating options in 2026 is the traditional scheme of voting for a child in a competition to get a ticket to the camp. Within its framework, the user receives a message in the messenger, allegedly from an acquaintance or relative, asking them to support their son or daughter in the competition. It is also possible to add a person to group chats.
— To vote, it is suggested to click on the link, log in via messenger and enter the confirmation code, — says the interlocutor of Izvestia. — In fact, such a scheme can be used to steal an account. At the same time, having gained access to the account, attackers can use it to further spread fraudulent messages among the victim's contacts.
Meanwhile, according to Anastasia Osipova, an analyst at the Positive Technologies research group, in 2026, schemes with fake websites and communities on social networks are the most relevant in terms of vouchers to children's camps. Scammers copy the bright and memorable design of official resources, use the names of famous children's camps and travel agencies through which they distribute vouchers.
For greater persuasiveness, the attackers add reviews, set tempting prices and offer exclusive discounts, which are usually limited in time or number of trips, says the interlocutor of the editorial office. At the same time, such offers require a full prepayment or transfer of money to an individual's card. After the transaction, the website or group on the social network disappears, and it becomes impossible to contact the "organizers".
—Attackers can also create bots in instant messengers, for example, to "accept applications" or "book a seat," predicts Maria Mikhailova. — They can request a text message code or send a phishing link. Personal data of children and parents can also be collected through such bots.
What schemes on the topic of children's camps have you encountered before
Meanwhile, malefactors have been trying to use schemes on the topic of vouchers to children's camps to deceive Russians for several years. As Sergey Polunin, head of the Gazinformservice IT Infrastructure Solutions protection group, says in an interview with Izvestia, cybersecurity specialists had previously most often encountered variations of the two schemes.
— The first is a website with fake information about a non—existent camp, the second is an advertisement in a personal message about the opportunity to purchase a "burning" ticket to a very good camp at an attractive price, — says the specialist. — All this, as a rule, works very well and pays off, as it has been repeated from year to year for many years.
In addition, fraudsters used vouchers to children's camps as a prize in non-existent contests, voting in which hid phishing accounts in messengers, adds Maria Sinitsyna, senior analyst at Digital Risk Protection F6. And Maria Mikhailova recalls that the attackers created accounts in messengers with the logo of the Center for Children and Youth, a major operator of children's recreation in one of the regions of Russia, and offered to purchase vouchers. However, the center itself has officially stated that it does not sell vouchers in messengers.
According to Elena Zavodova, the main target of scammers in such schemes are parents who are actively looking for camps for children, as well as teenagers who, out of inexperience or gullibility, click on links promising interesting vacation options. At the same time, the key risks are associated with the theft of not only money, but also confidential information.
The process of booking a trip is accompanied by filling out a variety of questionnaires where it is necessary to specify sensitive personal data: birth certificate numbers, passport numbers and series, SNILS, residential addresses, phone numbers and other information about both the child and the parents.
"Having received this data, as well as access to accounts on Public Services or online banks, fraudsters can use the stolen information in a variety of criminal schemes," the expert warns. — Teenagers, whose social media accounts may also be the target of an attack, are particularly vulnerable in this regard.
How to protect yourself from schemes on the topic of vouchers to children's camps
In order to protect themselves from fraud schemes on the topic of recreation in children's camps, experts interviewed by Izvestia advise following certain safety rules. Anastasia Osipova recommends that you carefully check the information about the camp or travel agency through which you plan to apply for a trip. It is important to make sure that the information about the organization is included in the official register on the detskiyotdykh.rf portal.
— The camp's website should contain information about the head and administration, information about staff and counselors, as well as phone numbers, email address, postal address and links to official pages on social networks, — says the interlocutor of Izvestia.
It is important to pay special attention to the cost of a trip: a low price is the main way to draw attention to a fraudulent offer, the analyst notes. If the indicated price is two to three times less than that of other offers, it is almost always a hoax. Before choosing a trip, it is worth looking at alternative options to understand the acceptable cost limits.
In addition, experts recommend checking the reviews and reputation of a possible vacation destination. It is necessary to look for reviews on independent sites, not just on the camp's website. Additionally, you should pay attention to the details of the reviews, photos, dates and names of the users who left them. If all of the above looks the same, has no specifics, and contains only positive ratings, it's most likely a hoax.
— Finally, use only trusted resources — book trips through the official websites of children's camps and travel agencies, — concludes Anastasia Osipova. — Don't rely on questionable ads, social media communities, or messenger chats.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
