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- Preparing for the date: what schemes to expect from scammers before Russia Day
Preparing for the date: what schemes to expect from scammers before Russia Day
Fraudsters can use various schemes to deceive users before Russia Day, which is traditionally celebrated on June 12, experts have warned about this. In particular, there may be scenarios with promises of cash payments in honor of a holiday date, as well as phishing on the topic of rest on a three-day weekend. For more information about what schemes to expect from scammers before Russia Day, what are the dangers of such tricks and how to protect yourself from them, read the Izvestia article.
Why is the theme of Russia Day interesting to scammers
On the eve of Russia Day, scammers have two main areas for speculation, says Alexandra Shmigirilova, GR director of the Security Code information security company, in an interview with Izvestia. The first of them is due to the fact that Russia Day is an official holiday, to which various payments and rewards can be linked. This means that attackers have the opportunity to use June 12 as an excuse to commit fraudulent acts, for example, pretending to be employees of official government agencies.
"People who are ready for a holiday are waiting for something pleasant — and scammers under the guise of government agencies or brands offer "bonuses" and "payments," says Elena Zavodova, head of the department of audits and compliance with information Security requirements at the Ural Center for Security Systems (UCSB). — It is important for scammers to create an illusion of legitimacy so that a person can disclose sensitive data without suspicion.
The second direction, according to Alexandra Shmigirilova, is due to the fact that in 2026 Russia Day falls on a Friday, which means that Russians get a short vacation along with the weekend: you can plan a vacation outside the city or a tourist trip, visiting restaurants with family or friends, excursions, and so on. Here, scammers act like on any other holiday: they try to gain access to money and personal data of citizens by offering profitable purchases or travel packages.
What fraudulent schemes to expect for Russia Day in 2026
In 2026, experts had already encountered schemes in which attackers used a website designed in the corporate style of a large bank and invited users to participate in a festive campaign dedicated to Russia Day, says Olga Altukhova, a cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky Lab. Under the pretext of passing a short survey, the victims were promised a monetary reward.
— After completing the survey, the user was informed about the winnings and asked to enter personal data, phone number and bank card details to receive the payment, — says the interlocutor of Izvestia. — Then the scammers requested a confirmation code, claiming that it was necessary to transfer funds.
According to the expert, as a result, the user risked not only losing money, but also compromising his account. In turn, Evgeny Egorov, a leading analyst at F6's Digital Risk Protection department, does not rule out scenarios in which users will be promised cash payments in honor of a holiday date — usually such schemes are launched a few days before the holiday.
There may also be scams in which Russia Day will be used as an excuse for promotions with unique offers or discounts on the purchase of goods and services. According to Yevgeny Egorov, fraudsters can also target phishing and other criminal schemes on residents of Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions and the Republic of Crimea.
— On the second week of June, when Russia Day is celebrated, there are three consecutive days off — at this time, many users plan various trips, — the expert notes. — Therefore, you should beware of fake websites selling airline tickets, as well as phishing websites for booking and renting housing.
What cyber threats have you encountered before Russia Day?
Cybersecurity experts record the practice of conducting cyber attacks on the eve of Russia Day from year to year, and hackers schedule their public coverage directly to June 12, Elena Zavodova says in an interview with Izvestia. In 2025, on this holiday, the largest Siberian ISP was subjected to a powerful DDoS attack, as a result of which key services, including Internet access, were temporarily unavailable.
"The attackers' goal was not just to disrupt communications, but also to cause reputational damage: they overloaded the company's infrastructure with a huge number of requests, which is a classic sign of such an attack," she notes. — On the same day, the online services of one of the largest transport companies in Russia were also subjected to DDoS attacks.
According to the interlocutor of the editorial office, among the fraudulent schemes aimed at stealing money and data, before Russia Day in previous years, scams with fake government payments were the leaders. In 2025, mass mailings of messages were recorded on behalf of Gosuslug, the Ministry of Finance, or a fictitious Single Payment Center with the promise of a bonus timed to coincide with June 12. To receive money, the victim was asked to follow a phishing link to a fake website and enter personal data and bank card details there.
In addition, on the eve of the holiday date in 2025, Roskachestvo experts warned about the proliferation of Telegram bots that offered to participate in a prize draw "from the state" with the promise of winnings up to 1 million rubles. To participate, the bots were required to provide contacts and an SMS code, which allowed the attackers to steal citizens' accounts.
— Schemes with pre—holiday offers are aimed mainly at pensioners who use instant messengers, social networks and e-mail and at the same time actively accept incoming calls from unfamiliar numbers, - says Irina Dmitrieva, an expert in the field of cybersecurity and analyst at Gazinformservice.
In addition, pressure from scammers can affect inquisitive people who do not pass by links with interesting offers, impressionable citizens who trust websites with logos of government resources and banks, as well as those in need of social benefits or experiencing financial difficulties, the analyst emphasizes.
How to protect yourself from fraud schemes before Russia Day
In order to protect themselves from fraud schemes before June 12, experts interviewed by Izvestia advise following certain cybersecurity rules. In terms of booking a vacation, Alexandra Shmigirilova advises to be careful, not to take risks, include critical thinking, be careful with documents and check all information twice.
— Do not pay for anything using links received in messengers or through social networks, avoid 100% prepayment, be sure to sign contracts, as well as draw up certificates and receipts, — recommends the editorial interlocutor.
And if any "officials" call the user and inform them about the alleged payments, you need to hang up and check the information online on official websites to see if such a decree or bill exists, the expert says. If a person really needs money, then their transfer can be made on the "Public Services" through a personal account or by visiting the MFC — it is important to remember that such services are not issued by phone.
In turn, Olga Altukhova urges to be critical of any reports about winnings, payouts or special promotions. It is important to check information only through the official websites and applications of organizations, not to follow links from suspicious emails and messages, and also to use security solutions that help identify phishing resources and warn the user about an attempt to switch to a fraudulent site, the expert concludes.
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