Roskachestvo told about a new scheme of deception with the substitution of contacts in the phone

Scammers use a scheme to substitute contacts in the phone, sending messages with fake offers and attaching a file with an extension.vcf, which updates the contact in the phone book when opened. This was reported on March 4 to Izvestia at the Roskachestvo Digital Expertise Center.

According to the press service, scammers send messages via messengers or by SMS, disguising them as notifications from banks, government agencies or open vacancies. The message contains a file with the extension.VCF is a standard business card that stores contact information. The user is asked to open the file to confirm the data or receive "important" information.

According to the department, if the victim opens the file, the smartphone will offer to save or update the contact. At the same time, if the person agrees, the scammers end up in his phone book under a name that inspires confidence, for example, "Bank Technical Support" or "Mom."

The danger lies in the fact that, having seen a familiar name, the victim will not suspect fraud, and when calling, fraudsters can extract personal information or gain access to accounts. This scheme works on all devices because of the format.VCF is supported by any phones, Roskachestvo added.

"If a familiar contact calls you, but at the same time threatens or promises unprecedented benefits, the best strategy is to interrupt the conversation and call back or write yourself. Take the number only from the official website of the organization. If a friend is calling, contact them in another way: via social media, on your work phone, or ask a mutual friend to check. One minute for verification can save you money and nerves," said Sergey Kuzmenko, head of the Roskachestvo Digital Expertise Center.

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On the same day, the UBK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia warned that fraudsters had created a fake chatbot masquerading as the country's Federal Tax Service. Users are asked to provide their full name, phone number and send a confirmation code. The bot does not provide access to the real services of the tax service.

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