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- Admission has been opened: how scammers use the topic of admission to universities
Admission has been opened: how scammers use the topic of admission to universities
Fraudsters can use various deception schemes during admission campaigns to Russian universities, experts have warned about this. This period for applicants and their parents is always associated with stress, haste and fear of missing an opportunity or not having time to submit documents, which is what the attackers play on. For details on how criminals use the topic of university admission in 2026, what are the dangers of their tricks and how to protect themselves from them, read the Izvestia article.
What is the topic of university admission interesting to scammers?
The period of admission to the university is always associated with stress, haste and fear of missing an opportunity or not having time to submit documents, Konstantin Larin, head of the cyber intelligence department at Bastion, says in an interview with Izvestia. This is exactly what the attackers are playing on: applicants and parents react much more acutely to messages about "urgent enrollment", "additional lists", "problems with documents" or the need to confirm data faster.
"At the same time, many people themselves publish personal information in chat rooms, thematic groups, forums and educational platforms, making it easier for attackers to find potential victims," the expert notes.
The situation is complicated by the fact that university admission rules vary, rating lists are updated daily, and official documents are often written in such a way that they are difficult to understand even for a person with a law degree the first time, adds Sergey Tunchik, head of the Information Security sector of the Digital Economy League.
Against this background, he said, any "knowledgeable consultant" is perceived as a reliable source of help. At the same time, forging a website interface or a letter on behalf of the admissions committee is not a serious problem even for a person with average technical skills.
What schemes for university admission should we expect in 2026
During admission campaigns to Russian universities in 2026, as in previous years, multi-stage attacks using a screen demonstration are possible, says Elena Zavodova, head of the Audit and compliance department at the Ural Center for Security Systems (UCSB).
— An approximate scenario is as follows: attackers disguised as employees of the dean's office demand to register in a certain "educational environment", and during the call they offer to turn on a screen demonstration to "help with registration", actually trying to gain access to an account on "Public Services" at this time, — says the interlocutor of Izvestia.
She warns that attacks on online tutors and their students may also be actively developing through phishing links to "confirm payment" or "conduct classes." At the peak of the exam campaign, an increase in the number of incidents involving fake educational platforms is predicted — applicants' personal accounts, forms for entering data for admission, and so on. MTS Defender service experts also expect an increase in the number of schemes related to phishing pages: when entering personal data, a student is allegedly guaranteed to receive top marks in all exam subjects, which in fact turns out to be cheating.
In turn, Sergey Polunin, head of the Gazinformservice IT infrastructure solutions protection group, predicts that in 2026 targeted phishing against applicants and their parents will be distributed through messengers, fake websites of universities and "Public Services", as well as through malicious files in the form of archives with lists of applicants.
— In addition, scammers will speculate on the topic of dormitories and rental housing for students, but in this regard they are active all year round, — says the expert.
What schemes have you encountered before on the topic of admission to universities?
Malefactors have been trying to speculate on the topic of admission campaigns to Russian universities for several years. In particular, according to Konstantin Larin, fraudsters had previously offered applicants "guaranteed admission to the budget" or inclusion in some "additional lists" for money.
— At the same time, more widespread schemes with phishing links to fake websites of universities and departments were spread, through which scammers tried to gain access to accounts, personal data and documents of users, — says the expert.
In 2024-2025, dozens of services and Telegram communities were identified for selling "correct answers" to the Unified State Exam, as well as websites and groups on social networks where, under the guise of admissions committees, they promised to enroll in budget places for remuneration, Elena Zavodova notes in an interview with Izvestia. According to the expert, the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia also warned about the increasing number of cases of fake university websites that completely copied the design of official resources last summer.
These fake sites hosted electronic payment systems to collect money for priority entrance tests or trial testing, as well as services that mimic personal accounts and remote testing. At the same time, the scammers additionally entered into correspondence with applicants by e-mail and phone, offering paid services.
"The risks of such schemes go far beyond a one—time loss of money," warns Sergey Tunchik. — For admission to the university, a complete set of documents is collected: passport, SNILS, certificate, and in some cases, medical certificates. This set is enough to apply for loans in someone else's name, register fictitious companies and other schemes.
According to the expert, sometimes the consequences of fraudulent attacks become noticeable only after several months, for example, after appeals from banks or collectors. Financial losses can also be large: there were cases when families gave from 200 thousand to 400 thousand rubles for a non-existent place at the university. It is almost impossible to return the funds: scammers work through anonymous accounts and disappear quickly.
How to protect yourself from university admission schemes
In order to protect yourself from fraud schemes on the topic of university admission, Angara Security cybersecurity expert Nikolai Dolgov advises you to adhere to certain rules. The main thing is to check all information about admission only through official channels: the university's website, the applicant's personal account, Public Services, official phone numbers and the mail of the admissions committee.
— If a message has arrived in a messenger or a social network, it cannot be considered reliable without additional verification, — the interlocutor of Izvestia notes. — You cannot transfer money for "guaranteed admission", "saving a place", "speeding up the application process" or "help with the "budget".
According to Nikolai Dolgov, legitimate admission does not work through personal transfers to intermediaries. If someone promises a result for money, it's almost always a scam. Before uploading the documents, you need to carefully check the website address. Fake domains are often distinguished by a single letter, an extra word, a hyphen, or an unusual zone. It is better not to follow the link from the letter, but to manually open the official website of the university.
Universities do not require the transfer of personal data or confirmation codes via messengers or third-party websites, adds Andrey Sidenko, head of the Kaspersky Lab Online Child Safety department. If you feel pressure, this is a reason to be wary. In any unclear situation, do not hesitate to clarify the details with the prefect or the dean's office.
— Never click on links from messages received from unfamiliar numbers, and also do not provide SMS codes via voice calls, even if the caller introduces himself as an employee of the university, — advises the editorial interlocutor. — Contact the university's admissions office directly through the official website or by calling the number indicated on it. Please clarify if there are any problems with the documents.
It is important not to enter codes from SMS or push notifications if you are not sure who is requesting them. Finally, it is worth installing a reliable security solution on all devices — it will help to recognize phishing sites and malicious links, the expert concludes.
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