The Interior Ministry described a three-stage scheme for remote fraudsters

When implementing their criminal schemes, attackers operating remotely operate in three stages, first subjecting the victim to psychological treatment, and then forcing them to transfer money to them. This was reported on May 30 in the press center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.

"At the initial stage, regardless of the method of its implementation, there may be no direct theft of personal or credentials, since the true purpose is psychological impact," the department told TASS.

Following this, the tone of communication changes dramatically, and the reality of the threat is confirmed by SMS messages with codes from microfinance organizations that arrive on the phone of the deceived person. At this point, the victim is convinced of the attackers' complete control over her accounts.

At the final stage, a stressed citizen is offered a way out of the situation — a voluntary transfer or transfer of funds under the pretext of their "declaration" or protection. At this point, the citizen is contacted by an allegedly authorized person who is ready to help avoid negative consequences.

"The attackers may pose as law enforcement officers, supervisors, or representatives of non—existent organizations," the Interior Ministry said.

To enhance the psychological effect, criminals demonstrate fake powers of attorney issued to individuals who are included in the register of terrorists and extremists. According to law enforcement officials, scammers use couriers, dropper accounts, or specialized malicious software to withdraw stolen funds.

Content without brakes: criminal AI service appeared on the darknet

Attackers actively use it in fraudulent schemes and the creation of viruses.

On May 25, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation reported that criminals had learned how to fake the voices of their well-known colleagues and employees from the Investigative Committee (IC) of the Russian Federation using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The voice change, as added in the department, usually occurs in real time. It was noted that fraudsters began using such methods as early as 2025.