Every month is a new scheme

All you need to know about telephone scammers and ways to protect them

In 2023, the Russians and business, according to the Central Bank, gave 15.8 billion rubles to telephone and cyber abusions. The victims managed to return only 1.4 billion. According to the VTsIOM of February 2024, 63% of respondents collided with scammers. Most often, attackers call under the guise of police or bank employees, as well as sending phishing links. "Cold" talks about the most common schemes of deception, how to protect yourself from them and what to do if you still transferred money to criminals.

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This material is divided into three parts. In the first - we talk in detail about the current schemes that scammers use today. In the second - we give a short memo, about how to recognize a fraudster. And in the third , we explain what to do if you still believed the attackers and transferred money to them. You can read in any order.

How can you deceive you

"Safe score"

The essence of the now popular schemes on the phone is happy is simple: they convince a potential victim by any means to withdraw money from their accounts and put it on a “safe score”, to which criminals have access to.

How it works: a fraudster on the phone seems to be a police officer and says that there has been a massive data leak from the bank and now they are trying to withdraw money from your account.

As a rule, fraudsters call potential victims in the messenger (WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram), but not always: sometimes they use special services to use the “Replace the number” to convince the person that they really call the police. And even during the conversation, I propose to make sure of this and look for the number of the duty unit, where the fake policeman supposedly works.

Often scammers say that money is trying to withdraw from the “main account in the Central Bank”, which allegedly everyone who made accounts in any Russian banks has. At the same time, such accounts do not really exist , and the Central Bank does not work with individuals. But the victim is not given the opportunity to figure it out and consult with loved ones, because the money is supposedly under threat and you need to urgently take measures - to withdraw money at the ATM and send it to a new “safe” account.

What to pay attention to: scammers are asking the victim not to put the phone, and also set it up against real bank employees. For example, they say that it was precisely due to the fault of the bank that a leak occurred, which means that you should not tell him what you are doing.

Scammers regularly come up with new schemes. For example, in May, the Central Bank warned that criminals deliberately call the war participants in Ukraine and their relatives. Interlocutors report that for “violation in the performance of official duties in the zone of special military operations” they are going to pick up a one -time payment of 195 thousand rubles. And so that this does not happen, they offer to transfer all the money to another account until the situation is resolved.

"Falling boss"

Fraudsters write (and sometimes even call) victims on behalf of their leader.

How it works: for this method, fraudsters aimedly calculate the heads of companies and organizations, sometimes with the help of leaks they recognize their social networks and detailed information about the organization in order to be more convincing in conversation with potential victims.

After that, scammers create a fake account in messengers or hacking a real leader’s account and write to his subordinates.

And sometimes they call

Criminals learned to imitate a voice using Deepfake technology. To do this, they either hold a preliminary call to get a sample of the voice of the right person, or use voice messages in a hacked account.

The fake leader warns that after him the employees of an important department or security service will call, and asks to strictly follow the instructions, otherwise the company will have serious problems, and the interlocutor may lose their job.

At the next stage, the victim, if it can conduct transactions on behalf of the company, are asked to transfer money to another account. Employees are convinced to transfer personal accumulations - for example, to cover the cash gap of the company during the audit. Sometimes “leaders” are complete without intermediaries and directly ask for money.

What to pay attention to: sometimes scammers call under the guise of a future employer. They place a vacancy and offer candidates to talk in the video. During the conversation, the attackers ask to fill out the questionnaire, including indicate data from bank cards and include the screen recording in order to save this information.

Voice message "From a friend"

The updated version of the popular fraud method, when a person’s akount on social networks and messengers hacks and sends the messages to help with money.

How it works: now acquaintances, friends and relatives are sent not only by text, but also voice messages on behalf of the account owner. To do this, scammers alsouse cuts of previously sent voice. In order not to arouse suspicion, they study correspondence with a potential victim. They can imitate the style of writing and mention something that has already been discussed in correspondence.

What to pay attention to: if your phone goes crazy from spam messages, check your messengers. A resident of Volgograd, whose account was hacked to lure money from her acquaintances, said that she was attacked with spam and calls through SMS bombers so that she could not quickly return access to her account.

Threats with fines and criminal cases

Fraudsters convince a person that he is an accomplice in the crime and actively intimidate him.

How it works: an attacker seems to be a police officer or FSB and says that the accounts' accounts were hacked and transferred money from them. The potential victim is intimidated by a huge time for the Stateizer and asked to transfer all the money to another account, from where they can not be transferred to the military.

In addition, the interlocutor is asked to take a loan, supposedly to “help to calculate” the bank employee who stole personal data. One of the victims that failed to deceive told reporters that after she refused to transfer money, the “policeman” tried to emotionally put pressure on her: he threatened that the outfit would come for her and put her in the colony.

Sometimes scammers call under the guise of police officers and scare the victim that the criminal case threatens her relative. For example, they say that a family member became the culprit of an accident and, so that he is not detained, you need to transfer money.

What to pay attention to: criminals are not limited only to calls in instant messengers and can offer to chat in the video. Law enforcement agencies warn that, with the help of artificial intelligence, scammers can create the appearance of the fact that they are dressed in uniforms or to recreate the atmosphere of the office. So, in March of this year, a resident of the city of Zuevka gave the fraudster 300 thousand rubles: she was sure that by video communication the real Employee of the FSB communicated with her, because she saw in his office “symbols of state power and portraits hanging on the wall”.

Fake applications and QR codes

Fraudsters offer to install a fake technical support application of the bank

How it works: the script is the same-the attackers call the potential victim again and say that someone is trying to withdraw money or take a loan. But this time they ask to install the application of the technical support of the bank, which will help to solve the problem and send the link. Of course, this application has nothing to do with technical support: in fact, it is a remote access tool with which criminals will be able to control the victim’s smartphone. Including gain access to banking information and receive codes for confirmation of banking operations.

In some cases, “bank employees” offer to call the video, asks to go to the banking application and, under some pretext, turn on the screen demonstration function. Thus, scammers immediately see the numbers of cards, and the balance of the account, and the protective code of the CVC. Or they ask to send a QR code from the user’s mobile application, with which you can withdraw money at the ATM.

Not only banks users

Face applications are deceived not only by bank customers, but also to invest or receive payments from the state. For example, in 2022, Google Play appeared Gazprom Investments and Gazinvest applications, promising impressive passive income to all investors, but they were soon deleted.

Periodically, applications for payments and benefits for Russians appear : users are promised compensation for hundreds of thousands of rubles, they only ask to pay for a standard advice of a lawyer.

Another scheme associated with fake applications became known in April. Now fraudsters call the Russians and, under the pretext of the fact that they have expired the duration of the compulsory medical insurance policy and ask to download the “Minnate application”. In some cases, attackers simply ask the code from SMS, supposedly for a doctor. In fact, the code is needed to confirm the transaction from the victim’s account or to enter the account in “State Services”. Thanks to access to the profile, it will be possible to arrange microcredit on a person or find out the personal information that can be sold to other scammers.

What to pay attention to: for fake applications, they make an icon with the logo of the desired bank and use a similar name and description. In April of this year, scammers placed on the AppStore and Google Play applications of Tinkoff banks and VTB, taking advantage of the fact that the official applications were deleted due to sanctions.

Call from "Mobile Operator"

The criminals are presented to the provider to gain access to the "public services".

How it works: scammers are submitted by employees of mobile operators, they say that the interlocutor ends the contract (in fact he is unlimited) and I propose to extend it so that the number is not transferred to another person. You can “extend” allegedly right on the phone, you just need to name the code from SMS, and then follow the link that the “operator” will send. Thus, a person gives fraudsters access to the account on "public services".

What to pay attention to: sometimes criminals are trying not to access the “public services”, but to the user account on the operator’s website in order to configure messages and calls from his number to their numbers. This will allow fraudsters to confirm the withdrawal of money from the card or approve the loan without the knowledge of the victim.

Sudden complicity

Over the past year, one of the main trends in fraud has become a “ dropping ” - a scheme in which scammers do not rob a person, but withdraw money with his help.

How it works: for example, criminals call and offer easy earnings in an “investment project” - you just need to issue a bank card and transfer it to another person through the courier. And then they pay extra for each attracted user who will do the same. Sometimes droppers under various pretexts and for remuneration are asked to pick up cash and put them on the specified account or, conversely, withdraw cash from the account and transfer to another person.

Fraudsters also place vacancies with the search for the “lottery administrator”: you need to send “winnings to the winners” from the card, leaving a small commission as a salary.

What to pay attention to: a dropper can become and imperceptibly for yourself. There are cases when criminals force people to become droppers: they transfer a certain amount to a person, call, they say that they made a mistake with the transfer, and ask to transfer money to another account. In this case, if the scheme is opened, the victim-thropper can be considered an accomplice.

Help on the way

The Central Bank said that in July a federal law will begin to work, which will help to fight the droping. The regulator maintains its database of suspicious accounts that previously appeared in illegal operations. Since July, banks will be required to suspend the transaction for two days if the client transferred money to the account from the list of the Central Bank, and warn the client about it. If the bank does not pause and immediately approves the transaction, then if necessary, he will have to compensate the user with losses.

How not to get to scammers

1. Criminals often insist that the potential victim does not put the phone and faster to make the transfer of money. Therefore, if the interlocutor asks not to interrupt the conversation, then this is a reason to be warned.
2. Police officers, the FSB, the Central Bank, as well as state departments and banks never call messengers. Do not believe the attackers who communicate with you in WhatsApp, Viber or Telegram, even if they send “certificates” or “departmental documents”.
3. Remember that real police officers and investigators will never conduct a survey or interrogation by phone or video communication - instead you should call you to the department, handing the summons. They certainly will not ask to transfer money to “safe accounts”, help in the detention of criminals, install a mobile application or name the data of passports and bank cards.
4. Bank employees will not ask you to share data about your account: balance or, moreover, protective code (CVC code). The Central Bank does not serve individuals if you are trying to convince you of the opposite - put the phone.
5. If on the phone they say that problems arose with your account, then it is better to stop the conversation, and then independently call back to the bank and clarify the information. Do not trust the default number from which unknown people call: remember that criminals have learned to replace numbers.
6. Never call SMS or Push notifications codes. With the help of them, criminals will be able to withdraw money from your account or access your personal account at the State Services.
7. If you were told that they mistakenly transferred the money to you, make sure that you were really sent funds. To do this, check with a mobile application or call the bank. If you are asked to return the money to the account, you don’t have to do this, as well as spending money. For this they can block an account or a criminal charge. Call the bank, tell us that you received money from unknown and apply for a return to the sender.
8. Do not download applications at the request of strangers.
9. Do not follow the links sent from banks or public services if you are offered to enter a bank card or other payment information.
10. If a friend or employer calls you and asks you to send money, rushes you and asks you not to tell anyone about the request, on the contrary, consult your friends and colleagues to discuss the situation. Please note if you were written from a new account or if you usually correspond with a person in the messenger, and you are written on social networks or by e -mail, this is a reason to be wary.
11. Install two -factor authentication in messengers - so it will be more difficult for attackers to hack your account.

What to do if you were deceived by scammers

1. Submit an application to the bank to cancel the operation and block the card. This must be done as soon as possible.

You can try to submit an erroneous transfer of funds to the bank. “If we are talking about the interbank translation, then it can be carried out for a long time to have time to cancel the operation,” the lawyer of the Roskomsvobod project tells the “cold”. - Inside the bank, as a rule, transfers are made instantly. Nevertheless, it is still worth applying an application for blocking the translation. ”

1. Submit to the police as soon as possible.

Employees can help establish the data of the account owner to which you sent funds. As a rule, an account for which scammers receive funds are issued on a standing person, but you can make a lawsuit about unjust enrichment.

1. If you have taken a loan in your name, then you can file a lawsuit in court in order to recognize the loan agreement invalid.

As a rule, the case of telephone fraud does not reach the court. But in December 2022, the Supreme Court made a decision in favor of the client Tinkoff, in the name of which they took a loan of 480 thousand rubles. The court ruled that banks should take increased security measures if the user concludes the contract remotely. Soon, the loan agreement was declared invalid.

According to lawyers , this judicial practice obliges banks with greater care to check transactions and verify the personality of the consumer, which means that in the future, can save thousands of customers from scammers.

Sometimes it is possible to bring to justice the scammers themselves and they even return the money. So, in 2021, the Ivanovo District Court of the Ivanovo Region sentenced the fraudster to a fine of 500 thousand rubles. He posted ads on the sale of thoroughbred puppies and game consoles, and then sent phishing links to customers supposedly for the call of Yandex.Trand. It was able to calculate it through the service where he bought the numbers from which he wrote to the victims. The fraudster returned the stolen money before the sentence is announced.