Crimeans lost 26 million rubles in a week — the scammer became richer by the same amount

• fake calls/messenger calls: criminals pose as telecom operators, employees of banks, military registration and enlistment offices, law enforcement agencies, or even relatives of the victim, trying to find out personal information or force them to transfer money;
• fake online stores: clone sites of famous brands are created, where buyers pay for goods but never receive them;
• luring out money through social networks: attackers create fake accounts of familiar users, asking for help in the form of money transfers;
• investment in company shares: scammers offer potential investors to invest money in shares of some promising company, claiming that the value of the shares will soon increase sharply. Typically, such investments promise high returns with minimal risks;
• installing third-party applications and following links.

Calls from scammers

A resident of the Bakhchisaray district received a call from an unknown man who introduced himself as a tax service employee and reported the need to come to the department. To confirm the recording, he asked to dictate the code from the SMS, which the woman did. Some time later she received a call from the same number again. This time, the attackers said that her bank account was allegedly being used for money laundering and now, in order to “save” the funds, they must be immediately transferred to a certain “safe account.” Worried about her savings, the woman followed the instructions of the false employees and transferred 1 million 200 thousand rubles, part of which she took on credit.

An elderly woman who became a victim of telephone scammers contacted the Alushta police. The pensioner reported that she received a call on her mobile phone from an unfamiliar number. In the voice of her granddaughter they asked for help: supposedly the girl was the culprit of a traffic accident. Then the “investigator” entered the conversation. He confirmed the seriousness of the situation and, applying psychological pressure, convinced the woman to immediately transfer money to “save” her granddaughter from criminal liability. Succumbing to panic and concern for a loved one, the grandmother handed over to the arriving courier 1 million rubles. Only after some time was the pensioner able to contact her real granddaughter and find out that there was no accident, and she herself became a victim of deception.

Fraudsters operate through websites, social networks and instant messengers

A man who came on business from the Moscow region contacted the Krasnogvardeisky district police. In Crimea, he became a victim of scammers. Moskvich said that he received a message on a social network from a friend who approached him with a request for financial help, explaining this by her difficult financial situation and conflicts in the family. Without suspecting anything and without contacting him personally, the man transferred more than 73 thousand rubles to the provided account. Later it turned out that his friend’s page was hacked, and scammers were acting on her behalf.

In Feodosia, a 42-year-old local resident contacted the police after becoming a victim of scammers. The man told police that he contacted an unknown person through a popular messenger. The attacker introduced himself as a seller of branded electric drills, allegedly posted on one of the ad sites. Under the pretext of prepayment for the goods, the fraudster convinced the victim to transfer funds. As a result, the applicant lost 210 thousand rubles, and never received the promised goods.

Fraudsters force you to install third-party applications and send malicious links

A woman contacted the Krasnogvardeisky district police after being a victim of fraud during the online sale of a baby stroller. She said that a person contacted her via messenger and was ready to purchase the product from her ad. The “buyer” quickly agreed to all the seller’s conditions and sent the Crimean woman a link, supposedly to transfer funds. As soon as the woman followed this link and entered her bank card details, about 9 thousand rubles.

How to protect yourself from such threats?

To avoid such troubles, it is important to follow a few simple rules:

1. Never share your personal information with strangers, especially card numbers, verification codes and passwords.

2. Check the reliability of online resources before making online purchases.

3. Be careful with suspicious emails and messages containing links or downloads.

4. Don’t believe in “safe accounts” – IT’S A SCAM!

5. Don’t panic – real law enforcement officials and banks do not require money transfers.

If you have become a victim of scammers, immediately report it to the police using the single number 102 or submit a written statement to any nearest police station.

source: Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Crimea