Interior Ministry warns of more personalised fraud attacks on Russians
In short
Russia's Interior Ministry said fraudsters have begun studying their targets' social media, interests, family circumstances and digital habits in order to carry out personalised attacks, according to the ministry's press centre. Kommersant reported that a victim may first be sent a message with a phishing link, then called by someone posing as a bank or police employee to demand a money transfer, with couriers sometimes sent to collect the cash. The ministry listed a sudden change of interlocutors and a burst of SMS with codes and notifications as signs that should raise suspicion.
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Russia's Interior Ministry warned that fraudsters have begun studying their targets' social media, interests, family circumstances and digital habits in order to carry out personalised attacks. The warning came from the ministry and was communicated through its press centre, TASS reported, and Kommersant carried the same warning citing that press centre. [ 1 , 2 ]
According to the ministry's press centre, fraudsters study a person's social networks, profession, interests, family circumstances and digital habits, so that the victim is offered “not an abstract story, but a legend that looks directly connected to their life — multi-stage scenarios”. In the scheme described, a victim may first be sent a message with a phishing link, after which the attackers may call and introduce themselves as bank or police employees to demand that money be transferred; couriers who come to collect the money may also take part. [ 2 ]
The ministry said personalisation turns scattered information about a person into a script with several pressure points. In the described scheme the victim is first placed in a chat resembling a work chat, where real surnames and photographs are used, “orders” and “registers” are discussed, and messages are then sent about suspicious logins, microloans and powers of attorney. Information for such imitation may come from open sources and from data leaks at companies and organisations, according to the report. [ 2 ]
Kommersant listed signs that should raise suspicion: an abrupt change of interlocutors and the appearance of a large number of SMS with codes and notifications, which it said are used to create a sense of a hack and of a threat to the person's money; and pressure from a “helper” who suggests calling a given number while simultaneously threatening a criminal case. The report also noted that in February 2024 a basic check of an unexpected approach was to ask oneself what the caller wanted, why they had approached that person and on what matter. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The warning comes from the Interior Ministry and was carried by both a state news agency and a leading business daily, giving it the weight of a public advisory that may shape how Russian readers react to unexpected calls and messages. The documents give no figures on how many people have been targeted or how much money has been lost, so the scale of the problem cannot be judged from them.
Key facts
- The Interior Ministry warned that fraudsters study their targets' social networks, interests, family circumstances and digital habits in order to carry out personalised attacks. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The ministry's press centre told TASS that fraudsters also study a person's profession. [ 2 ]
- In the scheme described by the ministry, a victim is first sent a message containing a phishing link. [ 2 ]
- Attackers may then call and introduce themselves as bank or police employees to demand a money transfer. [ 2 ]
- Couriers who come to collect the money may also take part in such schemes, according to the ministry. [ 2 ]
- The ministry said personalisation turns scattered information about a person into a script with several pressure points. [ 2 ]
- Material for imitating a workplace or bank may come from open sources and data leaks at companies and organisations, according to the report. [ 2 ]
- A sharp change of interlocutors, a large number of SMS with codes and notifications, and pressure from a “helper” who offers to call a given number while threatening a criminal case were listed as warning signs. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- How many people have been targeted and how much money has been lost. Neither document provides statistics; the ministry describes only the methods used.
- Whether the described degree of personalisation is a new phenomenon or a shift in existing practice. The account comes from the ministry alone, with no independent data cited.
- Who issued the February 2024 recommendation on checking unexpected approaches. Kommersant's article mentions the recommendation without naming its author.