The Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation has urged citizens to be vigilant when using State Services and not to share login details for their accounts on the portal with phone scammers. The warning was shared on the ministry’s official Telegram channel.
The message emphasizes that government services are protected and that an attacker can access an account only if a user willingly provides the required login information. Citizens are advised to safeguard their data and treat such requests with utmost caution.
Three practical rules are recommended to protect Civil Service accounts. First, do not engage with phone callers who attempt to obtain account authorization data under various pretexts. If someone calls claiming to be a Civil Service employee and asks for a verification code, hang up immediately. These are scammers, as noted by the ministry in its Telegram post.
The post also clarifies that State Services employees never initiate calls asking for a username, password, or authorization codes sent via SMS or Push notifications.
The second rule is to use only the official Civil Service website and its application. If updates to portal information are requested, users should not click on links provided in those messages, as they may lead to phishing sites. The official portal address is gosuslugi.ru, and the app should be downloaded only from RuStore, Google Play, App Store, or App Gallery.
The third rule concerns triple protection. Triple protection refers to authentication methods that combine a code from SMS, Push notifications, and biometric data to reinforce login security.
Security experts have previously noted the emergence of new fraud schemes aimed at compromising Civil Service accounts. Staying informed and following these guidelines helps users reduce the risk of unauthorized access.