The Central Bank of the Russian Federation (CBRF) identified the primary tactics used by cyber fraudsters to deceive Russians in 2023, with phone calls standing out as the dominant method. Reports on the official CBRF site indicate that phone scams accounted for more than half of all detected incidents, at 54 percent. This signal highlights how voice-based persuasion remains highly effective for fraudsters, who exploit urgency, fear, and social engineering to prompt victims into exposing sensitive information or transferring funds.
Following phone attacks, instant messaging emerged as a major channel for fraud, making up 22.5 percent of cases. The rise in scams through chat apps reflects how attackers leverage familiar, real-time communication tools to build trust, deliver convincing narratives, and direct users toward compromised links or payment requests. Social networks accounted for 9.8 percent of incidents, while email fraud represented 7.2 percent, and fake websites 4.8 percent. Researchers also noted a notable 10.5 point surge in the use of instant messaging as a conduit for deception, signaling a shifting landscape in which attackers gravitate toward platforms with high user engagement and perceived immediacy.
Survey data collected from 395 thousand individuals reveal that about one in four people faced deception attempts online or via mobile communications in the prior year. Alarmingly, roughly one in ten Russians yielded to scammers, allowing monetary theft through various schemes. The figures underscore that a substantial portion of the population remains vulnerable to social engineering, prompting calls for heightened awareness and stronger verification practices across channels used for financial transactions and information sharing.
Banking sector observations show that the majority of victims—64.1 percent—transferred amounts up to 20 thousand rubles to attackers. In 17.9 percent of cases, losses ranged from 20 thousand to 100 thousand rubles; 9.9 percent incurred losses between 100 thousand and 500 thousand rubles; 3.8 percent saw theft between 500 thousand and 1 million rubles; and 4.3 percent of incidents resulted in higher, multi-million ruble losses. These distributions reveal how scammers tailor requests to maximize success by starting with small sums and gradually seeking larger totals as trust grows or as fear escalates during the interaction.
Demographic analysis from 2023 indicates a rise in female victims, who represented 55.5 percent of survey participants who reported being targeted. The profile most frequently affected was a Russian woman aged 25 to 44, often holding a secondary education and presenting an average income level. This pattern emphasizes the need for nuanced awareness campaigns that address the particular vulnerabilities and online behaviors of this demographic, while reinforcing security habits across all user groups.
The security community notes that systemic investigations and collaboration with financial institutions continue to play a crucial role. In 2023, Sberbank contributed to the exposure of 19 organized cyber fraud groups, illustrating how industry partners can disrupt criminal networks through coordinated intelligence sharing, rapid case assessment, and proactive fraud prevention measures. Ongoing efforts stress the importance of user education, multi-factor authentication, and robust verification processes to reduce the likelihood of successful fraud attempts and to minimize the potential impact when attempts occur.