VTB has identified a fresh fraud scheme aimed at breaking into citizens’ accounts on government portals. The report comes via RIA Novosti and describes a social engineering push that exploits official procedures to lure victims.
Fraudsters begin by requesting an SMS verification code tied to government portals, claiming that a registered letter from the tax office is being sent. If the user declines, they schedule a return call, pretending to help restore access to a supposedly breached account.
With the code in their possession, the intruders attempt to access the persons government service account. The outcome can be severe, including exposure of personal data, entry to banking apps, and possible funds withdrawal from linked accounts.
VTBs Nikita Chugunov notes these attacks blend online and phone methods and now make up about thirty percent of incidents, with tax season seeing a rise. The pattern tends to surge during tax season. Citizens are urged to keep SMS codes and personal data private and to exercise caution when answering unfamiliar calls.
Earlier reports described scammers turning to gift card schemes, prompting victims to buy cards and reveal the codes.