The phone remains the scammers’ main tool, but attackers have now begun to personalize their tactics. Vadim Uvarov, director of the information security department of the Bank of Russia, spoke about this, writes TVNZ.
Cyber fraudsters stole 15.8 billion rubles from Russians in 2023, according to the Central Bank. This figure marks a record for the observed period. Uvarov noted that scammers are increasingly patient, studying potential victims and using personal data to build trust before attempting any theft.
A key shift is the use of open data, including information found on social networks, to tailor approaches to individuals. Scammers try to trap their interlocutors by presenting themselves with convincing identities and citing legal procedures to fail-safely pressure victims.
“They confuse the victim as much as possible, sending fake IDs and photos of Central Bank orders. In one scheme, they used a document with a blue stamp and a forged signature bearing my name,” Uvarov stated.
He reminded the public that the Central Bank of Russia does not engage with ordinary customers, and it cannot maintain anyone’s accounts. The guidance is clear: if a caller claims to be a bank representative and says the account is blocked, end the call and contact the bank directly using verified channels.
Recent cases illustrate the human toll of these schemes. In St. Petersburg, an elderly pensioner became homeless after handing over more than 21 million rubles to fraudsters following a manipulation linked to a pretend financial matter. In another incident, a senior resident of the Frunzensky district sold her apartment and transferred all proceeds from the sale to scammers after trusting their online persona.
In SNT Otradnoye, a 73-year-old resident reported ongoing unsolicited phone conversations with strangers since late 2023, highlighting how persistent outreach can erode skepticism.
Authorities have also observed shifts in how scammers operate on messaging platforms. Telegram groups and circles have seen changes in targets and tactics as fraudsters adapt to monitoring and detection.