Fraudsters regularly come up with new deception schemes and modernize old ones. According to the Bank of Russia for 2023, attackers managed to carry out 1.17 million successful transactions (33% more than in 2022) and steal 15.8 billion rubles from citizens. As a result, bank customer losses increased by 11.5%. The volume of transfers via bank cards, which remains the most popular payment instrument among fraudsters, increased by approximately the same amount. It was from them that the most money was stolen.
I propose to consider the popular tricks of scammers so that you know which of them you may encounter in 2024.
Message from the manager
You receive a message from the “manager”, who addresses you by name and warns you about a call from the supervisory authority.
The manager strongly recommends following further instructions from the higher authority.
Then you receive a call from an unknown number asking you to transfer confidential information and carry out financial transactions.
Later it becomes known that your manager did not write to you and the number was fake.
Imitating the voice of relatives in audio messages
At the first stage, criminals hack messenger accounts using fake votes. They then download the saved voice messages and create new messages with the right context.
Fraudsters use neural networks to generate voice messages based on audio messages from account owners.
An audio message asking to borrow a large sum of money is sent to personal correspondence, as well as to all chats where the owner of the stolen account is a member. A photo of the bank card with your first and last name is also sent there.
Video call to identify “bank clients” using biometrics
The fraudster creates a fake account in the messenger, allegedly belonging to the bank. From this profile, the attacker makes the first call, posing as a bank employee, and asks the person if he has updated the mobile application recently.
If the answer is no, the “employee” informs you that you need to wait for a call from another bank specialist who will help update the application.
Then the scammer calls from another account or in another messenger that has the function of broadcasting the screen during a video call.
The second “employee” explains that he is making a video call to identify the client using biometrics. Next it asks you to enable screen sharing mode. Thanks to this, according to the fraudster, some kind of “robotic system for diagnosing the account” is activated.
In fact, screen broadcasting allows an attacker to see card numbers, account amounts, and SMS codes from the bank. This and other information helps the fraudster gain access to the client’s personal account in the application on his device and steal his money.
How to protect yourself and your loved ones?
I advise you to follow several important recommendations:
1. If you have suspicions about the information or requests being transmitted, you must contact your boss, relatives or other close people directly to clarify the situation. You should not trust suspicious messages, calls or requests without proper verification.
2. Come up with a test word or phrase that only your family members know. This will help, if necessary, to confirm the legitimacy of communication and identify yourself on the Internet or by phone.
3. Install a special application that identifies calls and messages from unfamiliar numbers or addresses. Such applications usually block suspicious calls and messages, preventing possible fraudulent attacks.
4. Regularly check active sessions in your instant messengers and social networks. If you find active sessions on unknown devices or locations, immediately disable them and change your passwords for security.
Following these simple security measures will help protect you and your loved ones from various cyber threats and online scams.
(с) http://council.gov.ru/services/discussions/blogs/155339/
I propose to consider the popular tricks of scammers so that you know which of them you may encounter in 2024.
Message from the manager
You receive a message from the “manager”, who addresses you by name and warns you about a call from the supervisory authority.
The manager strongly recommends following further instructions from the higher authority.
Then you receive a call from an unknown number asking you to transfer confidential information and carry out financial transactions.
Later it becomes known that your manager did not write to you and the number was fake.
Imitating the voice of relatives in audio messages
At the first stage, criminals hack messenger accounts using fake votes. They then download the saved voice messages and create new messages with the right context.
Fraudsters use neural networks to generate voice messages based on audio messages from account owners.
An audio message asking to borrow a large sum of money is sent to personal correspondence, as well as to all chats where the owner of the stolen account is a member. A photo of the bank card with your first and last name is also sent there.
Video call to identify “bank clients” using biometrics
The fraudster creates a fake account in the messenger, allegedly belonging to the bank. From this profile, the attacker makes the first call, posing as a bank employee, and asks the person if he has updated the mobile application recently.
If the answer is no, the “employee” informs you that you need to wait for a call from another bank specialist who will help update the application.
Then the scammer calls from another account or in another messenger that has the function of broadcasting the screen during a video call.
The second “employee” explains that he is making a video call to identify the client using biometrics. Next it asks you to enable screen sharing mode. Thanks to this, according to the fraudster, some kind of “robotic system for diagnosing the account” is activated.
In fact, screen broadcasting allows an attacker to see card numbers, account amounts, and SMS codes from the bank. This and other information helps the fraudster gain access to the client’s personal account in the application on his device and steal his money.
How to protect yourself and your loved ones?
I advise you to follow several important recommendations:
1. If you have suspicions about the information or requests being transmitted, you must contact your boss, relatives or other close people directly to clarify the situation. You should not trust suspicious messages, calls or requests without proper verification.
2. Come up with a test word or phrase that only your family members know. This will help, if necessary, to confirm the legitimacy of communication and identify yourself on the Internet or by phone.
3. Install a special application that identifies calls and messages from unfamiliar numbers or addresses. Such applications usually block suspicious calls and messages, preventing possible fraudulent attacks.
4. Regularly check active sessions in your instant messengers and social networks. If you find active sessions on unknown devices or locations, immediately disable them and change your passwords for security.
Following these simple security measures will help protect you and your loved ones from various cyber threats and online scams.
(с) http://council.gov.ru/services/discussions/blogs/155339/
