Russia`s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) has issued a warning about a scam where fraudsters call citizens pretending to be employees of “Vodokanal” (the water utility company) and ask for a code from an SMS message. This scheme was highlighted in the MVD`s “Russian Cyberpolice Herald” Telegram channel.
The ministry stated that criminals use an effective psychological tactic. “From the very first minute of the conversation, they create a complete illusion of a legitimate `working` contact. The entire dialogue revolves around a supposedly necessary home visit by a specialist – either for water meter verification or urgent repair work,” the statement explained.
It is noted that initially, the scammers do not demand money or personal data from the potential victims and do not apply pressure. They simply discuss details of the upcoming visit from the “Vodokanal” employee. However, after all the details are discussed, the fraudster claims that to confirm the appointment, a code from an SMS sent to the victim`s phone is required.
“Immediately end the conversation during such calls and contact the official service for your region,” the MVD urged. They added that “Vodokanal” employees do not request codes over the phone, and their visits only occur by prior arrangement or customer request.
Previously, the ministry revealed another current scam scheme. Fraudsters were calling Russians` landlines, pretending to be from “Rostelecom” (a telecommunications company), and stating that their service contract needed to be renewed.
Clement Ashworth 
Barnaby Whitfield