A sophisticated new scam tactic has been identified, allowing cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to users` accounts on the Gosuslugi public services portal. This latest scheme preys on individuals by feigning the need to update their educational information, posing a significant risk to personal data security.
Understanding the New Scam: The “University Call”
Fraudsters initiate contact with potential victims, typically via phone call, impersonating official representatives from a university or an educational institution. They inform the victim that their academic credentials or other educational data require an urgent update on the Gosuslugi portal. To “facilitate” this process, the scammer then instructs the victim to provide a verification code, which they falsely claim will be sent via SMS directly from Gosuslugi. Should the unsuspecting individual reveal this crucial one-time code, the cybercriminal immediately gains full, unauthorized access to their personal Gosuslugi account, potentially compromising sensitive information and services.
Past Deceptions: Fake Chats and Bots
This new method follows other advanced social engineering tactics previously employed by cybercriminals. In a prior scheme, scammers created fake chat groups designed to mimic internal company communications, often appearing to be from senior executives. In these scenarios, employees would be contacted with a fabricated requirement to digitize employee archives or other critical documents. To seemingly “confirm data” or complete the process, victims were then directed to interact with a fraudulent “official Gosuslugi bot” operating within the Telegram messaging app, which was, in fact, controlled by the scammers and designed to steal credentials or personal information.
Important Safety Advice: Users are urged to exercise extreme caution and never share one-time verification codes or personal login details with anyone, regardless of who they claim to be or the urgency of their request. Official government services will never ask for such codes over the phone or through unofficial messaging channels. Always verify the identity of callers independently and access official portals directly.
Clement Ashworth 
Barnaby Whitfield