The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (MIA RF) has issued a warning regarding a new sophisticated fraud scheme designed to trick citizens into initiating phone calls to criminals themselves.
Cybercriminals are constantly refining their deceptive tactics. A key characteristic of this new approach is to persuade potential victims to dial the fraudsters` number, thereby circumventing direct incoming calls from them. This was announced by the MIA via its official Telegram channel, “Herald of the Russian Cyber Police.”
According to the information provided, scammers employ various pretexts to contact Russians, predominantly through messaging apps or email. They might falsely claim issues with utility payments, outstanding fines, or even alleged breaches of government service accounts, such as “Gosuslugi.” Another prevalent ruse involves urging victims to urgently “re-register” bank cards or financial documents.
The crucial element of this scheme is an urgent request within these messages for the recipient to immediately call back a specified number. The MIA explains that this method allows fraudsters to bypass existing security systems, including banking and digital defenses, which are primarily designed to detect and block suspicious incoming calls.
The ministry also reminded the public about another recently identified scam, where criminals distribute fake screenshots of banking applications, promising high returns from fictitious investment schemes.
Clement Ashworth 
Barnaby Whitfield