Russia’s Interior Ministry Reveals Most Common Fraud Tactic: Forcing Victims to Call First

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) of Russia has issued a public warning to citizens regarding a new and increasingly prevalent fraudulent scheme actively employed by cybercriminals. According to information disseminated via the “Cyberpolice Bulletin of Russia” Telegram channel, scammers are now predominantly coercing individuals into initiating phone calls to them.

The core of this deceptive tactic involves cybercriminals contacting potential victims, informing them of an alleged breach of their “Gosuslugi” (State Services) portal account, a personal data leak, or another urgent and critical situation. Subsequently, the unsuspecting individual receives a message containing a phone number, which they are assured will swiftly resolve the purported problem.

The MVD strongly emphasizes that this phone number almost certainly belongs to the fraudsters themselves. The primary objective behind this strategy is to compel the target to make an outgoing call. This clever maneuver enables the scammers to bypass existing security measures implemented by banks and telecommunication operators, which are designed to block or flag unwanted incoming calls from known malicious sources.

Furthermore, the ministry highlighted several key indicators that can help identify these fraudulent communications. Messages from scammers frequently originate from personal accounts on messaging apps, unofficial email addresses, or unidentifiable phone numbers. They often exhibit stylistic errors, an overly casual or informal tone, inaccuracies in factual details, and, most critically, an insistent demand for immediate action, particularly a prompt phone call. “Authentic government agencies will never demand an urgent callback to an unknown number. This is a definitive sign of fraud,” the agency firmly stated.

“Always remember that legitimate official services will never instruct you to call a suspicious or unfamiliar number to address any issues. Maintain composure and resist the urge to panic!” the MVD concluded in its advisory.

Previously, law enforcement authorities had already provided guidance on protecting oneself from fraudulent schemes, including what they termed the “pause rule” – a crucial piece of advice urging individuals not to react hastily to any suspicious calls or overly enticing offers.