Russians Advised to Avoid Four Words When Talking to Scammers

Individuals have been strongly advised to avoid four specific words when engaging in conversations with potential fraudsters. This critical recommendation comes from Timofey Voronin, Deputy Director for Technology Transfer at the NTI Competence Center for “Big Data Storage and Analysis Technologies” at Lomonosov Moscow State University.

According to Voronin, it is paramount to refrain from using common affirmative or negative responses such as “yes,” “no,” “I agree,” and “I confirm” during suspicious phone calls. These seemingly innocuous replies can be recorded by criminals and subsequently misused for nefarious purposes.

Voronin further emphasized the critical importance of never disclosing any personal or sensitive data to unknown callers. He explained that such private information could be maliciously exploited to create advanced deepfakes. These artificial, yet highly convincing, digital fabrications could then be utilized to deceive the victim`s relatives and friends, enabling criminals to extort money from them under various false pretenses and fabricated scenarios.

As an alternative to the cautioned words, the cybersecurity specialist suggests adopting neutral and non-committal phrases when answering calls from unrecognized numbers. Recommended responses include “hello,” “I`m listening,” or simply “speak.” The expert notes that these types of replies are often sufficient to quickly identify a potential scammer, allowing the recipient to promptly and safely terminate the conversation without providing any verbal cues that could be exploited.

In related news, the Ministry of Internal Affairs recently shed light on prevalent scamming tactics specifically targeting teenagers. Reports indicate that fraudsters frequently initiate contact with young individuals through popular social media platforms or within online gaming environments, highlighting the diverse and evolving landscape of digital threats that require constant vigilance.