The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that fraudsters are sending out fake job offers.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Russia, through its Telegram channel “Russian Cyberpolice Bulletin,” has alerted citizens to a new scam scheme. Fraudsters are impersonating company representatives and offering fake job vacancies to extort money from job seekers.
These con artists actively use messengers like Telegram and WhatsApp to send out job proposals. Interestingly, such advertisements often use the names of real existing organizations, lending them an appearance of legitimacy. Initially, the scammers suggest that victims undergo training or an internship, during which individuals might even perform real tasks. However, after receiving their first payment, the cybercriminals demand money transfers under the pretext of paying taxes or processing necessary documents. It is at this stage, as explained by the MIA, that the theft of funds occurs.
To protect against such fraudulent schemes, the MIA strongly recommends remembering several key rules:
- Firstly, legitimate employers never demand payment for document processing during employment.
- Secondly, job seekers should be particularly cautious of offers where all communication with the potential employer takes place exclusively through messengers, and interviews are conducted only online.
- Thirdly, law enforcement advises thoroughly checking companies through official government resources, such as the Federal Tax Service website.
The MIA emphasized: “Any request to transfer money under the guise of a salary return is 100% fraud.”
Earlier, there were also reports of other schemes where scammers attempted to frighten Russians with threats of mobile number blocking, sending corresponding messages via messengers.
Clement Ashworth 
Barnaby Whitfield