The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has revealed a new method used by cybercriminals: leveraging virtual gifts within the Telegram messaging application to disseminate advertisements for prohibited content.
According to an announcement made through the MVD`s official Telegram channel, “Vestnik Kibepolitsii Rossii” (Herald of Russian Cyberpolice), malicious actors are sending virtual gifts to Telegram channel administrators. These seemingly innocuous gifts, however, conceal links leading to a variety of illicit online resources, including websites for drug sales, illegal gambling casinos, or extremist propaganda.
Anton Nemkin, a State Duma deputy and member of the committee on information policy, confirmed these concerning reports. He elaborated that this tactic is designed to exploit the platform`s features, making it difficult for immediate detection and moderation.
Important Warning: The MVD highlighted a critical consequence of this scam: “When subscribers encounter these problematic gifts, they often submit complaints to Roskomnadzor (the federal service for supervision of communications, information technology and mass media). Such complaints can unfortunately result in the channel being blocked.”
To counter this growing threat, the Russian authorities strongly recommend that Telegram channel administrators regularly inspect their `gifts` section. It is crucial to promptly identify and remove any suspicious or unauthorized virtual gifts to prevent potential sanctions against their channels.
Clement Ashworth 
Barnaby Whitfield