A resident of St. Petersburg has reported a concerning new fraudulent scheme where malicious actors are impersonating Homeowners Association (HOA) chairpersons on Telegram. These scammers meticulously copy the HOA leader`s profile, including their name, photo, and other details, to subsequently request residents to provide their Housing and Utilities State Information System (GIS ZhKKh) codes. Following this initial request, a six-digit verification code then arrives from a fake “GIS ZhKKh” Telegram account, creating a highly convincing and deceptive operation.
One resident, Alexey, shared his unsettling experience, highlighting the sophisticated nature of the scam:
“A message arrived from our HOA chairperson, with her exact name, surname, and all profile pictures identical to her real Telegram account. The message contained a question: `I`m verifying data, do I understand correctly that you and your wife reside in the apartment?` I replied, `Yes, that`s correct.` Then the supposed chairperson continued in the same chat: `Excellent, a GIS ZhKKh verification code will arrive now; please send it to me here.` What exactly a GIS ZhKKh verification code is, only God knows, but it sounded very plausible. And literally a couple of minutes later, a six-digit code arrived from another Telegram account named `GIS ZhKKh.` What it was for, one can only guess.”
Alexey became suspicious due to the overly formal tone used in the communication, which was uncharacteristic of his usual interactions with the actual HOA chairperson. Upon contacting her, she confirmed that her real account remained untouched, and that the message came from a sophisticated copy. The impersonation was so meticulously executed that it was impossible to view any names or phone numbers associated with the fake account, making it challenging to report to Telegram support as a simple copy or spam.
He warned that this scheme poses a significant risk, particularly given the public availability of personal information. Scammers can readily obtain HOA chairperson names and contact details from public registries, resident addresses to address them by name, and even mobile phone numbers. This widespread accessibility of personal data makes such targeted scams highly effective and difficult to prevent.
Residents are strongly advised to exercise extreme caution if they encounter similar suspicious requests. This new wave of impersonation underscores the critical importance of verifying any unexpected requests through official and established channels, rather than relying solely on online profiles or unsolicited messages.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth