Cyber ​​scammers. How not to fall for the bait? Chapter V

With the development of digital technologies, crimes began to gradually move from the real to the virtual sphere. Two years of the pandemic has accelerated this process. People were forcibly seated at home, forced to use online stores, contactless delivery, payment for goods and services with electronic money. As it always happens, the criminals quickly got their bearings in the new realities. Last year alone, cyber fraudsters stole more than 13.5 billion rubles from the accounts of Russians. Judging by the result of the first half of 2022 – 6 billion – this year there will be no less.

We are completing a series of publications prepared with the participation of Dmitry Ibragimov, cybersecurity expert of the State Bank of Russia for the Central Federal District. In the first issues, we talked about how scammers paint a distorted picture of the world for us – and with our own help. About what technologies they can use against us. About why providers cannot completely block access to fraudulent sites. About what measures can be applied by regional banks, as well as the Central Bank in order to protect the money of depositors and how the bank identifies its client.

However, the main thing is our actions, the actions of the owners of funds. And in the final issue, we will talk about the main thing: how to behave.

The universal advice is not to talk to the scammer, hang up immediately. True, it does not always work, because until you realize that it is a scammer who is communicating with you, he can already “hook” you, interest you in something. Paint the very distorted picture that you believe.

“In fact, everything is simple,” advises Dmitry Ibragimov. – You need to know what information is confidential, secret, and decide for yourself: I won’t tell anyone – let them call me from my bank, the Central Bank, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the military registration and enlistment office, or at least from the president himself.

Confidential information includes passport data, but we must accept the fact that we cannot control the circle of people who have access to them. As well as the date of birth, place of residence and family composition. We constantly give this data to various organizations and cannot keep track of the dissemination of this information.

You sent your child to kindergarten – can you guarantee that one of the educators will not leak this information? You will enter any institution with a pass system – even a children’s hospital – can you guarantee that the guard did not photograph your passport? Therefore, it is possible that a “lieutenant of the Ministry of Internal Affairs” or an “employee of the Central Bank” will call you, who will stun you with his awareness.

Therefore, “real” confidential information is quite different. This is your username and password for your personal account. This is the code to unlock your phone, and even more so – the code that is required to enter the banking application. This is the CVV code on your bank card. And most importantly, these are the numbers from the SMS message. This information is strictly confidential; unlike your passport number and place of residence, no one knows it. It is generated by a robot and is disposable. It must not be said to anyone and never – even if it is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. No wonder all these messages are accompanied by the words “do not tell anyone the code.”

And the second important point – you can not install programs on your phone that “someone advised” you. Especially if that “someone” just called. Under any pretext! Guard, your phone is in danger, download and install this immediately, otherwise your number will be blocked!

Remember: your phone is not only a carrier of confidential information that should be known only to you. It is also the key to access resources on the network and identify you as a specific user. It is with its help that online stores, government services portals and various credit organizations determine that you are you: you enter your login and password through your phone to enter your personal account on the site, you receive SMS from the portal on your phone with two-factor authentication. If malware or remote access programs are installed on the phone, scammers can intercept sensitive data.

Take care of your smartphone and do not install anything on it. Believe me: access to Instagram or Facebook (banned social networks in Russia, recognized as terrorist) is not worth the money lost.

In the end, it is not very clear who you finance in this way. Well, if just criminals, so to speak, relatives, Russian. And if not?

Yana MAYEVSKAYA.