Phone Fraud

In June 2021, Stanislav Kuznetsov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Sberbank, told RIA Novosti that fraudsters steal from 3,5 to 5 billion rubles from the accounts of citizens every month.

One “successful” operation brings them 8 rubles on average. Each thieves’ call center makes 000-3 thousand calls per day, but no more than 7% of subscribers manage to deceive. However, the numbers add up to be astronomical.

How phone scams work

The basis of fraudulent schemes is personal information obtained on the illegal database market of online stores, financial institutions, government agencies. In the same interview, Stanislav Kuznetsov said that the current scammers have complicated their methods of work. They can spend a lot of time working on the next victim to convince her to transfer money, enticing with financial gain and even offering some high-paying position. And for this they arrange video interviews with a potential “employer”. Every day there are more and more new methods, but the means of combating criminals also do not stand still.

Types of phone scams

Fail-safe methods of “relatively honest” taking money from the population are still in use.

Fraud with bank cards and accounts

A payment card is certainly a convenient and useful thing. But extremely seductive for criminal influences. The scheme of theft “on trust” is very common. So, a phone from an ad on the Internet or in the media about the sale of any property immediately falls into the field of view of scammers. And a certain “potential buyer” calls the owner, ready to pay without bargaining, but only on the card.

To do this, he asks to provide her number, expiration date, CVV code on the back of the card. And the SMS code from the bank’s message about the transaction. Even if it is not possible to obtain the entire set of information, the missing data is filled in by skilled hackers. And the card account is not replenished, but emptied by transferring cash to a certain electronic wallet, which immediately disappears from the network after the funds are withdrawn from it.

Calls from “security services” of banks

No less common are calls from the “security service of the bank issuing the payment card” about a suspicious transaction or software failure that led to the loss of funds. To restore the account and return the money, the above data is allegedly required. To protect against such incidents, it is recommended to install certain programs disguised as known services. But in fact, these utilities send account access codes to fraudsters, completely freeing criminals.

Calls from “employees” of law enforcement and government agencies

Particularly cynical are calls from law enforcement agencies allegedly investigating phone scams. The goal is the same – to lull vigilance and lure out the necessary information. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, scammers have become more active, who pretend to be employees of Rospotrebnadzor or the Pension Fund with messages about new social benefits. But to receive them, all the same data of payment cards are required.

Calls from spoofed numbers

Most banks have special numbers that are used only for messages to customers. Sberbank, for example, sends out its notifications only from numbers 900 or 9000. But there are special decoy programs that mask the real number of the caller, and the subscriber sees a familiar identifier.

The problem became so aggravated that on July 2.07.2021, 1.12.2021, the President of Our Country signed amendments to the Federal Law “On Communications”², allowing blocking SMS messages and voice calls from spoof numbers. Operators are deprived of the right to change the true telephone number of the caller and are required to connect to the special service of Roskomnadzor. Partially, the law enters into force on December 1.05.2022, XNUMX, and in full on May XNUMX, XNUMX. There is no doubt that this measure will dramatically complicate the life of telephone scammers.

Mobile phone bill scams

The most common variant of such fraud is a message or a call about an erroneous transfer of money to a mobile phone account and a request to return it to the owner. There may even be threats of contacting the police or the operator to block the phone.

Messages about a relative in trouble and requests for help

A panic call about a relative in distress usually occurs in the middle of the night, a half-asleep victim is informed of a car accident, a pedestrian, a train wreck, or any other incident that happened to children, grandchildren, or just friends. This is followed by a request for urgent assistance in the form of a transfer of a considerable amount to an electronic wallet or mobile phone account. The method is extremely cruel, there are known cases of heart attacks from such news.

Lottery Winning Messages

The great news is accompanied by a requirement to transfer to cover the technical costs of the lottery itself. Here, the calculation is based on ignorance of the legislation of the Federation, according to which all the expenses of the organizers are borne by them.

Messages-“robbers”

The victim receives an SMS with a request to call back on a mobile number, where he is informed that they supposedly have to inform him of important news (about winning the lottery, problems with a bank card, receiving an inheritance). There is no answer to the call for a long time, and after disconnection, it is found that a large amount has been debited from the account. Fraudsters use the opportunity to register a service with a paid call. Typically, such services are entertaining and always report paid ads. But scammers do not do this and charge a considerable fee for any call to this phone.

Scams with short numbers

In this case, the scammers also use the mobile service. When ordering a certain service, the subscriber receives a message that in order to connect it, you need to send a message to a short number such and such. After sending, money is debited from the account. The mechanism is the same, a short number can also be registered as a paid one and not be reported to the subscriber.

Phone viruses

The victim receives a message stating that she received a message in a certain messenger, and it can be received by clicking on the link. After that, a virus is introduced into the smartphone, gaining full control over the gadget.

Phone fraud protection hardware

You might get the impression that there is no escape from phone scammers. But the security services of banks actively counteract them. Sberbank, for example, has developed and implemented a cybersecurity system using artificial intelligence. All calls relating to transfers or withdrawals of funds from accounts are monitored and thus signs of criminal activity are revealed. The bank’s database contains many fraudulent call centers and 130 criminal schemes. A red banner appears on the online banking screen if a fraudulent transaction is suspected. By the end of 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Federation plans to launch a special Anti-Swindler service to combat such criminal activity.

How to check the number from which calls are received

There are quite a lot of services on the Internet in order to determine, if not the owner of a particular phone number, then at least the city or country where the call came from. Up to 40% of such reports are made from abroad, another 40% from places of detention. In any case, a call to a trusted security service or a bank call center will help, and not to the number indicated by the robber.

Expert Tips

Expert Artur Karaychev, executive director of VseZaymyOnline, shares his experience in the fight against telephone scammers.

How to spot a phone scammer?

Most often, scammers present themselves as security officers of banks or law enforcement agencies. The caller reports an attempt to hack or block a bank card, suspicious activity in the Internet bank, a missed loan payment, or the threat of a fine on a trumped-up charge. In fact, bank security officers never call customers, but report suspicious activity or other problems through other means.

How to behave during a conversation with a stranger?

When you receive a call from a stranger, pay attention to what and how he wants to tell you. Fraudsters seek to put pressure on victims in one way or another – to rush, confuse, threaten with possible consequences. In such a situation, it is important to remain calm. Even if you are threatened with the loss of all the money in your accounts, do not rush to comply with the caller’s demands.

Also, the scammer can ask the victim questions several times in a row that can only be answered with the word “yes”. When faced with such questions, try to give different answers, ask again or translate the topic.

If you get a call from the bank, try asking clarifying questions, for example, about the status of your account or recent card transactions. Most likely, the attacker will not be able to answer anything. If you are offered any payment, specify the basis on which it is made.

What information should not be given to the interlocutor on the phone?

Fraudsters are trying to get secret card data — a three-digit CVC / CVV code on the back, confirmation codes from SMS, logins and passwords from Internet banks. Real bank employees never ask for this information – they use separate technical means to ensure security. To send a payment, only the card number is needed – no other data is needed for this.

How do I file a claim for phone fraud?

If you are faced with telephone fraud, contact the police as soon as possible, even if you did not send money or card details. In the application, describe in detail the circumstances of the incident – the time of the call, the phone number, full name and “position” of the caller, the content and outcome of the conversation, if you transferred money – the amount sent. As a basis, indicate article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Federation (if the fraudster was able to get money from you) and part 3 of article 30 of the Criminal Code of the Federation (if this was not possible). If you have a call recording (it can be recorded using a special application) – attach it to the application.

The application will be considered within 10-30 days. As a result, a decision will be made to initiate a criminal case. If you received a refusal, then you can appeal it to the prosecutor’s office – this will require a copy of the application and a decision to refuse.

Popular questions and answers

What is the liability for telephone fraud?

Telephone fraud falls under Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Federation⁴. Depending on the severity and circumstances of the crime, a fine of up to 500 rubles, forced, compulsory or corrective labor, or imprisonment for up to ten years with or without a fine may be provided for.

How realistic is it to get compensation for the victim of a fraudster?

Bringing a phone scammer to justice is quite difficult. Experienced attackers carefully cover their tracks – they replace numbers, register SIM cards for someone else’s passport data, use software to hide their location. Many scammers work from prisons or other countries. Getting to them and bringing them to justice in this case becomes even more difficult.

However, do not give up and assume that justice cannot be achieved. Each submitted application will be taken into account by law enforcement agencies in subsequent cases of fraud. The more victims contact the police, the higher the likelihood that the attacker will be found and punished.

How to protect the elderly from phone scammers?

Very often, elderly people suffer from fraudulent calls. Attackers take advantage of their gullibility and ignorance of the nuances of the work of banks or other organizations. To protect loved ones from suspicious calls, remind them of the basic safety rules:

• Do not tell anyone the code on the back of the card, codes from SMS, data for entering the Internet bank;
  
• To transfer money, use only official services of banks, payment systems and trading platforms;
  
• Do not call back on unknown numbers, even if you received a call that was immediately dropped;
  
• Call banks and government agencies only on their official numbers;
  
• Do not click on suspicious links sent by callers;
  
• If you received a call ostensibly from the bank and were informed about the blocking or other problems with the card, hang up the call and call the bank yourself;
  
• If you are offered to receive any payment, do not agree to it immediately, but look for information about it in other sources;
  
• If you have lost your card or provided a suspicious person with its number, immediately block it and request a reissue.
  

In general, be vigilant and do not become victims of telephone scammers.