Russians face the possibility of losing child benefits and payments starting tomorrow, as per an expert's explanation.
In recent months, there has been a surge in financial scams targeting Russians, with cybercriminals posing as government agencies offering child benefit payments, housing certificates, and mortgage assistance. These scams often aim to obtain citizens' personal data for potential theft or blackmail.
Timofey Voronin, project manager at "Intellectual Analytics," explains that scammers aim to gain access to victims' finances or personal data. Typically, victims are contacted via messages or calls from individuals claiming to be from official organizations. These scammers often offer to pay a small commission to receive "due payments" but in reality, they are mimicking the process of applying for government services or offering help with housing issues.
To protect themselves, Russians can follow a few key steps:
- Verifying official channels: Check government websites or contact official social security, housing, or mortgage agencies directly to confirm if such benefits or assistance payments are due before responding or sharing any personal information.
- Avoiding unsolicited requests: Be cautious of unexpected messages or calls asking for personal or banking information related to these benefits. Legitimate institutions rarely request sensitive data this way.
- Monitoring bank transactions and suspicious activity: Banks in Russia actively monitor and block suspicious transactions, especially those involving new recipients, high-frequency transfers, or large sums. Clients should report any attempted unauthorized transactions immediately to their bank, which is obliged to compensate for fraudulent losses if it failed to block suspicious payments.
- Using regulated entities for cryptocurrency or financial services: Since scams often use digital assets, only engage with companies registered under Russia’s Law No. 259-FZ regulating digital financial assets, and consult official lists of illegal actors published by the Central Bank.
- Practicing social engineering awareness: Be skeptical of any communications pressuring for quick action or asking for personal codes or passwords over phone or email.
It is crucial for Russians to be vigilant against such scams. Official services do not request data via SMS, messengers, or suspicious sites. Never click on unfamiliar links or share confidential information over the phone. After entering personal data, victims may be asked to transfer another sum, supposedly for expedited processing or as an insurance fee.
Personal data collected through such schemes can be sold on the black market or used for new attacks on the citizen or their family. Scammers often create a sense of urgency, such as limiting the time to receive benefits or threatening to withhold privileges.
In sum, verifying the source, confirming benefits directly through official government or bank channels, avoiding sharing sensitive data to unverified parties, and promptly communicating suspicious bank activity are key ways Russians can guard against scams mimicking social benefit payments and housing or mortgage aid programs. Stay safe and be vigilant! (Source: pnz)
- In the realm of personal-finance, it's essential for Russians to be cautious of offers for child benefit payments, housing certificates, or mortgage assistance, especially if they come from unknown sources, as these could potentially be general-news-worthy financial scams.
- When encountering claims of overdue payments or offers of help with housing or mortgage issues from unverified entities, it's recommended to cross-check with official government or bank channels to avoid falling prey to potential crime-and-justice issues, such as identity theft or blackmail.
