A new multi-stage scheme with an old goal – to swindle money
Kaspersky Lab experts reported on a new multi-stage phone fraud scheme. At the first stage, a person receives a message in a messenger (most often it is Telegram), it can be either from a familiar contact, for example, from a colleague (if you managed to hack his account), or from an unknown number. Attackers present themselves as employees of the area in which the potential victim works in order to inspire more confidence. They report an imminent call on an important matter from representatives of law enforcement agencies or regulators and declare that this call cannot be ignored.
Fraudsters have reached a new level
After that, “representatives of law enforcement agencies” or “regulators” really contact the person and call for cooperation, convince them of the importance of following instructions, and may even exert psychological pressure. This is how the user is prepared for the next call — from fake bank employees. They are already calling to force the victim to transfer their money to a certain card, as well as to take out a loan and, for example, deposit the funds received into the account through an ATM. Sometimes attackers can even convince a person to buy a separate phone and SIM card and turn off the personal device so that he does not have time to contact loved ones and “off the hook”.
As Kaspersky Lab experts explained, people are already accustomed to legends about employees of the “bank security service” or “law enforcement agencies” and do not react to them. A new layered scheme with reference to professional activities is something new. The first message supposedly coming from a friend or employee of the same field helps to lull the vigilance of a potential victim. Experts remind that it is necessary to remain vigilant with any calls and messages, even from acquaintances, and if in doubt, it is better to double-check and contact through another channel.
