Photo: Alexander Legky / Global Look Press
Scammers are increasingly employing a new fraud scheme targeting Russian residents, centered around the false premise of replacing intercom keys.
Under this scheme, fraudsters contact potential victims, informing them of an alleged upcoming visit from a technician to issue a new intercom key. They also claim that the entrance door can be opened using a special four-digit code, which they supposedly send and then ask the victim to provide for «system registration.» However, as explained by Sergey Golovanov, a lead expert at Kaspersky Lab, the true objective of the scammers is not to deliver a new key but to obtain this code to gain access to the victim`s information service accounts.
A few days later, these fraudsters might re-establish contact, this time posing as representatives of «supervisory authorities.» They would claim the victim`s personal account has been hacked and threaten them with a loan allegedly taken out in their name.
In light of these deceptive tactics, the expert strongly advises:
- Enabling two-factor authentication for all online accounts.
- Avoiding conversations with strangers who request personal details.
- Never disclosing confidential information to anyone over the phone or via messages.
It is worth noting that similar fraudulent schemes have been previously recorded, for instance, those involving the «issuance of magnetic keys» for barrier gates.
