In the second quarter of 2025, Russians actively searching for employment have become the prime targets of a significant increase in fraudulent activity. This surge in attacks on job seekers was reported by the newspaper Izvestia.
According to DLBI, a service specializing in vulnerability and data breach intelligence, new fraudulent tactics emerged in May-June specifically targeting job seekers. One common method involved fake online interviews. Victims were directed to deceptive pages resembling Google Meet, where entering their login credentials resulted in the loss of access to their accounts, especially Gmail.
Another tactic involved sending job applicants test assignments containing malicious software designed to steal data from their computers. Fraudsters also pressured individuals to install specific software on their devices under the guise of system checks.
A particular variation of these schemes specifically targeted IT professionals. DLBI noted that scammers instructed these specialists to compile test tasks from source code, which covertly downloaded a virus onto their systems.
Links to these fake job postings were primarily spread through Telegram channels dedicated to employment searches.
Separately, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia previously warned about fraudsters impersonating military recruitment officers to steal Gosuslugi (State Services) portal login data. Additionally, the company F6 reported a scam where fraudsters pose as women seeking dates and invite victims to a fake online platform for watching movies together.
