The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Russia has released five key recommendations designed to help citizens protect themselves from various types of fraud. These essential guidelines were shared through the Ministry`s official Telegram channel, «Vestnik Kiberpolitsii Rossii» (Herald of the Russian Cyber Police).
Key Cybersecurity Recommendations:
- Control your attention during phone calls: Law enforcement emphasizes that your attention is a valuable resource. Immediately ending a suspicious phone call effectively disrupts the scammer`s scheme.
- Apply the «pause rule» when receiving calls from unknown numbers: Do not rush to react to urgent or overly tempting offers. Take a moment to pause, and then inform the caller that you will call back yourself using the official number of the organization they claim to represent.
- Ignore calls to numbers from SMS messages: Never dial numbers obtained from text messages. Always find official contact details for organizations on their verified websites.
- Stay informed about new schemes: Regularly monitor current cybersecurity information to be aware of the latest fraudulent methods.
- Strengthen technical protection: Promptly update applications, install anti-fraud services, and ensure two-factor authentication (2FA) is enabled for all your accounts. Experts note that while a «technical shield» does not replace common sense, it significantly enhances it.
Previously, the MIA also provided advice on how to identify scammers using compromised accounts. Such indicators include the sending of suspicious links or files.
