Fraudsters are now impersonating law enforcement officials on Telegram using fake usernames, a new method designed to intimidate and defraud victims, as revealed by a cybersecurity expert.
According to Anton Ivanov, Technical Director at Kaspersky Lab, cybercriminals on Telegram have adopted a novel approach to intimidate their victims. They pose as law enforcement officers by creating deceptive usernames that resemble legitimate contact details.
Ivanov explained that these malicious actors use usernames crafted to look like phone numbers, employing them as a psychological tool during conversations. A common tactic involves asking a leading question such as, «Do you understand who just called you?» to pressure the target.
«However, it`s crucial to understand that this is not an actual phone number, but merely a username within the messenger application,» Ivanov clarified. «The scammer then instructs the victim to verify this `number` in their web browser, reinforcing the illusion of authenticity.»
Once the victim is convinced of the `number`s` legitimacy, the fraudster escalates the intimidation. They threaten legal consequences for supposed suspicious transactions, coercing the individual into transferring money to a so-called «safe account» under the guise of protecting their funds.
This new scheme emerges following previous reports of scammers leveraging Telegram bots that mimic legitimate investment platforms, highlighting the evolving landscape of online fraud targeting unsuspecting users.
