Protection from scammers: tips from the head of the Zainsk MVD

      "No One Is Immune: From Pensioner to Student." Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Department for the Zainsk District Oleg Kamalyukov on how to protect yourself from fraudsters

      Digital fraud has become a scourge of modern times. Daily, residents of the district and the entire country face sophisticated scams. Who is the main target of swindlers today? How do their new methods work and what should you do if a "bank employee" calls you? In an exclusive interview with our newspaper, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia department for the Zainsk district, Police Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Minzekremovich Kamalyukov, answered these and other pressing questions.

      — Oleg Minzekremovich, the topic of fraud remains one of the most painful year after year. It used to be thought that mainly elderly people were affected. Is that still the case?

      — Indeed, the problem of remote (digital) fraud is only increasing year by year. And whereas pensioners used to be the main target, the circle of victims has become significantly younger. Unfortunately, today everyone is at risk: students, working citizens, and teachers. In our district nearly half — namely 46% of all registered crimes — are frauds. That is a huge number.

      — But there is positive progress too?

      — Absolutely. If we look at the overall statistics for the Zainsk district, compared with last year the number of such crimes has decreased by 33%. This indicates that people are becoming more knowledgeable and beginning to recognize the fraudsters' methods. For example, if in May the republic recorded 1,525 such crimes, in June — 1,237, in July — 1,257, then in August we observed a sharp drop of almost twofold — down to 702 cases. That is encouraging. But unfortunately, the criminals do not stop there and are constantly developing new methods of deception.

      — What sums of damage are being recorded?

      — A wide range. There are cases when pensioners lose their life savings — amounts exceeding 6 million rubles. There are cases involving company employees who also lose huge sums, often taking out loans at the instigation of fraudsters. The result is always the same: the person is left without money and with debts.

      — What is the main trick of fraudsters now?

      — All schemes, old and new, in 99% of cases boil down to one thing — extracting the magical four digits: the PIN code from the SMS sent by the bank. It doesn't matter under what pretext they call you: replacement of electric meters, issues with the Pension Fund, electronic queue for a hospital, or, which is very common now, a call claiming to be from the FSB accusing you of complicity in a crime or demanding that you "transfer money to a safe account to support the special military operation (SMO)." The ending is always the same: you will be asked to give the code from the SMS. If you do — the money will be stolen instantly.

      — Important question: could real police officers or bank employees call like that?

      — This is a fundamental rule everyone must know! No law enforcement agency, no bank employee will ever call you and tell you that you are a criminal, that your account has been hacked, or that it must be urgently blocked by transferring funds. If something is wrong with your account, you will be invited to the bank branch in person. If you are suspected of a crime — you will be summoned to the authorities for a face-to-face interview by subpoena. Everything that happens over the phone is one hundred percent deception. The most important and effective advice today: if the conversation touches on money, accounts, or codes — simply hang up.

      — At the beginning of the year the Gosuslugi portal introduced the ability to prohibit remote loan issuance. Did that help?

      — Yes, this measure had a positive impact on the situation. I urge all citizens to familiarize themselves with this mechanism. If you feel someone is trying to hack your Gosuslugi account (you receive SMS codes for login that you did not request), the first thing you should do is use this function and block the possibility of obtaining loans. This can be done through the help service or, preferably, by calling 112 immediately, and the duty officer will advise the correct course of action.

      — What is the detection rate for such crimes?

      — Unfortunately, it is low and remains around 10% in our district. This is a nationwide trend, related to the fact that criminals use complex encryption schemes, operate from abroad and through straw persons. Therefore, prevention comes to the fore. It is much easier to prevent a crime than to solve it.

      — Scammers now even target children and teenagers. How can parents protect them?

      — This is a new and very worrying trend. Cases have become frequent where minors are drawn into supposedly "free" online games, but in fact microloans are taken out in their names for large sums. The child does not understand what they are doing, and when they realize they are in debt, sometimes they resort to stealing money from their parents. There is only one solution here: parental control. You need to take an interest in what games your child plays, which groups and chats they belong to, who they communicate with. And be sure to find time to check their phone and explain these risks. This is not spying, it is concern for their safety.

      — Oleg Minzekremovich, your main advice to our readers?

      — Be vigilant! Never, under any circumstances, give out SMS codes from the bank to anyone. No official person can ask you for them. Spreading this simple truth is our common task. Tell this to your elderly parents, children, and friends. Only in this way can we resist our common enemy — digital fraudsters.

      Photo by the author

      Aigul Yarullina

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