Scammers always closely follow the news and react to any changes with a selection of fresh legends to deceive gullible people. We tell you what new schemes are used by scammers
"We will issue you a card for payment abroad"
Such offers began to appear after there were problems with paying with Russian Visa and MasterCard cards abroad, in foreign online stores and services.
Scammers promise to help people open an account in a foreign bank remotely and get a card — virtual or plastic with mail forwarding. Those who wish must provide the data of the passport of a citizen of the country and a foreign passport, as well as pay commissions for the services of intermediaries.
Some scammers come up with more sophisticated schemes. For example, they offer to pass an online interview to open an account in a foreign bank. And they are already asking for a tidy sum for this procedure.
What happens: the cheaters do not send any card. Banks do not compensate for losses when customers transfer money to fraudsters themselves. To try to get paid back, you will have to go to the police and then to court, if the scammers can be caught at all.
"We will transfer money abroad"
Scammers claim that all international transfers are prohibited. But if you send money to them, they will "through their own channels" forward it to your friends and relatives or pay for goods and services abroad for you. Sometimes scammers even describe in detail exactly how they are going to circumvent sanctions: for example, by converting your money into cryptocurrency.
What happens: as soon as the money gets to the criminals, they disappear.
In fact, transfers are not prohibited, but limited in size. In a month, you can send up to 1 million US dollars or the equivalent in another currency to an account in a foreign bank for yourself or another person. In addition to this, up to 10,000 US dollars per month or a similar amount in another currency can be sent through each international money transfer system.
If you need to pay for goods or services abroad, then this can be done using the details of a foreign organization. Just check with your bank beforehand whether it conducts transactions to the country you need.
"Let's sell cash dollars"
Although banks can now sell dollars, euros and other foreign banknotes, but there is often simply no cash in their cash desks. At the same time, there are offers on the Internet for the sale of currency, sometimes even at very favorable rates.
What happens: you may get lucky, and you will really be exchanged for a foreign currency at the promised price. But often, when they meet, scammers begin to bargain and inflate the rate under various pretexts. There is also a risk of running into fakes.
Buying and selling currency by hand is prohibited by law. If law enforcement agencies catch you doing this, you will face a fine. Just in the amount of the amount you wanted to exchange.
"Selling off the remnants of outgoing brands"
As soon as foreign companies began to suspend sales or withdraw from the market, many sites appeared on the web with offers to buy the remains of unsold clothes, shoes, gadgets, household appliances and other things. Often such offers can be seen on ad sites. Sellers note that you have the last chance to buy products of this brand and sometimes even promise fantastic discounts, because, for example, they "close the warehouse".
What happens: most often, such sites turn out to be phishing sites — they lure out users' card data in order to then steal their money. There is also a high probability of meeting scammers on ad portals.
Taking advantage of the general hype, counterfeit dealers have also become more active. Under the guise of an original item, you may be sent a fake.
Sales on official websites and in branded stores of some foreign manufacturers and retail chains have been stopped. But there are reliable online marketplaces where you can still find things of the brands you are interested in.
"Install our VPN to access blocked social networks and services"
Scammers have not ignored the growing popularity of VPN services, which allow you to hide the user's location and thereby bypass the blocking of popular Internet resources. Often people do not go into details about what kind of program they install and how it works, which is what scammers use.
What happens: conscientious developers of VPN services provide their users with data protection and privacy. But it is not so easy to distinguish an honest service from a fraudulent one. If you are unlucky with the choice, then your data that you enter on a site connected via an unscrupulous VPN may end up with intruders.
It is especially dangerous when connecting via VPN to enter the full details of your card, login and password from mobile and online banking or any other application where your personal and payment information is stored. Having received this data, fraudsters can not only clean out your accounts, but also issue loans in your name or demand a ransom for confidential information.
Before downloading a VPN, carefully study the reviews of other users about this application, see the total number of downloads and the lifetime of the program. If the service has been running for several years, hundreds of thousands of people downloaded it and were satisfied, the risk is not very great. But you still need to carefully monitor what permissions the application requests and how it behaves after installation. For more information on how to distinguish a reliable program from a fraudulent one, read the text "Myths and truth about the security of mobile applications".
But even the best VPN will not protect you from scammers. The creators of financial pyramids and illegal financial organizations began to convince people to access their resources using a VPN, ostensibly for the security of all transactions. But in fact, they are not doing this at all to protect the future client. The fact is that the bank blocks pyramid sites and illegal immigrants on the territory of our country. VPN allows you to bypass the blocking, and at the same time a person risks falling for the bait of scammers. If some investment company convinces you to connect to its website via VPN, this is another reason to be wary and bypass such a company.
"Let's buy a cryptocurrency for you"
Due to sanctions, investments in foreign securities were inaccessible to most people, and currency exchange was limited. In such a situation, scammers began to offer investments in cryptocurrencies even more actively.
Fraudsters claim that the crypt is now almost the only way to diversify assets and get high profits. Scammers often play on the sanctions theme: they emphasize that with the help of cryptocurrencies, you can send any amount abroad. They refer to the restrictions of international settlements and under this pretext convince people to transfer money to them by phone number or card, so that then the intermediary will invest them in the crypt.
What happens: scammers do not invest in any cryptocurrency and do not transfer it anywhere. This is just another excuse to extort money from people.
"We will give a high-paying job"
Due to the disruption of logistics and financial ties, many companies faced difficulties and were forced to cut employees or reduce their salaries. People turn to job search sites — and scammers are already waiting for them there.
What happens: sometimes scammers offer vacancies on behalf of well-known companies that allegedly open new branches and representative offices. But more often they cling to a guarantee of high earnings, and they promise to reveal the details later, in person.
People are forced to provide their personal data, pass interviews with future managers, and sometimes pay for training. But then they are denied employment under any pretext or are informed that their task in a new place is to attract new victims to a financial pyramid.
Recruiters often offer a person to become a "trader of an international company", and in fact — to invest money in dubious projects.
Well-known job search sites usually check companies before allowing them to post a job. But if a person leaves his resume in the public domain, scammers can come to him. Moreover, they already understand that a person needs money and he will probably buy into the possibility of quick employment or easy earnings.
Applicants risk not only losing money. If they agree to advertise illegal financial services and lure other people into a pyramid scheme, they will also turn out to be criminals — they face fines and even imprisonment.
"We will borrow money despite a bad credit history"
Due to job losses or falling incomes, it has become difficult for many borrowers to repay their loans, some have already experienced late payments. Debtors often try to take out new loans and loans in order to pay off the old ones, but they are refused by banks and microfinance organizations (MFOs). And then illegal creditors come to the rescue, ready to give a loan to absolutely everyone, regardless of income, debt burden and credit history.
What's going on: it's easy to get money from black creditors, but it's difficult to pay them off — they take huge interest rates and deliberately drag a person into a debt pit. And then they start literally "knocking out" money — they threaten to damage property and even physical violence.
Now is not the best time to take out a new loan to repay the old one, even in legal banks and MFOs, since loan rates have increased in recent months. This means that the overpayment will be even greater, the debt will only grow, and it will become even more difficult to pay off.
Instead, you should get in touch with your bank or MFI, honestly admit your financial difficulties and find a way out of the situation.
"We will issue you a card for payment abroad"
Such offers began to appear after there were problems with paying with Russian Visa and MasterCard cards abroad, in foreign online stores and services.
Scammers promise to help people open an account in a foreign bank remotely and get a card — virtual or plastic with mail forwarding. Those who wish must provide the data of the passport of a citizen of the country and a foreign passport, as well as pay commissions for the services of intermediaries.
Some scammers come up with more sophisticated schemes. For example, they offer to pass an online interview to open an account in a foreign bank. And they are already asking for a tidy sum for this procedure.
What happens: the cheaters do not send any card. Banks do not compensate for losses when customers transfer money to fraudsters themselves. To try to get paid back, you will have to go to the police and then to court, if the scammers can be caught at all.
Scammers claim that all international transfers are prohibited. But if you send money to them, they will "through their own channels" forward it to your friends and relatives or pay for goods and services abroad for you. Sometimes scammers even describe in detail exactly how they are going to circumvent sanctions: for example, by converting your money into cryptocurrency.
What happens: as soon as the money gets to the criminals, they disappear.
In fact, transfers are not prohibited, but limited in size. In a month, you can send up to 1 million US dollars or the equivalent in another currency to an account in a foreign bank for yourself or another person. In addition to this, up to 10,000 US dollars per month or a similar amount in another currency can be sent through each international money transfer system.
If you need to pay for goods or services abroad, then this can be done using the details of a foreign organization. Just check with your bank beforehand whether it conducts transactions to the country you need.
"Let's sell cash dollars"
Although banks can now sell dollars, euros and other foreign banknotes, but there is often simply no cash in their cash desks. At the same time, there are offers on the Internet for the sale of currency, sometimes even at very favorable rates.
What happens: you may get lucky, and you will really be exchanged for a foreign currency at the promised price. But often, when they meet, scammers begin to bargain and inflate the rate under various pretexts. There is also a risk of running into fakes.
Buying and selling currency by hand is prohibited by law. If law enforcement agencies catch you doing this, you will face a fine. Just in the amount of the amount you wanted to exchange.
"Selling off the remnants of outgoing brands"
As soon as foreign companies began to suspend sales or withdraw from the market, many sites appeared on the web with offers to buy the remains of unsold clothes, shoes, gadgets, household appliances and other things. Often such offers can be seen on ad sites. Sellers note that you have the last chance to buy products of this brand and sometimes even promise fantastic discounts, because, for example, they "close the warehouse".
What happens: most often, such sites turn out to be phishing sites — they lure out users' card data in order to then steal their money. There is also a high probability of meeting scammers on ad portals.
Taking advantage of the general hype, counterfeit dealers have also become more active. Under the guise of an original item, you may be sent a fake.
Sales on official websites and in branded stores of some foreign manufacturers and retail chains have been stopped. But there are reliable online marketplaces where you can still find things of the brands you are interested in.
"Install our VPN to access blocked social networks and services"
Scammers have not ignored the growing popularity of VPN services, which allow you to hide the user's location and thereby bypass the blocking of popular Internet resources. Often people do not go into details about what kind of program they install and how it works, which is what scammers use.
What happens: conscientious developers of VPN services provide their users with data protection and privacy. But it is not so easy to distinguish an honest service from a fraudulent one. If you are unlucky with the choice, then your data that you enter on a site connected via an unscrupulous VPN may end up with intruders.
It is especially dangerous when connecting via VPN to enter the full details of your card, login and password from mobile and online banking or any other application where your personal and payment information is stored. Having received this data, fraudsters can not only clean out your accounts, but also issue loans in your name or demand a ransom for confidential information.
Before downloading a VPN, carefully study the reviews of other users about this application, see the total number of downloads and the lifetime of the program. If the service has been running for several years, hundreds of thousands of people downloaded it and were satisfied, the risk is not very great. But you still need to carefully monitor what permissions the application requests and how it behaves after installation. For more information on how to distinguish a reliable program from a fraudulent one, read the text "Myths and truth about the security of mobile applications".
But even the best VPN will not protect you from scammers. The creators of financial pyramids and illegal financial organizations began to convince people to access their resources using a VPN, ostensibly for the security of all transactions. But in fact, they are not doing this at all to protect the future client. The fact is that the bank blocks pyramid sites and illegal immigrants on the territory of our country. VPN allows you to bypass the blocking, and at the same time a person risks falling for the bait of scammers. If some investment company convinces you to connect to its website via VPN, this is another reason to be wary and bypass such a company.
"Let's buy a cryptocurrency for you"
Due to sanctions, investments in foreign securities were inaccessible to most people, and currency exchange was limited. In such a situation, scammers began to offer investments in cryptocurrencies even more actively.
Fraudsters claim that the crypt is now almost the only way to diversify assets and get high profits. Scammers often play on the sanctions theme: they emphasize that with the help of cryptocurrencies, you can send any amount abroad. They refer to the restrictions of international settlements and under this pretext convince people to transfer money to them by phone number or card, so that then the intermediary will invest them in the crypt.
What happens: scammers do not invest in any cryptocurrency and do not transfer it anywhere. This is just another excuse to extort money from people.
"We will give a high-paying job"
Due to the disruption of logistics and financial ties, many companies faced difficulties and were forced to cut employees or reduce their salaries. People turn to job search sites — and scammers are already waiting for them there.
What happens: sometimes scammers offer vacancies on behalf of well-known companies that allegedly open new branches and representative offices. But more often they cling to a guarantee of high earnings, and they promise to reveal the details later, in person.
People are forced to provide their personal data, pass interviews with future managers, and sometimes pay for training. But then they are denied employment under any pretext or are informed that their task in a new place is to attract new victims to a financial pyramid.
Recruiters often offer a person to become a "trader of an international company", and in fact — to invest money in dubious projects.
Well-known job search sites usually check companies before allowing them to post a job. But if a person leaves his resume in the public domain, scammers can come to him. Moreover, they already understand that a person needs money and he will probably buy into the possibility of quick employment or easy earnings.
Applicants risk not only losing money. If they agree to advertise illegal financial services and lure other people into a pyramid scheme, they will also turn out to be criminals — they face fines and even imprisonment.
"We will borrow money despite a bad credit history"
Due to job losses or falling incomes, it has become difficult for many borrowers to repay their loans, some have already experienced late payments. Debtors often try to take out new loans and loans in order to pay off the old ones, but they are refused by banks and microfinance organizations (MFOs). And then illegal creditors come to the rescue, ready to give a loan to absolutely everyone, regardless of income, debt burden and credit history.
What's going on: it's easy to get money from black creditors, but it's difficult to pay them off — they take huge interest rates and deliberately drag a person into a debt pit. And then they start literally "knocking out" money — they threaten to damage property and even physical violence.
Now is not the best time to take out a new loan to repay the old one, even in legal banks and MFOs, since loan rates have increased in recent months. This means that the overpayment will be even greater, the debt will only grow, and it will become even more difficult to pay off.
Instead, you should get in touch with your bank or MFI, honestly admit your financial difficulties and find a way out of the situation.
Borrowers whose incomes have fallen significantly have a legal right to a credit vacation — a six-month pause in payments for any types of loans and loans. For those who took out a mortgage, there are mortgage holidays. For more information about who can get a deferral and on what conditions, read the texts "How to get a mortgage vacation" and "How to apply for a credit vacation if you have lost income due to sanctions."
If your situation does not fit the parameters of the holidays according to the law, you can ask creditors to restructure the debt — change the payment schedule so that monthly contributions become feasible.
In the most extreme case, you can declare yourself bankrupt.
If your situation does not fit the parameters of the holidays according to the law, you can ask creditors to restructure the debt — change the payment schedule so that monthly contributions become feasible.
In the most extreme case, you can declare yourself bankrupt.