“Izvestia”: fraudsters may intensify in the run-up to February 23

According to the head of the digital forensics and cyber intelligence Angara SOC Nikita Leokumovich, on the eve of February 23, Russians often make spontaneous purchases, click on advertising links and rush to place orders. This reduces their level of attention. The “target audience” of fraudsters are women – those who are going to give gifts. They are more prone to impulsive purchases, especially if the product is offered at a bargain price. Criminals use this, setting a time limit for the purchase of a gift on a “special offer”, said Natalia Lylova, a researcher at the Cybersecurity Center of the Neymark IT Campus. So, before February 23 last year, the following scheme was especially common: phishing letters and messages in messengers about large discounts on marketplaces were sent to Russians en masse. “The letters reported that the user had been sent a promo code from the online store, which can be obtained by clicking on the link. A web page in the style of a marketplace was opened, where it was proposed to enter personal, payment and other confidential information to obtain a promo code, Lylova added. As a result, victims of fraudsters lost money by paying for non-existent goods. In 2025, scammers can use QR codes in advertising mailings, says GR-Director of the information security company "Security Code" Alexander Shmigirilov. You should also be wary of greeting cards: when they are opened, you can start installing a malicious program that will give criminals access to applications on the device, including banking. In addition, attackers can play with topics related to the current geopolitical situation. For example, they may offer “assistance to refugees” or veterans, or support a military operation. It is also possible to use schemes with fake NFT or cryptocurrencies allegedly dedicated to February 23, and attacks through hacked marketplaces and discount aggregators. To protect yourself from fraudsters, you should make purchases only on proven resources. It is also necessary to carefully read reviews about the seller before paying for the goods in the online store, compare prices. In addition, you can have a separate bank card for online purchases and store a minimum amount of money on it – this will help minimize damage in the event of a scam attack.

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