Crossed the Line: Handed Over Card to a False Delivery Person - Ended Up Involved in Illicit Substances
Russian Banks Warn Against Social Engineering Scheme
VTB specialists have exposed a new scam involving fraudsters posing as bank employees or government officials, coercing victims into surrendering their bank cards for supposed verification. This results in victims losing their own funds and unwittingly serving as intermediaries, or "mules," in the unauthorized withdrawal of funds from other victims.
Posing as bank or law enforcement officers, scammers place phone calls to Russians, pressing them to disclose their card PIN numbers and hand over their cards to an alleged courier, who arrives to supposedly authenticate the cards, install security measures, or detach the cards from the accounts. The PIN numbers are requested during the phone call, to be entered either on the phone or on a special site via a provided link. Following this, scammers withdraw the victim's funds via an ATM (with the acquired PIN) and use the cards to drain funds from other victims. In addition to losing their own money, victims unwittingly contribute to the criminal scheme.
Dmitry Revyakin, Vice President and Head of the Corporate Interests Protection Department in the Security Ensuring Division at VTB, warned, "Scammers exploit people's fear by masquerading as official organizations—banks, law enforcement. Their goal is to make the victim willingly surrender their card, thereby maximizing profits. It's imperative to appreciate that when handing over one's card to a 'bank courier' and sharing SMS codes, one isn't merely risking their money—they're unwittingly becoming part of a criminal scheme."
He further stated that the demand for drop-offs among fraudsters remains consistent. "The banking market is actively working to curb drop-off activities. VTB employs various methods to combat them, such as real-time transaction monitoring, analytical tools, and collaboration with law enforcement agencies and other banks. In 2024, over 148,000 drop-off accounts were detected—5.5 times more than in 2023. Last year, VTB blocked over 1.5 billion rubles stolen from clients, while over two years, over 380 million rubles were restored to victims from drop-off accounts."
To safeguard against social engineering scams, individuals should:
- Maintain a high degree of caution when receiving unsolicited communications, as scammers often pretend to be banks or government agencies requesting sensitive information.
- Verify identities by contacting organizations directly via established phone numbers or emails to confirm authenticity.
- Be aware of urgency tactics employed by scammers to prompt immediate action. Legitimate organizations seldom demand immediate action.
- Refrain from divulging sensitive banking information, including card numbers and PIN codes, over the phone or via email.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for bank accounts and other sensitive services for additional security.
- Create strong, unique passwords for all accounts and avoid using easily guessable information.
- Install antivirus software to protect devices from malware infections.
- Stay up-to-date on social engineering tactics and ensure software and operating systems are kept current.
- Never respond to suspicious emails or click on links within them—instead, report them to the relevant authorities.
- Use verified contact information when contacting banks or government agencies.
- Exercise caution when clicking on links or downloading attachments from emails or messages until their safety is confirmed.
Adopting these practices will significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to social engineering scams.
- This social engineering scheme, targeting the banking-and-insurance industry, has recently been brought to light by VTB specialists, involving fraudsters masquerading as bank or government officials.
- In the general news, there have been reports of victims losing their own funds and unknowingly contributing to the crime-and-justice sector by becoming unwitting intermediaries, or "mules," in this unauthorized fund withdrawal scheme.
- To combat the consistent demand for drop-offs among scammers, VTB has implemented measures such as real-time transaction monitoring, analytical tools, and collaboration with law enforcement agencies and other banks, while continuously striving to curb drop-off activities within the finance industry.
