[70577] A new wave of scams: fraudsters exploit air conditioning season and migration services for fraud

A new wave of scams: fraudsters exploit air conditioning season and migration services

Law enforcement authorities in Russia and Kazakhstan are reporting a significant rise in fraud cases exploiting technological vulnerabilities and seasonal demand. In Russia, Baza reports that a 35-year-old woman from Ryazan was arrested after defrauding approximately 50 people of at least 8 million rubles. According to Baza, the suspect attracted customers with promises of iPhones and laptops at "cost price," initially using genuine discounts to build trust, and later admitted that she committed the acts due to a gambling addiction (ludomania).

At the same time, several sources, including ТАСС, Русская экономика, and Больше, чем экономика, are reporting a new cyber threat exploiting the surge in demand for air conditioner installations ahead of summer. Scammers are setting up fake websites offering installation and sales services at discounted prices, with their true goal being to "collect sensitive information from visitors to hack accounts on the 'Gosuslugi' website" (the Russian government services portal), as reported by ТАСС.

In Kazakhstan, large-scale fraud has been recorded in the field of migration. According to ZTB NEWS, an Astana resident was sentenced to nearly 7 years in prison after operating a fraud scheme that promised clients U.S. visas and foreign citizenship in exchange for huge sums of money. The case involved 124 counts of fraud with total financial damages of approximately 896 million tenge.

Additionally, Информ Полис reports on an increase in cybercrime in Buryatia, where seven fraud cases were recorded in a single day. Methods included phishing during pet purchases, enticement through calls about "intercom installation" to obtain verification codes, and fraud under the guise of online "voting" that led to the hijacking of personal accounts.