In the Vitebsk Region Media Center, employees of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Regional Executive Committee discussed cybercrime issues with young people
The event was organized by the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Regional Executive Committee as part of the republican preventive campaign "Cybersecurity Decade 'CyberKids'".
— This year, over 700 cybercrimes have been recorded. Most of them involve theft of money from bank accounts. Citizens lost over 970 thousand rubles. Among the victims were 21 minors, — said Alexander Garus, Head of the Department for Combating Cybercrime of the Criminal Police of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Regional Executive Committee, Police Colonel. — Sometimes teenagers themselves act as perpetrators. For example, in Vitebsk, one of them deceived four peers: he asked for a phone to make a call, and then made money transfers using the mobile operator's application. The damage amounted to 400 rubles. A college student, using free access to his roommate's laptop in a dormitory, logged into his online casino account and lost about 1 thousand rubles.
Malefactors are constantly improving old and inventing new ways to seize others' money and evade deserved punishment. Their main goal is one — to extract confidential data from a person, in particular, by forcing them to click on a special link (this technique is called phishing) or through a phone call (vishing).
There is a sharp increase in illegal activities related to the use of other people's accounts on the popular Viber application, which allows making calls over the internet. Criminals use these accounts to evade responsibility: they contact potential victims while hiding behind other people's phone numbers. Moreover, scammers can use various schemes to gain access to messengers.
— Often, messages are sent in chats and communities with a link offering to obtain necessary information: a fake news item, a job offer, or information about your child's academic performance. After clicking on it, under a plausible pretext, you will be asked to grant access to your account on another device, — noted Alexander Garus. — If criminals gain access to an account, they start calling our compatriots: they ask them to participate in a police special operation to catch scammers who have illegally taken out a loan, or they impersonate bank employees who have detected suspicious activity on the interlocutor's account. People are more willing to believe that they are being contacted by banks or other government agencies if the call comes from a Belarusian number. For example, recently a worker from Orsha lost about 13 thousand rubles after talking to a fake law enforcement officer, and a teacher from Glubokoye lost over 8 thousand rubles. In total, about 960 residents of the Vitebsk region have fallen victim to such crimes this year.
Another popular method is the use of malicious software. In 2022 alone, operatives identified 12 hackers involved in this activity.
— We monitor the internet to identify suspicious websites, developers, and users of prohibited software that helps, for example, gain access to databases storing social media account credentials, bank accounts, and electronic wallet details. Therefore, this information is subsequently used for theft of funds, fraud, blackmail, or simply sold, — the officer emphasized. — Young people are mainly involved in this, some of them have prior convictions for similar offenses.
Cyber fraudsters also operate on online dating platforms. After a brief correspondence, a fake woman suggests meeting the gentleman for the first time at a theater, hookah lounge, etc. She shares a link to a website where tickets can be purchased or a table reserved. As a result, the suitor loses all the money on his card.
— We should not forget about other methods that scammers have long and, unfortunately, successfully used. In particular, they often call and, pretending to be a relative who has been in a traffic accident, ask the person on the other end of the line to hand over a large sum of money to a courier to compensate the victims or settle matters with law enforcement agencies, — emphasized Alexander Garus. — Therefore, I once again draw citizens' attention to the fact that under no circumstances should you click on links sent to you by alleged bank employees or other individuals. If you accidentally grant access to your messenger account, it can be easily fixed in the settings. Also, do not take out loans after calls from unknown persons and do not transfer money to specified accounts, do not download programs recommended by them. If you have the slightest suspicion that a crime is being committed against you, immediately contact your bank and the police.
