The senior vice president of a major bank warned Russians about a new fraudulent scheme.
Fraudsters use a program that helps take control of the victim's smartphone.
This program is distributed via WhatsApp*, according to the VTB press service website .
First, the scammers call and introduce themselves as employees of some government organization: Mosenergosbyt, housing and communal services, a clinic, and so on.
The scammers then claim that a problem can supposedly be solved with a video call in a messenger.
During the conversation, the attackers ask to use the screen sharing function and offer to install the “official application”.
In fact, it is a malicious program called SpyMax, which helps scammers remotely gain control over the victim's phone.
This is how they gain access to personal and banking data, hack into “Gosuslugi” and issue loans to citizens, steal money from accounts and commit other illegal actions.
It is easy to protect yourself from scammers. You should not download applications to your device that are offered by strangers.
Government agencies do not contact citizens via messenger and do not ask them to use the screen sharing function.
For reference
VTB is a Russian universal commercial bank with state participation.
*belongs to the Meta corporation, recognized in the Russian Federation as an extremist organization.
Author: Dmitry Bobrov
