Sberbank has uncovered a so-called "university" for training fraudsters, including hackers, to attack Russian companies. More than 10,000 people have already completed the "training," according to Stanislav Kuznetsov, Deputy Chairman of the bank's Executive Board.
The top manager emphasized that the university provides online training, and students are recruited from the darknet. There are courses and study materials for students, and even exams are conducted for "listeners." The training lasts seven weeks, and the process is streamlined.
10,000 people have completed the training, although there were twice as many applicants. It turned out that this "university" has a serious competition for admission.
At the same time, no special knowledge is required for this industry, for example, for an ordinary telephone caller. A caller is a common foot soldier in the army of fraudsters. Their task is to work according to standard scripts, and the key skill is the ability to gain trust and convincingly play their role.
Earlier, Sberbank estimated that in 2024, internet fraudsters defrauded Russians of between 250 and 300 billion rubles. Currently, active work is underway to create a unified national platform to combat fraud. This platform will allow for the rapid detection and blocking of phishing sites, phone numbers, and accounts of fraudsters, as well as tracking suspicious financial transactions.
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