Criminals are creating travel chats in Telegram to steal money and personal data from Russians. This was reported by the Department for Combating Illegal Use of Information and Communication Technologies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
In Telegram, scammers create special chats dedicated to tourism. These communities bring together people interested in specific countries, resorts, or even hotels. With the help of such chats, scammers find potential victims, using social engineering methods to achieve their goals.
Fraudsters often pose as ordinary travelers looking for travel companions. Sometimes they pose as guides inviting people on excursions to popular tourist spots.
After that, scammers can use various fraudulent schemes. For example, they may require prepayment for a service and then disappear with the money received. They may also offer to register on a special website for the trip and enter their personal and payment details.
Sometimes these sites provide fake authorization using popular social networks or messengers. To avoid falling for the tricks of scammers, the Ministry of Internal Affairs recommends buying tours only on trusted sites.
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