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.
Read more on the topic:
Russian bots for searching personal data went into the shadows due to criminal liability
Russians warned about a fraud scheme with offers of bank shares
Hackers attack: an increase in cyberattacks was recorded in the first quarter of 2025
Almost 50 major data leaks - hackers stole millions of phone numbers and addresses of Russians
Now on home
Just enter one query - and local jokes appear, tied to cities
Separating passenger and freight traffic will save Russian companies trillions of rubles by 2050
The cargo ship completed pre-launch checks in Korolev
The court ordered the recovery of funds from the Dutch company Yanmar Europ B.V. in favor of the plant
Despite problems with contractors, the cosmodrome is promised to be completed on time
Dmitry Bakanov: The Russian orbital station will become a platform with robotic systems
Engineer Bakhirev's device uses the displacement of the center of mass to create rotation
Now you can literally "feel" the image
Andrey Nikitin: "There can be no grounds for restricting navigation under the Russian flag"
The rate of fire of the compact Kalashnikov assault rifle is 700 rounds per minute
Installation of the 150-ton structure will begin in the summer after the completion of concrete works
Joint program with China becomes a key direction for lunar exploration