Мошенники используют новую схему обмана с фейковыми налоговыми вычетами

With enviable regularity, scammers update their schemes for taking money from Russians. Now, fraudsters have begun calling citizens under the guise of employees of the Federal Tax Service and social services in order to obtain personal data and access codes to services; in the conversation, they promise a non-existent tax deduction. This was reported to TASS by Anton Nemkin, a member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications.

On the eve of the end of the year, when citizens really expect tax notices, think about refunds for education, treatment or property deductions, the offer to receive the "due amount" does not arouse suspicion among many. This psychological adjustment makes the scheme especially dangerous: a person believes in the plausibility of the call and is ready to act according to the instructions.

Anton Nemkin, member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications

Convincing the victim to dictate a one-time password from an SMS, which is actually related not to the оформлением deduction, but to confirming transactions in a bank or on significant digital services, the attackers gain access to the funds of the victims.

The second stage of the attack occurs when the victim is "finished off" by a subsequent call from law enforcement officers. Statements about the alleged financing of prohibited organizations create an atmosphere of fear and pressure, in which people often lose the ability to soberly assess the situation. This technique is well known from classic telephone scams, but in combination with the "tax topic" it becomes even more convincing.

Anton Nemkin, member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, most often the victims of this scheme are people aged 25–35 years — an active audience that is used to receiving services online and trusts digital services.

But at the same time, it is the active audience that may be less wary: a call from the "FTS" or "MFC" is perceived as a routine process of interaction with the state. For scammers, this is an ideal balance of gullibility and digital activity.

Anton Nemkin, member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications

To protect yourself, citizens need to remember:

Neither the FTS, nor banks, nor law enforcement agencies ever request authorization codes by phone.
All operations with tax deductions are available only in your personal account on "Gosuslugi" or the FTS website.
If a call raises doubts, it is better to call the department yourself at the official number.