Telecom operator MTS presented performance figures for its "Zashchitnik" service for the period from December 31, 2025, to January 11, 2026, when scammers were especially active. The criminals attempted to make more than 30 million calls.
The peak of criminal activity fell on January 5 and 6, when more than 35% of all calls were recorded. Analysts attribute this to citizens' lower vigilance during the holiday period and a higher likelihood of answering a call from an unknown number. One resident of Tomsk was targeted with more than 2,500 attempted calls, but the operator successfully blocked them.
The average conversation lasted only 11 seconds, which indicates the criminals' desire to achieve results quickly. Such a short dialogue duration is a characteristic sign of an aggressive scheme designed for an instant reaction.
The most common attack theme was investment offers, accounting for 41% of the total number of calls. Scammers offered "profitable investments" or reported "problems with a brokerage account".
The second most popular category consisted of calls allegedly from government agencies. The criminals posed as Pension Fund employees, social service workers, or law enforcement officers — 20% of calls. Another 13% of cases were related to the imitation of problems with telecom operators, when the criminals tried to extract bank card details while pretending to be support staff.
The largest number of calls from criminals was recorded in major cities with more affluent populations. Moscow, Krasnodar, and St. Petersburg were among the most targeted.
Read more materials on the topic:
- Criminals devised a multi-level scheme to deceive Russians during the New Year holidays
- Scammers are persuading Russians to keep cash at home
- How to recognize a fake and not let scammers use your image to deceive others
