Phone scammers have stepped up their activity ahead of Valentine's Day, targeting single men and women without children. This was reported to RIA Novosti by analysts at MTS Defender.
The record for the number of calls was recorded in Moscow: scammers tried to get through to a single elderly woman without children 2,467 times. The peak of activity occurred in the first half of Tuesday and Wednesday, when people have lower concentration and vigilance. The average duration of a conversation with a potential victim was 12 seconds.
Most often, the attackers pretended to be government agencies - such calls accounted for 26% of cases. Also, Russians received offers of investments, additional income, pensions and social benefits. Schemes with flower delivery and "secret admirers" who allegedly want to continue communication after a chance meeting have grown.
Scammers use psychological triggers - loneliness, the need for communication and dating - to gain access to personal data. In telephone conversations, it is important to remain vigilant and not provide your data to outsiders.
Read more on the topic:
- Schemes of fraudsters before February 23 were told in the State Duma
- Scammers lure data from residents under the pretext of installing new access control systems
- Scammers began to promise "cashback" for purchases on marketplaces
