Phone fraudsters in Russia are reporting a noticeable drop in successful cases of deceiving citizens. The number of people falling for classic phone scam schemes has sharply decreased, the Telegram channel Baza writes.
A source in the law enforcement agencies, speaking with journalists from BAZA, confirmed: the dynamics of phone fraud have reached a plateau and begun to improve. In 2025, the number of successful cases fell by about 15–20% compared with the previous period. This is one of the first noticeable improvements in recent years.
Almost everyone who could have been scammed has already been scammed. And the rest of the Russians who can be easily susceptible to psychological pressure simply do not have any money. There is nothing to swindle them out of.
The positive changes are linked to several factors. A significant role was played by stronger cybersecurity systems at telecom operators and banks, active public awareness efforts, as well as the overall growth of Russians' digital literacy.
At the same time, experts emphasize that it is still too early to speak of a complete victory over fraud. Criminals adapt quickly and master new tools: AI-based voice deepfakes, fake accounts in messengers, and complex multi-stage schemes. The threat can come from virtually any everyday digital environment — from apartment building residents' chats to transfers to the "vegetable seller" at the market.
The main advice remains unchanged: maintain maximum skepticism toward any requests to disclose codes, transfer money, or install any software over the phone.
Read more materials on the topic:
- Fraudsters' \"performances\" with dozens of participants: the Ministry of Internal Affairs spoke about five \"acts\" of pressure on victims
- Experts explained which schemes fraudsters use ahead of Defender of the Fatherland Day
- Fraudsters use fake job vacancies with salaries of up to 400 thousand rubles to steal Russians' personal data
