Scammers are increasingly targeting pre-selected victims rather than random individuals. To do this, they study profiles on social networks and messengers, collecting digital dossiers from public posts, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported.

Information about work, relatives, hobbies, and recent life events can be used. Such information helps criminals devise a plausible reason for conversation and make the appeal as personal as possible.

After preparation, scammers engage in direct dialogue and use social engineering techniques. Familiar details create the impression that the interlocutor genuinely represents a bank, a company, or knows the person personally.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasized that the basis for a targeted attack often comes from data that users themselves leave in the public domain.