Before September 1, parent chats have become a target for scammers who impersonate school employees and demand urgent payment for a child's meals, TASS reported, citing the "Moshelovka" platform. Fraudsters also use other pretexts: confirmation of benefits, processing of "school payments," or fundraising for a gift.

Most often, criminals disguise themselves as representatives of the parent committee, school, or government agencies. Requests almost always lead to a phishing page, the goal of which is to extort an SMS code or bank card details. Often, fraudsters gain access to a bank account, which threatens not a one-time loss, but complete control over a person's finances. Account hacks in parent chats have also become more frequent: messages about urgent fundraising are sent on behalf of an acquaintance.

Experts advise re-checking any unexpected requests for payment, data confirmation, or authorization through official channels — directly contacting the class teacher or school administration. Do not follow links from messages, disclose SMS codes, passwords, or card details. Scammers exploit trust in school-related topics for their own purposes, so parents' vigilance should be maximized.