Scammers — how to protect yourself!

1001 · Monday at 6:45 PM

Friends, I believe that the best protection against scammers is awareness.

Very recently, I came across a hilarious YouTube channel where celebrities—mostly well-known comedians—answer scammers’ phone calls while following specific challenges (they have to insert a particular word, do something unusual, and so on).

I highly recommend watching at least a couple of episodes and definitely showing them to your elderly relatives! On the one hand, it’s a pleasure to watch: you relax and laugh your head off. On the other hand, it’s very informative.

I learned a lot of new things. I didn’t expect scammers to call pretending to be “couriers,” “telecom operators,” “postal representatives,” and even “doctors,” and so on! Some act very aggressively and try to intimidate you, and no matter how smart we are, we can find ourselves under stress, subject to manipulation, and react automatically in the moment. But when you’re informed, your reaction will be more alert. Especially after watching and listening to at least a few examples of such real conversations.

Link to the show: https://www.youtube.com/@Zpm_show

(There may be profanity and 18+ jokes.)

I also invite everyone to discuss scammers here in this thread and share your experiences; this will also help raise our collective awareness.

007 · Monday at 7:07 PM

Together, we avoid false information

009988 · 2026-11-10T04:12:26+0000

A popular platform for deceiving children is Roblox (22% of cases). The game has a huge child audience, active in-game trading, and numerous external platforms where players look for advantageous deals. It is followed by PUBG at 9% and Standoff 2 at 7%. Both games are popular among teenagers, and their in-game economies are based on skins and accounts, fueling fraud. "Underdeveloped critical-thinking skills and minors' lack of experience create suitable conditions for fraudulent attacks. Criminals deliberately manipulate азарт, gullibility, and the desire to get something "for free" or "faster than everyone else," the press service added.

The Cybercrime Unit also explained how to protect children from scams in mobile games. Cybersecurity experts advise against linking bank cards to gaming accounts. You can open a separate virtual card for the child with a small daily limit and disable one-click payments. In addition, you should help the child make their social media and gaming profiles private, remove their real first name, last name, address, and school from their username, and disable voice and text chats in games. "Important: explain to the child that free in-game currency from "sponsors" or "administrators" is a scammer's trick; such offers must not be trusted," the press service emphasized.

009988 · 2026-11-11T00:59:45+0000

All scammers’ tricks are based on five basic psychological triggers: fear, urgency, greed, pity, or trust in authority. No matter how the scenarios change, the technical essence and psychology of deception remain the same.
The main schemes fall into four principal categories:

1. Telephone scams (vishing)

• “Safe account”: victims are frightened with claims that their money is being stolen or a loan is being taken out in their name, and are urgently told to transfer funds to a special account.
• “A call from a boss / Gosuslugi / the Central Bank / the Ministry of Internal Affairs”: number spoofing and AI voice generation (deepfakes) are used to make victims follow instructions.
• “SIM card contract renewal”: victims are asked to provide a code from an SMS to supposedly renew their number’s service, while the scammers actually steal access to Gosuslugi.
• “A relative in trouble”: a classic nighttime scheme in which victims are told to hand money to a courier to save a loved one from criminal prosecution.

2. Internet fraud (phishing)

• Fake websites and links: clones of marketplaces, delivery services, banks, or Gosuslugi used to steal card details.
• Hacking social media accounts / messengers: messages are sent to the contact list asking someone to “lend money until tomorrow” or vote in a contest.
• Fake investments: advertisements for exceptionally profitable, risk-free shares, where the victim simply transfers money to the scammers’ cards.
• “Easy money”: offers to like products, complete paid surveys, or pay for training before starting the supposed “job”.

3. Everyday and street scams

• Fake inspections utility company workers: imposing unnecessary replacement of meters, gas analyzers, or filters at inflated prices.
• Compensation and payments: promises to refund money for supposedly poor-quality dietary supplements or to grant nonexistent subsidies in exchange for a commission.

5 main signs that a scammer is calling you:

1. The initiative comes from them, not you—they contact you themselves.
2. The conversation comes down to money, cards, codes, or passwords.
3. A strong emotional hook—they either frighten you badly or tempt you with easy money.
4. They pressure you and do not let you hang up, so you do not have time to think.
5. They demand confidential data (CVC/CVV code, passwords from SMS messages, usernames)

Post automatically merged: Today at 1:02 AM

The main safety rule: never act under the influence of emotions. If they frighten you, rush you, or promise free money—these are 100% scammers.
Here is a universal set of protection rules that will safeguard your money and peace of mind in any situation:

Telephone safety rules

• Hang up. This is the most important thing. You have the right to end any conversation. If someone calls claiming to be from a “bank,” the “police,” or “Gosuslugi,” hang up and call the organization back yourself using its official number (listed on your card or official website).
• End the call in the messenger. Official agencies (the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB, the Central Bank, and Gosuslugi) never call via Telegram, WhatsApp, or Viber. You can hang up on such calls immediately.
• Enable built-in protection. Activate the “Caller ID” and “Spam Call Blocking” features in your phone settings or banking app.

Protecting Digital Data and Accounts

• Never tell anyone SMS codes. An SMS code is your digital signature. You must not give it to a “bank employee,” a “telecom operator,” or a “virtual assistant bot.”
• Protect your Gosuslugi account. Enable two-factor authentication (sign-in with a password + SMS code). If scammers hack your Gosuslugi account, they may be able to take out microloans in your name.
• Do not follow links. Do not click links in SMS messages from strangers, “contest invitations” in messengers, or messages asking you to vote for a child.

Financial Hygiene

• Get a virtual card. Use a separate digital card for online purchases. Keep its balance at zero and transfer money to it only at the moment of payment, in exactly the amount the item costs.
• Set limits. In your bank’s app, set a maximum daily limit for online purchases and transfers.
• Don’t believe in easy money. If you are offered “investments with a 100% return” or “payment for liking products,” it is a scam.

Information via AI

Household Safety (for the Home)

• Don’t let strangers in. Inspectors from utilities such as gas and water services always post notices in the building entrance in advance. Before opening the door to a “technician,” call your management the company and ask whether the inspection is underway.
• Make an agreement with elderly relatives. Older people are the primary targets. Agree with your parents and grandparents that whenever they receive a suspicious call or visit, they will call you first and only then make any decisions.

230261 · 2026-11-11T06:25:18+0000

Мне сын установил блокиратор на телефон, приходят звонки только от контактов. Если кто не смог дозвониться, пишет смс , что это мой знакомый, я его включаю в белый список. Да, конечно это не всем подходит, а пенсионерам как я , думаю это самый лучший вариант.

Scammers — how to protect yourself!

1001

007

009988

009988

230261