The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has revealed details of a new, sophisticated scam aimed at gaining unauthorised access to SIM cards—and by extension, citizens’ bank accounts. This scheme, rooted in social engineering, exploits the public’s trust in representatives of official organisations.
Criminals, posing as technical experts from various mobile operators, make telephone calls to potential victims. They present themselves as engineers or technical support staff and claim that a routine check of the telephone line or equipment is required.
During the call, the scammers instruct the recipient to enter a specific sequence of characters on their phone—for example, #90, #09, or another specially selected code. It is important to note that each such code is programmed to perform certain functions; entering it without proper verification can have disastrous consequences. In this case, entering the designated code gives the fraudsters complete control over the victim’s SIM card.
Once they gain access, the criminals can make calls and send SMS messages using the victim’s number, opening the door to further fraud. This may include withdrawing funds from accounts linked to mobile banking, transferring money, taking out loans, or executing other financial transactions that can result in significant monetary loss. Additionally, the stolen SIM card can be used to register on various online platforms, deceive acquaintances, or facilitate other criminal activities.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs strongly advises citizens to exercise caution when receiving such calls. Under no circumstances should any instructions from unknown callers claiming to be from mobile operators be followed.
If you receive such a call, it is imperative to immediately hang up by pressing the “end call” button. Do not enter any suggested codes. If in doubt, contact your mobile operator’s customer support using the official phone numbers listed on their website or in your contract.
Only through these measures can you verify the legitimacy of the request and avoid falling victim to fraud. Remember, genuine representatives of mobile operators will never ask you to input such codes over the phone.
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