Scammers pretending as delivery services and Roskomnadzor representatives on the line
In Q1 2025, a significant increase in phishing and vishing (voice phishing) attacks has been reported in Russia, particularly targeting government and customer support sectors. These scams, which exploit trust in popular services and government agencies, have become increasingly sophisticated.
Identifying the Scams
Be on the lookout for these common indicators:
- Unexpected calls claiming urgent delivery of flowers or official matters from government bodies without prior notice.
- The use of pressure tactics to provide personal or financial information quickly.
- Requests for payment via unusual methods such as prepaid cards, cryptocurrency, or direct bank transfers.
- Caller IDs that appear spoofed to mimic legitimate organizations or local numbers.
- Scammers leveraging social engineering tactics exploiting trust in government agencies or popular services.
Protecting Yourself
To protect against these scams, follow these protective measures:
- Verify the caller independently by contacting the official flower delivery company or government agency using publicly listed contact details rather than call-back numbers provided during the call.
- Avoid sharing personal, financial, or biometric information through unsolicited phone calls.
- Refuse unusual payment methods and prefer secure official channels.
- Utilize call blocking and spam detection features available on smartphones and through carriers.
- Stay informed about common local scam tactics via governmental or cybersecurity advisories in Russia.
- Educate staff and family, especially new hires, as they are more susceptible to vishing attacks in their first 90 days.
- Regularly update and use anti-phishing and fraud detection software, as AI-driven attacks and sophisticated phishing attempts are rising in sophistication and volume in 2025.
- Be cautious with unsolicited links or requests to download apps or provide camera access as attackers increasingly exploit such requests to gain access to devices.
Recent Scams in Russia
Scammers have been posing as flower delivery services, asking victims for SMS codes to verify orders. After victims provide these codes, they receive a message from Roskomnadzor stating that the call is unsafe. Scammers then call victims again, claiming to be representatives of Roskomnadzor and offering help with "Gosuslugi" and microloan applications.
It's important to note that Roskomnadzor does not call citizens, send them links, or request personal data, according to its Telegram channel. Four-digit codes from supposed microfinance organizations have also been sent to victims' phones by scammers.
Special solutions like number identifiers can indicate if a number has been reported for spam or fraud. With the share of Russian users who experienced suspicious phone calls with potential fraud increasing by nearly 3% in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024, reaching 43%, it's essential to stay vigilant and apply these recognition and defense strategies to minimize risk from phone scams.
- Technology has become an essential tool for scammers, with phishing and vishing attacks on the rise in the general-news sector, particularly in Q1 2025 in Russia, where calls claiming urgent flower deliveries or official matters from government bodies have been reported.
- To protect oneself against these vishing attacks, it's crucial to stay informed about crime-and-justice trends, such as the tactics of posing as flower delivery services to gain SMS codes and then impersonating government agencies for microloan applications, as well as using advanced technology like anti-phishing and fraud detection software frequently updated to counter increasingly sophisticated AI-driven attacks.
