telephone fraud schemes

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Recently, several fraud schemes associated with mobile services, in particular, with short numbers for sending SMS, have become quite widespread in Russia. Fraudsters own most of the ads on the Russian mobile (WAP) Internet, fraudulent offers to send SMS to a short number are quite common in spam emails, social networks, and instant messaging networks.
SMS alarms
The term SMS alarm (or SMS alarm) is currently most often used to refer to a fraudulent application for a mobile phone or smartphone sending SMS messages to short numbers. Such applications are often distributed under the guise of icq clients, the “latest” or improved versions of Opera Mini and other popular java applications and games. Since most mobile phones issue a request before the Java application sends SMS messages, the creators of SMS alarms go to various tricks to force the user to press the desired key at the right time, without having to respond to the warning on the screen.
Fraud with premium sites
For many mobile operators, access to individual wap-resources with paid content is paid at a special rate, much higher than the usual one. Thus, the user can purchase a particular melody, game, etc. without sending an SMS to a short number, paying directly for the fact of downloading it. Fraudsters can post direct links to content on premium resources on free sites without special warnings, or even put images on supposedly free sites (often even from one transparent pixel) placed at addresses with special tariffication, as a result of which the user, suspecting nothing , pays for viewing an externally regular site at a higher rate. Usually it’s such resources that are referred to as “Download XXX for free” in ad units on Russian WAP sites. Premium-priced sites can also “visit” various fraudulent mobile phone applications.
Subscription fraud
It consists in the fact that the user is fraudulently persuaded to follow the link that serves to subscribe to paid services. To implement the scheme, fraudsters need a user's mobile phone number. Often, such links are sent in SMS under the guise of links to greeting cards.
Other frauds with short numbers
Users are convinced in one way or another to independently send an expensive SMS to a short number. The most popular schemes:
• Payment for a knowingly non-existent service, for example, intercepting someone else's SMS or a java application that allows you to see the human body under clothes. Fraudsters usually relieve themselves of responsibility, indicating in the rules for the provision of the service, hidden on the site far from the links, that the service is comic;
• "Voting on sites." A variation of the previous scheme. The scheme at one time became widespread in social networks. Messages were sent from accounts with hacked passwords with a link to a site where allegedly a vote was taken for the best photo (or other similar). The photo of the person who allegedly sent the message, as a rule, turned out to be in second place.
• Ransomware viruses for the computer. They block the loading of the operating system, display images that cover most of the browser window, etc., requiring the user to send an SMS to a short number to unlock.
In all of the above schemes, the actual cost of SMS, as a rule, is much higher than the declared one, scammers can take responsibility by mentioning in the rules for the provision of services, which are usually not easy to find from the links on the main page, for example, the cost per day of subscribing to service, and payment is charged immediately for a month, etc.
“An urgent donor of a rare third negative blood group is urgently needed”
At one time, a message was launched on social and im-networks of the Internet that “a child needs a rare third negative blood group”, a telephone “for communication” and a request to forward to the entire list of contacts. The specified phone number was paid, after the connection was established, the answering machine played the beeps, which forced many people to call back several times.
SMS with a request to transfer money
Another common fraud scheme. Messages are sent asking you to transfer money to one or another mobile number (for example, “Mom, urgently put 100 rubles to the number +7 ********** when I get it back”). The text of the message is selected in such a way that any significant part of the recipients can accept such SMS as sent by someone close to them. Also, scammers can in one way or another convince you (for example, introducing yourself as an employee of a mobile operator) to send a USSD request designed to transfer money from your account to their number.
How to protect yourself
• It is strongly recommended that you download applications and games for your phone only from their official sites. If you really want to "try" some unofficial modification, you need to download it to your computer and check it before uploading it to your phone with an anti-virus program with the latest updates.
• Do not install patches in the phone’s firmware, removing requests from applications for potentially dangerous actions.
• To access the "mobile" sites, it is recommended to use Opera Mini or another browser that works through a compression proxy server instead of the standard phone browser. Before downloading files, be sure to check the link address.
• Ignore messages (including on icq, social networks, etc.) asking them to transfer money to an unfamiliar number, asking them to send this message to all their friends, any messages asking them to send SMS to a short number, even from friends, SMS messages with Internet links (except for those that you explicitly requested).
• Before sending SMS / MMS / USSD to a short number (except for service numbers of the operator), it is necessary to check its cost in the subscription service of the mobile operator.
• Do not call back to numbers with an unknown city / operator code.
• In case of inadequate debit of money from the account, receipt of an unsolicited SMS mailing that is not similar to the usual mailings of your mobile operator, order an account details or contact the operator’s subscription service.
Source: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki

 

[Матушкин Андрей Николаевич]

Thank!

 

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Basic schemes of telephone fraud
Case with a relative
The fraudster appears as a relative or in a familiar and excited voice that he is detained by police for committing a crime (committed an accident, possession of weapons or drugs, causing serious bodily harm). Then, allegedly a police officer enters the conversation. He confidently reports that he has helped people in this way more than once. But if earlier money was brought directly to him, now it’s impossible to do this, since he is afraid of losing shoulder straps. Money must be brought to a specific place or transferred to any person. The price for resolving the issue is from one to thirty thousand US dollars.

When committing fraud in this way, the caller can be both in a correctional labor institution and at large, but at the same time always has one or more accomplices.

The main person involved, if he is free, is usually in a rented apartment and, using a mobile phone, enumerates numbers in ascending or descending order of the last digit. And if earlier calls were made to mobile phones with a direct subscriber number, now these are direct, federal and city numbers.

If the subscriber agreed to bring the money, then they tell him the address where he should come. Upon arrival at this address he is informed of another address, but at the same time he already falls under the supervision of the accomplices of the criminal. People who are observing are knowledgeable about the methods of observation and counter-observation, have good experience in driving.

After a citizen leaves money in the specified place or transfers it to someone, they tell him where he can see his relative or acquaintance.

Prize draw
The presenter of a popular radio station calls the subscriber’s mobile phone and congratulates him on the big win (phone, laptop, car) in the lottery organized by the radio station and mobile operator. To get a prize, you need to reach the radio station within a minute.

The employee of the "prize department" answers the caller and explains in detail the conditions of the game: asks to introduce himself and name the year of birth; competently convinces of the honesty of the action (no fees, replays, etc.); asks if the subscriber can activate $ 300 for his express payment card number; explains that within an hour it is necessary to prepare express payment cards of any denomination for the specified amount and call back again to register and assign the winner’s personal number, the number reports; explains the procedure for the next steps to receive a prize: from 10.00 to 20.00 of such a date, the subscriber must come to the specified address with a passport, mobile phone and assigned personal number to arrange a joyful event.

If for some reason the subscriber cannot find express cards for $ 300 within an hour, he should still call to coordinate further actions. Then the fraudster explains the procedure for activating the cards: erase the protective layer; call the prize department; when switching to an operator - provide your codes. The operator activates them to the subscriber’s number, and the prize department controls the correctness of his actions, after which he assigns him the personal number of the “winner” with whom the citizen must go for the prize. The proposal to independently activate the cards to your number and come with evidence from the cellular company is not accepted, these are the rules of the promotion.

SMS request
The subscriber receives the message "I have problems, call this number, if the number is unavailable, put a certain amount on it and call back."

Paid code
A call comes in allegedly from an employee of the technical support service of a mobile operator with a proposal to activate a new exclusive service either for re-registration to avoid disconnecting due to a technical malfunction, or to improve the quality of communication. For this, the subscriber is invited to dial a code under dictation, which is a combination for the mobile transfer of funds from the subscriber’s account to the attackers account.

Penalties of the operator
The attacker appears to be an employee of the technical support service of the mobile operator and reports that the subscriber changed the tariff plan without notifying the operator (there may also be options: did not make timely payments, used roaming services without warning) and, accordingly, he needs to pay a fine in a certain amount, by purchasing express payment cards and reporting their codes.

Erroneous transfer of funds
The subscriber receives an SMS message about the receipt of funds to his account, transferred using the Mobile Transfer service. Immediately after this, a call comes in and a man or woman reports that he mistakenly transferred the money to his account and asks to return it back with the same "Mobile Transfer".

Offer to get access to SMS - correspondence and subscriber calls - fraud!

Knowing the tendency of some citizens to spy on relatives and acquaintances, the attackers came up with another method of fraud on the Internet. The user is invited to study the contents of SMS messages and the list of incoming and outgoing calls of the interested subscriber . To do this, send a message costing from 10 to 30 rubles. to the indicated short number and enter the subscriber's phone number in the proposed form.

After the user sends an SMS, a much larger amount is deducted from his account than the one indicated by the scammers - up to 500 rubles, and the information of interest is never received. Since most of the victims do not contact the police due to the insignificance of the damage, fraudsters remain unpunished and continue to deceive citizens.

Management "K" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia warns: the offer to provide this service is fraud, as it can be provided exclusively by mobile operators and in the manner prescribed by law!

How to protect yourself from telephone fraud
If you received an offer from a radio station to activate an Express Payment card in order to receive a prize, turn on the radio station and listen to its broadcast. A radio station NEVER requires the activation of express payment cards during a lottery.

If you received a call from an allegedly close relative or acquaintance with information that he was in an unpleasant situation , as a result of which he faces a criminal case and is requested to transfer a bribe to an employee Law enforcement authorities, ready to resolve the issue, follow these recommendations:
- Ask your relative leading questions, the answers to which both of you know, or ask him to describe himself;
- If you are talking with a supposedly representative of law enforcement agencies, ask which police department a relative has been taken to. By dialing 02 and finding out the number of the duty unit of this police station, you can ask whether the relative is really there and who is involved in this matter;
- if the conversation is over, and you doubt the identity of the caller and the authenticity of the facts stated, try to call back to the caller’s mobile phone. If it is disabled, outline a circle of people who may know about his whereabouts (work colleagues, friends, relatives), contact them to clarify the information.

You may receive a call from an alleged representative of your cellular company, who will offer to replenish your account with an express payment card , but first you will need to inform the operator of a personal PIN code by calling back to a specific number. Remember that you need to activate express payment cards exclusively through a special short number indicated on the card, and no one will be given a personal code.

If you received an sms message on a mobile phone from supposedly acquaintances with a request to deposit money on their account, call back the indicated number and find out the identity of the sender.

An SMS message may come to your mobile phone with a proposal to protect you from SPAM mailing, or to take part in the promotion from your mobile operator. The message suggests sending a "free" sms, consisting of a set of numbers, to one of the short numbers, and then follow the link to remove your name from the list. As a result of these manipulations, you will lose about 100 - 150 rubles, but you will still receive SPAM.

SMS messages can be very diverse, and in this case there can be only one advice - to be critical of such messages and not to rush to fulfill what you are asked about. It’s better to call your service provider, find out how much will be debited from your account when sending sms or calling to the specified number, then inform about the information that came to your phone. The operator will determine who sends these sms and will block his account.