The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) has shared a crucial tip for citizens to identify cybercriminals attempting to defraud them through messenger conversations with seemingly familiar contacts.
According to law enforcement officials, a primary indicator that an account may have been compromised and is being controlled by a scammer is a sudden and unusual change in the manner of address. Specifically, users should be wary if a friend or acquaintance, who typically addresses them informally (using “ты”), unexpectedly switches to a more formal “вы” (you, plural/formal) during a chat.
The MVD suggests that such an abrupt shift in communication style is a strong sign that the original user`s account has been hacked, and an imposter is now managing the correspondence.
Russians are therefore advised to remain vigilant and pay close attention to any uncharacteristic behavior or unusual linguistic patterns from their contacts on messaging platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp.
This warning comes amidst ongoing efforts to combat cybercrime. Previously, State Duma Committee member Anton Nemkin highlighted a trend where fraudsters were impersonating polyclinic doctors as a tactic to steal personal data from citizens.
