Cyber fraudsters have developed a new scheme called “Fake Date” to trick Russians using dating apps. This scheme allows them to steal money from their victims and has become quite common. According to FACCT, in the fall of 2023 alone, there were six fraudulent groups in Russia, and one of them managed to earn more than 6.5 million rubles in 10 days. On average, victims of this scheme lost about 9 thousand rubles.
The Fake Date scheme involves deceiving victims by pretending to be an attractive girl and offering romantic dates. Victims are sent links to phishing sites where they pay for services and scammers steal their money and card information. The new version of the scheme includes advanced deception methods such as using apps to capture banking data and SMS codes.
FACCT advises Russians to be careful and not transfer communications from dating app chats to instant messengers. They should also not click on links they receive from strangers via instant messengers or mail, and should only download official apps from the mobile app store or official dating service sites.
Source: Ferra
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