Scammers deceive Russians by exploiting fears of Hong Kong flu epidemic
Fraudsters are calling people pretending to be from clinics, warning them about the Hong Kong flu outbreak and asking them to come for a supposedly mandatory appointment or tests for virus prevention. If the victim refuses, they threaten with an epidemic outbreak, severe illness, quarantine, and lengthy rehabilitation.
This was reported by Russian propaganda media
The scammers pressure victims to decide quickly, claiming that it won’t be possible to book an appointment later as no slots remain. Once the victim agrees, they ask for a code from an SMS, which is actually an access code for the government services portal. Afterwards, the fraudsters call pretending to be from the Central Bank, Ministry of Internal Affairs, or Financial Monitoring Service, claiming the previous call was by hackers who hacked government services to steal money from bank accounts.
This scam requires heightened public vigilance to avoid falling victim. It is crucial not to disclose SMS codes and to avoid rushing decisions, especially if the call seems suspicious.
