The key facts
- The Interior Ministry advises not transferring full prepayment to unfamiliar sellers, even with documents and discounts provided
- Purchases are recommended on trusted platforms, without going beyond them
- Fraudsters try to lure buyers into messengers to extract money or card details
Interior Ministry recommendations for buyers
Russia's Interior Ministry advises citizens not to transfer full prepayment for goods or services to unfamiliar persons, even if they send documents and offer discounts. This was reported by TASS with reference to materials from the ministry. The ministry also recommends using secure payment methods.
Purchases on trusted platforms
The ministry recommends purchasing goods and services on trusted platforms and not going beyond them, so as not to fall victim to fraudsters. According to the Interior Ministry, online trading services pay great attention to security issues, so criminals try to lure a potential victim off the platform into a messenger, where they extract money through deception or obtain bank card details.
Previously given advice
Earlier, Russians were advised to use a digital bank card for online purchases to protect the funds in their main account. The Interior Ministry had also previously explained what the hacking of a Gosuslugi account can lead to.
