Russian tourists targeted by EES phishing scam
Russian tourists with Schengen visas may become victims of a fake EES website: scammers ask tourists to visit the fraudulent site and submit a 'migration declaration,' providing personal data and passport scans, according to the press service of Kaspersky Laboratory.
Consensus
- Russian tourists with Schengen visas are being targeted by phishing emails.
- The phishing emails impersonate EU migration authorities and direct users to a fake website.
- The fake website requests personal data, travel dates, information about companions, and passport scans.
- The fake website uses EU symbolism and is available in multiple languages including Russian, English, Turkish, Chinese, and Spanish.
- The official EES system does not require pre-travel registration or submission of passport scans.
- Travelers are advised to verify email senders and check official websites before providing personal information.
- Experts recommend not uploading passport scans or sensitive documents to third-party sites.
Points of divergence
- The fake website claims that failure to submit the declaration may result in additional border checks or temporary entry denial. — interfax
- The official EES system began operation in April 2026. — vedomosti
- Since November 2025, multiple-entry Schengen visas for Russians have become rare, with less than 1–2% of visas issued being multi-year. — vedomosti
- The number of Schengen visa applications from Russians increased by 15–25% year-on-year in 2026. — vedomosti
- The EU postponed the ETIAS pre-travel authorization system to 2027 due to technical issues with EES implementation. — vedomosti
- EES requires fingerprinting and facial recognition at borders, causing long queues at some crossings. — vedomosti
Coverage (2 sources)
- For Russian tourists with Schengen visas, a phishing site EES has been created — Интерфакс
- Scammers lure Russians to fake EES website before trips to the EU — Ведомости