Scammers Target Parents Ahead of School Year
Criminals are creating fake online stores selling stationery, uniforms, and gadgets at artificially low prices, said Alexander Lunev, head of the information security training group at Yandex, in an interview with RIA Novosti.
Consensus
- Mothers and fathers are being targeted by scammers before the start of the school year.
- Fraudsters are creating fake online stores selling school supplies, uniforms, and gadgets at low prices.
- Victims are tricked into entering bank card details and SMS verification codes on fake payment pages.
- Scammers call parents and children pretending to be school administrators, class teachers, or parent committee representatives.
- The goal of these attacks is to exploit urgency and secrecy to prevent victims from verifying information.
- Experts warn that such scams often involve pressure, threats, and requests for immediate action.
- Users are advised to use unique passwords, delete unused accounts, limit personal data online, and remain vigilant.
Points of divergence
- Experts suggest that fraudsters are creating fake school chat groups and websites that closely resemble real educational platforms. — vesti
- After the initial call, scammers may threaten children with legal or financial consequences to force compliance. — m24
- One of the most relevant schemes for 2026 involves fake electronic diaries and duplicate educational platforms. — vesti
- Another scam involves sending malicious video files via messengers, pretending to be from acquaintances, which can grant access to online banking and e-wallets. — m24
Coverage (2 sources)
- Expert Lunev: criminals create stores with school goods — Вести
- Scammers before September 1 create online stores with school supplies — Москва 24