Panic attacks: how scammers use the subject of disturbing news
Fraudsters can use disturbing news to deceive Russians, experts have warned about this. A person who receives a message that someone is walking at his door or that they are trying to open his car stops thinking rationally, which is what the intruders use. For more information about how scammers use disturbing news, how dangerous such tricks are and how to protect themselves from them, read the Izvestia article.
Why is the subject of alarm messages interesting to scammers?
The opportunity to use disturbing news attracts scammers primarily because it hits right into the basic instincts of self-preservation and caring for loved ones, says Sergey Shcherbakov, technical director of Stakhanovets, an expert in the field of IT and information security, in an interview with Izvestia. When a person sees a message about a suspicious stranger near his door, his attention instantly switches to a possible threat, and rational thinking recedes into the background, the expert notes.
"A person who receives a message that someone is walking at his door or that someone is trying to open his car stops thinking rationally," agrees Ruslan Abdulaev, an analyst at Security Vision's cybersecurity monitoring department. — In this state, he may not check the file for viruses or wonder where his contact came from with an unknown number.
Another important aspect is the naturalness of such messages, adds Sergey Shcherbakov. Scammers issue them without pressure and direct demands, as an ordinary act of mutual assistance — for example, from neighbors. The person believes that he is being served, and he himself takes the initiative to open the attachment, which is the main purpose of the attack.
The attackers attach a file to the alarm message under the guise of a recording from a surveillance camera or a video from a phone, the source explains. A person concerned about security is highly likely to run this file to verify the reality of the threat. It is this moment that is the entry point for malicious code that attackers want to inject onto the victim's device.
What schemes on the topic of alarm messages to expect in 2026
Today, fraudulent schemes with alarming reports of certain suspicious people at the doors of potential victims are apparently only gaining momentum and can be used in various variations in many large cities, says Elena Zavodova, head of the audit and compliance department at the Ural Center for Security Systems IT company.
"So far, mostly mailing lists are recorded without referring by name, but there are also basic elements of personalization — for example, the apartment or entrance number is indicated to increase trust," the Izvestia interlocutor clarifies.
In the future, using artificial intelligence more actively, scammers can carry out more personalized attacks — collect detailed information about potential victims, generate audio and video messages using deepfake technologies, and then send them point-by-point, the expert predicts. Attackers are already beginning to copy the accounts of real active neighbors, such as administrators of communal chats, in order to send malicious files from the position of a confirmed trusted party, which in turn greatly increases the chances of successful deception, adds Maxim Fedosenko, a leading engineer and analyst at the Gazinformservice Cybersecurity Analytical Center.
The next popular trend in many areas is the use of deepfakes: the generation of fake voice or video messages personalized for specific residents of a certain residential complex, which create a powerful aura of trust and minimize doubts before downloading an unverified malicious attachment, he continues. At the same time, social engineering is being mixed with phishing, when an attachment disguised as a file leads to a malicious resource on the Internet, which then implements another type of deception.
What schemes on the topic of alarm messages were previously encountered on the Web
Meanwhile, scammers have tried to speculate on the topic of disturbing news before. According to the CEO of Secure-T (part of the Solar Group of Companies) According to Khariton Nikishkin, the attackers sent messages to users on behalf of banks about account blocking, from Gosuslug about account hacking, or from bailiffs about various debts.
— The general principle of such schemes is to create a sense of urgency and push a person to act before he has time to check the information, — explains the interlocutor of Izvestia.
In addition, fraudsters had previously sent messages on behalf of neighbors about alleged emergencies in the house, adds Sergey Shcherbakov. Potential victims were told about fires, flooding or smoke in the entrances and asked to urgently open files with recordings to clarify the situation. In a panic, people acted recklessly and launched attachments without checking the senders.
Also, according to the expert, the topic of missing pets was previously popular with scammers. Users received messages from eyewitnesses who allegedly saw someone's dog run out into the street and attached a video file. This caused a very strong emotional reaction, especially among pet owners, and practically guaranteed the discovery of malicious content.
"Such messages can come to any resident of an apartment building, especially if he is absent all day — then they will be of interest, and the person will not wonder who sent them and why," says Alexandra Shmigirilova, GR director of the Security Code information security company. — Moreover, many people do not know their neighbors and will not immediately realize that the message is not from them.
When you click on a link or open a file with a video/photo from such a message, a malware program will be installed on the potential victim's smartphone, the purpose of which is to take control of the phone and transfer it to the fraudster. As a result, a person loses contacts, financial data, and if the Gosuslugi application is installed, they also lose their personal data, warns Alexandra Shmigirilova.
How to protect yourself from fraud schemes on the subject of disturbing messages
In order to protect themselves from fraud schemes related to disturbing messages, experts interviewed by Izvestia advise following certain security rules. In particular, experts of the MTS Defender service urge to always check information about the numbers from which calls are received, according to official sources. It is also important never to transfer money to strangers — real emergency services do not require this.
"Do not open attachments or follow links from messages from unfamiliar contacts, even if the texts look like messages from familiar people or trusted organizations," adds Kaspersky Lab cybersecurity expert Vladimir Dashchenko. — In addition, you should not dictate codes from SMS or push notifications — neither to "neighbors", nor to "employees of the management company", nor to "representatives of the bank".
The specialist also recommends enabling two-factor authentication on all accounts. If the message has caused an alarm, it is better to check the information yourself, including clarifying it with real neighbors in the chat at home. It is also useful to install a security solution that will block fraudulent and spam calls, attempts to access phishing sites and download malicious files, the Izvestia interlocutor concludes.
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