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- Ignorance is darkness: how scammers use the subject of educational courses
Ignorance is darkness: how scammers use the subject of educational courses
Fraudsters can use the subject of training courses to deceive Russians, experts have warned about this. After the coronavirus pandemic, the popularity of such activities, especially those related to the development of digital skills, has increased significantly, which has not been ignored by intruders. Over the past year, the share of schemes on "educational" topics has increased by 38%. For more information about how scammers use it in their schemes, how dangerous they are and how to protect themselves from them, read the "Izvestia" material.
Why are the topics of the training courses interesting to scammers?
""Since the coronavirus pandemic, online course organizers have seen a marked increase in the popularity of digital skills training services, including programming, SMM, video editing, copywriting and other areas," "Konstantin Gorbunov, a leading expert on network threats at the Security Code company, tells Izvestia.
"Among the main advantages of such areas are the possibility of remote work from anywhere, self—selection of orders, self-employment, as well as mastering relevant skills in the era of digital transformation," he explains. — As you know, where there is demand, there is supply, including fraudulent courses.
According to the expert, the growth of malicious schemes on this topic has amounted to 38% over the past year. At the same time, the proportion of such fraudulent activities has doubled in just two years. In 2024, such cases accounted for only 7% of the total mass of social attacks, while in early 2026 this figure reached 14%.
Interestingly, the topic of education is of interest to scammers not only in Russia, but also in other countries of the world. According to the results of a global survey conducted by "Kaspersky Lab" in 18 countries, more than 60% of the surveyed Internet users have been engaged remotely in one way or another over the past year ‑ completely online or in a hybrid format.
"At the same time, more than half of them have encountered at least one cyber incident: for example, fake websites and training applications, fake courses or fraudulent groups in messengers," said Leonid Bezvershenko, senior expert at Kaspersky GReAT.
What schemes on the topic of training courses to expect at the end of 2026
At the end of this year, fraudulent schemes related to artificial intelligence (AI) training can be expected first of all, says Vladislav Shelepov, threat analyst at GSOC "Gazinformservice". Demand in this area continues to grow rapidly, and scammers have already noticed this interest.
"Therefore, by the end of the year, we should expect more similar offers, as well as copies of real schools and fake "New Year discounts," the expert points out. — A promise to quickly master a new profession by 2027 may be a separate bait.
In turn, Sergey Shcherbakov, technical director of "Stakhanovets", an expert in the field of information security and IT, predicts the emergence of a new class of fraudulent schemes at the end of 2026, which can be conditionally called synthetic educational ecosystems. These are not individual fake courses, but entire fictional worlds created using generative neural networks. An example of such a trap is a closed chat where 20-30 participants actively discuss their successes.
They share screenshots of earnings, ask questions to the supervisor, and support the newcomer. The problem is that most of these participants don't exist: they were generated by artificial intelligence. The victim finds himself in an environment where trust seems natural — it arises from the actions of other participants. But these people don't really exist.
"In the educational field, such a mechanism will work perfectly: a person sees a group of like—minded people, successful graduates, a lively discussion and pays for access to this world," warns the editorial interlocutor.
A separate area is trading and investment courses, complemented by Alexander Vurasko, Director of Development at the Solar AURA External Digital Threat Monitoring Center at "Solar" Group of Companies. In such cases, as the expert notes, training can only be the first stage of the scheme: first, a person is shown webinars and appointed a supervisor, and then they are persuaded to deposit money on a fake investment platform. The cyber police have already classified such "investment schools" as the most notable types of fraud under the guise of educational services.
What schemes on the topic of training courses were previously found on the Web
Meanwhile, online scammers have tried to speculate on the topic of educational courses before. According to Konstantin Gorbunov, one of the schemes encountered in previous years is to pay for a course using a phishing link, after which a person either does not receive the course, or the card data goes to the attacker.
"The other is cheap courses, but during the course of study additional fees are required for exams, graduation, and so on," the source tells Izvestia. — The third is blurred skills and knowledge: for example, leadership, charisma, and motivation training.
In turn, Ruslan Abdulaev, an analyst at the cybersecurity monitoring department of Security Vision, notes that earlier the "educational" schemes of scammers were closer to selling empty courses with vague promises. The victim got access to records with no real value, but formally the service was considered rendered. Gradually, the scheme turned into a full-fledged fraud with disappearance after payment. There are more new scenarios now, and each one costs the victim more.
The target audience of intruders, as Alexander Vurasko notes, is quite wide.: These are people who want to change their profession, upgrade their skills, or quickly find additional income. Separately, scammers attack specialists who need certification or training to continue their work, as well as parents, schoolchildren, students and applicants.
"It is wrong to assume that such schemes are designed only for inexperienced users," the expert emphasizes. — A well-executed contract, communication with several "employees", a hangout and a detailed training program can create the impression of a full-fledged organization. The presence of documents in itself does not guarantee anything — they can also be forged.
The danger of such schemes is not limited to the direct loss of money, although it can be very sensitive, warns Sergey Shcherbakov. It is much more serious that the victim loses confidence in the online education institution as a whole, and this is a blow to the entire market, because a person who is deceived once ceases to believe any educational platforms. In addition, risks are associated with the leakage of personal data: the questionnaire filled out by the buyer of the courses contains passport data, address and phone number — and this information is then used for other attacks.
How to protect yourself from cheating schemes on the topic of educational courses
In order to protect themselves from fraudulent schemes on the subject of educational courses, experts interviewed by "Izvestia" advise to follow certain safety rules. In particular, Vladislav Shelepov recommends not making payments using the details that the manager sends in personal correspondence, especially if the explanation sounds like "there are technical works on the site, but the discount needs to be saved right now."
— It is better to find the official websites of real organizations on your own and check through the contacts indicated there whether recruitment is really underway, whether there is a course in general, whether promotions or discounts are held, — the expert suggests.
In addition, according to the expert, for additional professional education programs, it is worth checking the legal entity itself and the educational license. It is also advisable to look at the INN, OGRN, the address of the organization and the terms of the contract in advance. If money is asked to be transferred to an individual's card, although the company is specified in the contract, this is a serious reason to stop.
An official educational institution will always issue an invoice to a legal entity or offer to wait for the completion of technical work, agrees the deputy head of the department of audits and compliance with information Security requirements at the "Ural Center for Security Systems" IT company Ksenia Kuznetsova.
— Any request for a transfer by phone number is a direct sign of fraud. When faced with such pressure, it is important to stop communicating immediately. To protect other users, send a complaint to the messenger's technical support or social networks, which will allow you to quickly block the accounts of fraudsters," concludes the "Izvestia" interlocutor.
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