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- Unforgettable moments: how scammers speculate on deleting data from the Network
Unforgettable moments: how scammers speculate on deleting data from the Network
Online fraudsters can use the topic of deleting data from the Network to deceive Russians, experts have warned about this. Attackers seek to exploit users' desire to quickly regain control of information about themselves, since the availability of personal data in the public domain creates constant risks. For more information about how scammers speculate on the seizure of information, how dangerous such tricks are and how to protect yourself from them, read the Izvestia article.
Why is the topic of deleting data from the Network interesting to scammers?
The process of deleting personal data from the Network is interesting to fraudsters, since their presence in the public domain creates constant risks, Anastasia Patrusheva, a specialist in the cyber intelligence department of Bastion, says in an interview with Izvestia. Excessive disclosure or leakage of information gives attackers the opportunity to use this information for further cyber attacks, blackmail and doxing — the targeted collection of personal data into a single profile, or reputational damage.
"Attackers seek to exploit a person's desire to quickly regain control of information about themselves," the expert says. — At the same time, due to the dispersion of leaked personal information across websites, archives and various databases, it is difficult to delete them, which makes it easy to argue for the need to make an advance payment or additional payments.
The user may be willing to pay for solving the problem, even without really understanding how it happens and whether it can work in general, notes Vladislav Shelepov, GSOC threat analyst at Gazinformservice. Scammers offer guaranteed removal of information from the Network, but technically it is not always possible, the expert warns.
What schemes on the topic of data deletion should we expect at the end of 2026
At the end of 2026, fraudsters may use familiar techniques, adapting them to information flows related to data deletion, for example, offering to exclude a person from the dropper database for a fee or remove restrictions from a bank account, the head of BI believes.ZONE AntiFraud Alexey Luzhnov.
"Another possible scenario is proposals to delete deepfakes, compromising materials, or personal data allegedly found in a recent leak,— the Izvestia source predicts. — A person may be sent a link to such material and require payment for deletion.
There may also be reports on behalf of banks and government services that personal data has fallen into the hands of intruders, the specialist admits. Under the pretext of protecting a person's account, they may be asked to follow a link, enter a password, or provide a text message code. On the eve of the New Year, an additional reason for such appeals may be a proposal to check and clear the digital footprint.
In turn, Alexander Vurasko, Director of Development at the Solar AURA External Digital Threat Monitoring Center (Solar Group), expects fraudsters to offer to "urgently delete data from a new leak." As part of such schemes, a person may receive a notification allegedly from the security service, show some information known about him and offer paid cleaning. After the first payment, additional costs may appear: "we found another database," "we need to delete an archived copy," or "we need to enable protection against republication."
Another possible option is a fake removal application form, the expert notes. Under the pretext of confirming the user's identity, they may ask you to log in to the mail or to the "State Services", provide the code and send the documents. Then the goal will no longer be to pay for the service, but to obtain additional information and access to accounts. In fact, a person who wants to reduce the amount of data available about him risks passing on new information to the attacker himself.
— Separately, we should expect a combination of this topic with neural network blackmail, — predicts Alexander Vurasko. — Scammers do not have to steal real intimate photos: they can make a fake and demand money for its removal or refusal to distribute.
What schemes have you encountered before on the topic of data deletion?
Meanwhile, scammers have been trying to speculate on the topic of deleting data from the Network for several years. In particular, paid services are often found on the Internet that promise to "erase data about themselves from all databases" on the Internet for money — scammers may be hiding behind such offers, says Vladimir Dashchenko, a cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky Lab, in an interview with Izvestia.
—In August 2026, the GuidePoint Security research group identified a fraudster who sent records from stolen databases to users and offered to remove them from the Network for $20-60 thousand," says Alyona Yartseva, an analyst at Positive Technologies. — It turned out that the "rescuer" was connected with the attacker and sent money to him directly.
Last summer, according to the expert, victims of leaks in France also received messages from intruders — the letters contained real user data from leaked databases. The motives of the scammers remained unknown, but the authorities of the Fifth Republic asked citizens to beware of such letters and their attachments.
The main target of such schemes is not technologically trained specialists, but ordinary users, says the deputy head of the department of audits and compliance with information Security requirements at the Ural Center for Security Systems (UCSB) IT company Ksenia Kuznetsova. In particular, online scammers may be interested in representatives of small and medium-sized businesses, for whom reputational risks or fear of personal data leakage outweigh the critical perception of the offer. At the same time, the danger lies not only in direct financial loss.
"A victim who has paid to fraudsters may become the target of repeated extortion, since the very fact of payment signals a willingness to pay," says the editorial interlocutor. — In addition, contacting illegitimate intermediaries creates the risk of transferring additional personal data to them and expanding the volume of compromised information.
How to protect yourself from fraud schemes on the topic of data deletion
In order to protect themselves from fraudulent schemes on the topic of deleting data from the Network, experts interviewed by Izvestia advise following certain cybersecurity rules. In particular, R-Vision technical account manager Alexander Vinokurov recommends that even before ordering a data deletion service, check the contractor, his reputation, working conditions and what sources he can process.
"It is necessary to be critical of promises to delete information from everywhere: data can be stored in different systems, and search results and the original source of publication are not the same thing," the expert notes.
You should not transfer any confidential information to dubious services: passwords, confirmation codes, bank card data or documents, says Alexander Vinokurov. If you are offered to install a program or provide remote access to the device to delete information, this is a reason to cancel the service.
In turn, Evgeny Egorov, a leading analyst at the Digital Risk Protection department of F6, recalls: if the data that needs to be deleted is posted on legal services, the user can independently write to technical support with a request about it.
Any promises of complete deletion of data from the Network should not be trusted, emphasizes Sergey Shcherbakov, technical director of Stakhanovets, an expert in the field of information security and IT. It is completely impossible to erase a digital footprint, therefore, if a service or a person guarantees the complete disappearance of information from the Internet, this is fraud.
— At the same time, as a preventive measure, it is important to delete abandoned accounts and set up privacy on social networks. The less personal information is publicly available, the less material there is for manipulation. Therefore, do not forget to check what data about yourself you have posted publicly, — concludes the interlocutor of Izvestia.
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