Russia’s Interior Ministry Flags “Appointment Booking” Scam to Steal SMS Codes
The agency issued step-by-step guidance that urges victims to cut contact, lock down key accounts, ignore follow-up “savior” calls.
Overview
- Police say fraudsters pose as officials offering a booking for issues like pension recalculation, tax declaration errors or utility tariff changes, then demand an SMS code to “confirm” the visit.
- An SMS code verifies identity and is a prime target in the first phase of attacks, so any request for such a code is a clear sign of fraud, the ministry warns.
- Real bookings with state bodies do not require sharing codes by phone or in messengers, as appointments are made through official services or the Gosuslugi portal.
- If a code has been disclosed, authorities advise ending the conversation immediately and dismissing subsequent calls from supposed bank or government “rescuers.”
- Victims should review email, Gosuslugi, banking apps and marketplaces, change passwords, end active sessions, enable two-factor authentication, and contact support, their bank and the police if access is lost.