Careful, Neighbors: How Home Chats Became a Trap

Imagine: you leave the apartment, and on the door - a neat leaflet. “Join the chat room of our house! All utilities news, neighbors, repairs.” At the bottom is a QR code. No neighborhood, no house number, no surname of the senior at the entrance. Just "our home." You scan - and after a minute you are added to a group with the cheerful name "Chat of our house." What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out, maybe. Oh, yeah.

A new wave of fraud that swept through the suburbs, hits the holiest – trust between neighbors. As told in law enforcement agencies, the attackers paste in the entrances typical leaflets of A4 format with QR codes. After scanning the code, the user is placed in a group where the “bot administrator” immediately asks to confirm that you actually live in this house.

Next - the classic of the genre, but with a double bottom. The bot asks for a phone number. Then the text code. "It's for verification," he reassures. If the code is transferred, the account is no longer yours. Fraudsters get full access to correspondence, contacts and, worst of all, the ability to write on your behalf.

But that's not all. So that you do not notice the trick, scammers ... They remove you from the chat room. You sit there thinking you just left the group, while your friends and co-workers receive strange requests on your behalf: “Bring by tomorrow,” “Vote for the contest,” “Transfer to a safe account.”.

A special cynicism of the situation gives the fact that in fake chats often reigns revival. Bots and fake accounts simulate a heated discussion of domestic problems, creating the so-called “witness effect”. You see the “neighbors” confirm something, move somewhere – and lose their guard.

The opinion of cybersecurity experts is unanimous: the scheme does not work on technical vulnerabilities, but on the human factor.

First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Digital Development Anton Nemkin once noted that fraudsters make out groups as real house chats: with apartment numbers, surnames and active correspondence. “Such activity reduces the vigilance of users and helps attackers to gain trust”, – said the Deputy.

Analyst Daniil Glushakov went further and revealed a psychological ploy. According to him, the bot can send a random six-digit code that is not connected to anything at all – just to create the illusion of security. And after receiving any code, scammers begin to press: “Your account is hacked!” You're getting a loan! The goal is to cause panic and force the victim to act on orders.

Today, authorization by phone is almost the same as presenting a passport. One code can open access to several important services at once – from banking applications to Public Services.

If the code has already flown: instructions for rescue

So you know you got caught. Panic is a bad advisor. We need to act quickly and clearly. Here is a step-by-step instruction that is worth keeping in mind.

Step 1. Complete unfamiliar sessions. Go to the messenger settings and complete all sessions that you do not recognize. If the scammers are already connected, you will throw them out.

Step 2. Turn on the cloud password. It will become the second barrier even when intercepting the SMS code. Don't give it to anyone.

Step 3. Warn your loved ones. Write or call anyone the scammers may write to on your behalf. Especially parents and elderly relatives are at risk.

Step 4. Change the passwords and check the bindings. If a bank number or mail number was attached to the account, check if there is anything extra there.

Step 5. Write in support. Report the hack, attach screenshots. The Interior Ministry also recommends keeping correspondence with scammers and complaining about fake accounts.

Prevention: how not to become a neighbor for misfortune

The best treatment, as you know, is prevention. Here are a few “digital hygiene” rules that will keep you nervous and cash-strapped.

Rule 1. Avoid adding you to groups. In the settings, set a limit: only contacts can be added to groups. This will cut off most random invitations.

Rule 2. Don't believe flyers without props. A real house chat ad almost always contains a house number, a senior's surname, or a management company contact. If there is only a QR code on the paper and a foggy “join” is a red flag.

Rule 3. The SMS code is the key to the apartment. Never. Nobody. No excuse. No "bot," no "administrator," no "bank employee." Public services do not request codes through third-party chatbots.

Rule 4. Check the chat room at the head of the house. Before scanning the code, ask your neighbors or the management company if such a chat really exists.

Rule 5. The two-factor is everything. Turn it on wherever you can. This is not a panacea, but a serious barrier.