"See if my friend's windows are on fire": a request that could lead Pskov residents to jail

The Interior Ministry warned of the risks of recruiting teenagers through online games. According to Philip Nemov, head of the department for organizing the fight against the illegal use of information and communication technologies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, recruiters (including representatives of foreign special services) begin to engage with seemingly harmless requests.

As examples, the expert cited typical tasks: “See if my friend’s windows are burning,” “Find out what car he’s driving,” “Take a friend’s thing and pass it to me.” Such requests are already elements of recruitment work.

Nemov noted that online games are especially convenient for scammers: they are initially focused on communication between users, while maintaining anonymity and accessibility. Therefore, any remote interaction in the game space should be treated with caution. According to the representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, if the interlocutor is unknown and the contact occurs remotely, information from him cannot be considered reliable.