The Ministry of Internal Affairs has warned about the actions of fraudsters to involve teenagers in arson

Fraudsters are using foreign messengers to recruit Russians, mostly minors, to collect data, as well as to commit sabotage and arson, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported .

Fraudsters communicate with teenagers allegedly on behalf of law enforcement agencies, banks or other services. They claim that they need the help of minors in the framework of "secret operations", investigative activities, and offer to carry out various dangerous instructions. Sometimes children are promised a reward. In addition, fraudsters can find out personal information about Russian citizens and blackmail them with it.

The police recommended not to follow the instructions and requests of unknown people in order to avoid involvement in crimes. In addition, it is necessary to end the conversation if the contact seems suspicious and instead contact relatives or the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

On August 8, RIA Novosti reported that the scammers began making two-stage calls, where they first introduce themselves as a flower delivery service and ask for a code to confirm the order details, and then call under the guise of Roskomnadzor employees, calling the previous call unsafe. As part of this scheme, they steal access to users' accounts on Gosuslugi.