Cybersecurity experts from the Digital Risk Protection department of F6 stated that six major fraudulent groups used a similar scheme to steal over 40 million rubles from Russian citizens.
During the threat analysis, it was found that scammers have improved the Fake Date scheme and added the ability to exchange voice messages and video clips to fake female profiles on dating sites and in Telegram bots to create the illusion of live communication. According to F6, scammers use ready-made sets of photos, videos, and audio. At the same time, generating responses using AI bots increases the credibility of the correspondence, as it may contain elements of humor and flirting, which lulls the victim's vigilance.
Fake profiles usually belong to women aged 23-27 from Russian cities with a population of 200-600 thousand people who share common interests such as travel or a healthy lifestyle, and personal photos.
After contact, the perpetrators subtly lead the victim to discuss trading digital assets and the profitability of cryptocurrency investments. The most common scenarios involve the registration and investment of the scam victim in a Telegram bot that allegedly tracks trading signals of the digital asset market or investing funds through fake cryptocurrency services. As a result, the scam victim becomes involved in independent crypto investments, leading to a complete loss of their funds.
To protect against fraud, F6 specialists recommend that crypto investors do not click on suspicious links, do not transfer money to unfamiliar individuals, do not trust promises of quick income, and maintain hygiene in social media communication, where a beautiful avatar can hide anyone, including cybercriminals.
Earlier, the Indonesian police detained more than 20 suspects who lured their victims into fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes through romantic relationships.