Russian tourists are being targeted by fraudsters offering fake virtual foreign bank cards for shopping overseas, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
State news agency TASS reported the warning based on materials from the ministry. Scammers have begun offering intermediary services to Russian citizens through advertisements on the internet, using promotional listings to steal personal records from people attempting to pay for overseas services and shopping abroad.
Under the scheme, scammers first instruct the victim to provide their banking information along with a copy of their passport. The individual then pays for the intermediary service, but the perpetrators fail to deliver the card and cease all communication.
Police warnings on personal records
The Ministry of Internal Affairs urged Russian tourists not to send passport details to unfamiliar individuals. The ministry also recommended that citizens never disclose their bank card details or confirmation codes to unknown parties.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs serves as the federal law enforcement body in Russia, managing policing and criminal investigations nationwide. Russian consumers and tourists have faced major hurdles with international transactions since global payment networks, including Visa and Mastercard, suspended their operations in Russia. The withdrawal meant that payment cards issued by domestic Russian lenders no longer functioned for foreign travel or on overseas websites.
Virtual cards are digital payment cards that operate without a physical plastic card, providing an account number, expiration date, and card verification code for remote transactions. Because foreign merchants and digital subscription services require international payment methods, travellers have increasingly sought cards issued by lenders in neighboring nations, creating opportunities for illicit brokers to offer fake assistance.
Holiday messaging bots
The warning follows an earlier alert issued to Russians concerning a fraudulent scheme operating ahead of the New Year. In that case, fraudsters created specialized automated bots on messaging platforms to deceive users who were seeking assistance with booking holiday tours.
Automated chat bots within messaging applications have become standard tools for booking consultations and customer service across the travel sector. By deploying unauthorized software that simulates legitimate travel agencies, cybercriminals exploit consumer reliance on direct messaging channels to secure advance payments before victims detect the deception.
