Fraudsters Pose as Telecom Operators, Push for Urgent Contract Renewal
Fraudsters have devised another scheme to fish out our personal data. They call, allegedly on behalf of a telecom operator, and state that a contract needs to be renewed urgently, otherwise the phone number will be disconnected. Experts explained to NGS.RU how not to fall for the scammers« hook.
How the Scheme Works
The call usually comes from a phone number that does not match the operator«s official contact center. The »call center specialist« greets you, addresses you by name, and informs you that your contract is allegedly nearing its end, terms are changing, and if the contract is not renewed, the number may be disconnected.
They often specifically emphasize that banking services, messengers, and «Gosuslugi» (the Russian government services portal) are linked to this number and that losing it could cause a lot of inconvenience.
«This creates a background of mild anxiety: the person is no longer thinking about how strange the call is, but about how not to be left without service. Then comes the urgency. The caller stresses that everything must be processed »right now, while you«re on the line,» otherwise the system will allegedly automatically initiate a block or transfer to another tariff,« explains Boris Lopatin, senior fraud incident investigation expert at Megafon.
Formulations like these are used: «The number is already queued for disconnection,» «After midnight, it will be difficult to restore it.» Although in reality, the subscriber always has time to double-check the information.
The expert notes that if, in response to the phrase: «I will call back myself to the support number listed on your website,» the person on the line starts persuading you to stay, explaining that you won«t have time to save your number via the general line, and persistently asks you not to hang up, that is a significant reason to be wary. A genuine telecom operator employee would not be afraid of the user calling the official number themselves to clarify details.
Also pay attention to how they talk to you. Scammers often combine polite wording with mild pressure: they claim that «the responsibility will be on you,» hint that «in case of disconnection, it will be difficult to restore the number,» and may get irritated if you ask clarifying questions or ask for time to think.
For a real operator, the main goal is for users to understand everything and feel calm, not to force the subscriber to a specific action at any cost within one call. As soon as the story about «renewing the contract» is accompanied by rush, a prohibition on double-checking anything, and requests to name codes from SMS, it«s not about a service, but an attempted scam.
What to Do
«A simple, practical rule here works not only for telecoms but also for banks, marketplaces, and the »Gosuslugi« portal: if an incoming call demands an immediate decision from you and simultaneously asks for a one-time code or to confirm an action in an app, you can safely end the conversation,» advises Boris Lopatin.
The head of the information security department at Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU NETI), Andrey Ivanov, emphasizes that any information conveyed over the phone must be double-checked. It«s better to rely on sources you actually control.
For example, you can open the operator«s app or your personal account on the website and see if there are any notifications about debts, blocks, or changes in terms. If your account and services are fine and there are no warnings, then the urgent story about an »expiring contract« existed only within that call. And, of course, you can call the operator yourself.
Andrey Ivanov is confident that nothing terrible will happen if a person reacts a little later to some «official» request and responds to it after verifying the information.
But if you hurry and tell the scammers the code that arrives in an SMS «for contract renewal,» you will most likely lose access to your «Gosuslugi» account or even banking apps.
