For the first time in January, the number of users facing false web pages imitating the Telegram interface and designed to steal accounts exceeded 1 million. According to statistics from “Yandex Browser,” nearly 1.2 million people encountered such threats in a month (source).
Yandex Browser explained that these fraudulent pages can visually resemble the interfaces of popular messaging apps like Telegram or WhatsApp, including fake correspondence screens. Attackers can gain access to accounts when users enter their phone numbers and one-time entry codes on these deceptive pages.
The number of warnings about these threats among Yandex Browser users has been steadily increasing for the past three months. In January, the warnings reached 1.19 million, a 20% increase from December 2024 and a 58% increase from November (source).
Similar fraudulent schemes are also being used to steal accounts on WhatsApp. In January, over 500 thousand Yandex Browser users received warnings about potentially dangerous links leading to these fake pages. Although the number of recorded threats increased by 12% compared to November 2024, the growth rate for WhatsApp was lower than that for Telegram.
Yandex Browser provided examples of fraudulent schemes where attackers use various methods to trick users into giving up their personal data. In one instance, scammers posed as clairvoyants on fake WhatsApp pages to obtain confidential information.