In Ufa, the police have apprehended a fraudster who has stolen the personal data of 130 Russians from public services. The information was used by the fraudster to apply for microloans.
Authorities reveal that the man set up multiple phishing websites that closely resembled the official portals of public services and other government institutions.
Whenever Russian citizens entered their account information, the fraudster recorded their phone numbers, email addresses, and passwords. With this information, he gained unauthorized access to their public service accounts.
Subsequently, the attacker submitted applications for microcredit to various banks. As small loans do not require personal presence, he conveniently withdrew the money through anonymous electronic wallets.
Irina Volk, the official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, elaborated, “After reaching the credit limit, he would then delete the accounts along with all associated information.”
A criminal case has been filed against the fraudster for “Unlawful access to computer information,” and he has been transported to St. Petersburg for further proceedings.
Volk highlighted, “The detainee is currently in St. Petersburg, and certain restrictions have been imposed on his actions. We are conducting operational-search measures to identify all instances of unlawful activities.”