Ahead of the heating season, fraudsters posing as utility workers are asking residents to share codes, follow links or install apps.
On October 5, ahead of the start of the heating season, scammers began using heating and utility issues to trick people into handing over SMS codes. Russian lawmaker Alexander Aksenenko told RIA Novosti about the scheme.
Fraudsters may claim that residents need to confirm a heating connection request, arrange a technician's visit, check a meter, settle a debt or request a bill recalculation. To sound convincing, they may cite a home address, a resident's surname or the management company, then ask for a code, a link click or an app installation.
SMS codes are not required to start heating, arrange a technician's visit or recalculate utility bills, Aksenenko said. If a call seems suspicious, he advised ending it and contacting the management or utility provider directly.
Residents can find verified contact details on a bill, in Russia's Housing and Utilities GIS system or on the provider's official website. Aksenenko also urged people to warn older relatives about such calls and messages, which exploit familiar seasonal concerns.