Relatives of prisoners of war and those missing in action have been warned about a dangerous scam
Relatives of prisoners of war and those missing in action have been warned about a dangerous scam targeting the families of our defenders.
This was reported by the Ombudsman’s Office.
Unknown individuals are messaging the families of prisoners of war on Telegram and offering to arrange video calls with the prisoners. They claim to be journalists from Russian media outlets and say they are allegedly preparing interviews with prisoners of war.
Such messages often include files that need to be installed on the phone. They claim it is a ‘special app for video conferencing’.
In reality, these files contain viruses.
Once installed, the attackers gain remote access to the victim’s phone, personal data and online banking.
“There are grounds to believe that this is being coordinated by the special services of the aggressor state. In particular, structures linked to intelligence and subversive activities, information and psychological operations, and cybercrime. Their aim is not only to steal money, but also to obtain personal information, put pressure on your mental state and discredit Ukraine’s state institutions,” warns Dmytro Lubinets.
Ukrainians are asked to be vigilant:
- do not install any files or apps from strangers;
- do not click on suspicious links;
- do not give out your personal details, bank details or access to your devices;
- verify any information only through Ukraine’s official state bodies;
- if you receive such messages, report them immediately to the police and the relevant authorities.
“Ukrainian government bodies do not use such methods of communication and do not ask people to install third-party apps in order to contact prisoners of war,” Lubinets emphasised.
