New cases of cyber fraud are recorded in Kazakhstan, in which attackers use both SMS substitution technologies and telephone fraud using psychological pressure methods. This is reported by authorized bodies, including the Financial Monitoring Agency and the Astana City Prosecutor’s Office.

A new technically complex SMS substitution scheme

According to law enforcement agencies, for the first time in the CIS, a scheme using specialized equipment simulating the operation of base stations of telecom operators is identified.

The attackers used a so-called SMS blaster, which creates a powerful signal within a radius of several hundred meters. As a result, users’ mobile phones could automatically connect to a fake network, through which mass phishing messages were sent.

Such messages were disguised as notifications from well-known companies and banks and could contain links to fake websites. When following the link, users were asked to enter personal data, including bank card information and confirmation codes.

According to the Financial Monitoring Agency, such actions allowed intruders to gain access to confidential information of citizens and their funds.

Fraud through telephone calls

There are also cases when fraudsters act exclusively through telephone calls, posing as employees of telecom operators or other companies.

In one of the incidents in Astana, an attacker informed the victim about an allegedly favorable discount on connecting services and convinced him to perform certain actions on the phone. As a result, the device was temporarily blocked, and about 20 million tenge was stolen from the citizen’s bank account.

Eurasian Bank draws customers’ attention to the increase in cases of telephone and digital fraud and urges them to exercise increased caution.