Share of Scam Robocalls to Russians Rises to 90%

According to credit organizations, phone scammers in Russia are increasingly using robocalls, a trend that is easily explained by the low cost and wide reach of such technology. Bank representatives report that up to 90% of scam calls now come from robots.

The success of these schemes lies in the fact that potential victims are easily misled, especially since banks themselves are using voice assistants more frequently. As a result, automation is serving not only legitimate purposes but also making criminal activity more effective.

Bank representatives believe that stopping this type of fraud will require comprehensive measures, including changes to legislation. Meanwhile, the Bank of Russia and the Ministry of Digital Development argue that simply raising the general level of financial literacy among the population is sufficient.

As reported to the publication “Kommersant” by one of Russia’s most popular banks, nine out of ten phone scams today use social engineering techniques to extract money from bank clients. Analysts have also noted a significant increase in complaints about robocalls, which now make up about half of such incidents.

Experts believe that the widespread adoption of voice assistants has significantly contributed to the rise in bot-driven attacks. Evgeny Tsarev, managing director of RTM Group, noted that robots increase the reach of potential victims while reducing the cost of the attack itself.

There is also an interesting statistical detail: people tend to trust robocalls more. As a result, scammers only need to record the necessary sequence of phrases, after which they can start calling clients of Russian banks.

How to Recognize a Scam Robocall

Grigory Kovshov, an expert at Gazinformservice, explained how to tell if you are receiving a call from a scammer’s robot:

• Today, almost all major banks use voice assistants in customer service. Criminals constantly monitor trends and adjust their schemes based on modern technology.
• In general, there is little difference between speaking with a scammer or a robot programmed by criminals. However, you can recognize them by certain signs:
  • The caller demands that you make quick decisions.
  • The caller is excessively persistent.
  • The caller shows an unusual interest in your personal information.