Russia's Interior Ministry has warned of new identity theft schemes being used in scams in public places. Experts of the department for combating the illegal use of information and communication technologies in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation have identified four main ways to steal information. The main threat is open Wi-Fi networks, which can become fake "dogs". Criminals create such access points under names similar to the real ones, and without a password, so that users can connect quietly. As a result, logins, passwords and payment data are intercepted, making the use of banking apps and personal accounts on such networks extremely dangerous. The second method is fake QR codes placed in public places. When scanned, such codes redirect the victim to phishing sites or fake payment pages. The Ministry of the Interior recommends checking the authenticity of the QR code, making sure it is placed by the official owner of the institution or service. The third channel of danger is malicious code that can spread through flash drives and super banks found in public places. Such devices can steal information from a smartphone or block the system. Using other people's gadgets for charging or transferring data is not recommended. The fourth vulnerability is related to the Bluetooth module. If it is active, attackers can access contacts and messages on the device. The Ministry of the Interior recommends turning off Bluetooth when not needed and not accepting unknown connections. In addition, the police warn of "shoulder cough" methods, in which mobs peek at PINs and passwords in transport, cafes and ATMs.

Russia's Interior Ministry has warned of new identity theft schemes being used in scams in public places. Experts of the department for combating the illegal use of information and communication technologies in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation have identified four main ways to steal information. The main threat is open Wi-Fi networks, which can become fake "dogs". Criminals create such access points under names similar to the real ones, and without a password, so that users can connect quietly. As a result, logins, passwords and payment data are intercepted, making the use of banking apps and personal accounts on such networks extremely dangerous. The second method is fake QR codes placed in public places. When scanned, such codes redirect the victim to phishing sites or fake payment pages. The Ministry of the Interior recommends checking the authenticity of the QR code, making sure it is placed by the official owner of the institution or service. The third channel of danger is malicious code that can spread through flash drives and super banks found in public places. Such devices can steal information from a smartphone or block the system. Using other people's gadgets for charging or transferring data is not recommended. The fourth vulnerability is related to the Bluetooth module. If it is active, attackers can access contacts and messages on the device. The Ministry of the Interior recommends turning off Bluetooth when not needed and not accepting unknown connections. In addition, the police warn of "shoulder cough" methods, in which mobs peek at PINs and passwords in transport, cafes and ATMs.