How to report a scammer on VKontakte to block a group

In the era of modern technology and social networks, no one will be surprised by such a manifestation of the criminal world in cyberspace as VKontakte fraud. Not every user who has fallen victim to scammers knows what to do in this case and how to protect themselves in the future. The best defense is to prevent the situation. Only attentiveness, prudence and common sense can help you avoid falling for the bait of dodgers and save money and nerves. The damage from illegal actions consists not only in the fraudulent withdrawal of funds from the owners of accounts on social networks, but also in harming the reputation and good name.

Remove damage to VKontakte

VKontakte scammers make money on human weaknesses, just like on any other online platforms. Everyone wants to solve problems at once, heal a relative, return a husband, remove damage, get rich after a miraculous conspiracy.

The scheme works like this: scammers create a VKontakte account with the name of a famous magician, for example, a participant in the show “Battle of Psychics.” They look for future victims in thematic groups and publish fake comments from people who allegedly received help from a psychic.

Do not fall for such tricks; you should not pay a person for promising to magically solve any problem. The scammers will receive the money, but there will be neither the promised ritual nor the result. The situation is exactly the same with many other “services” of magicians and witches.

"Sit down if you're standing..."

During all the fuss, one acquaintance quickly called. He asked if everything was ok with us, and after a few confused words he hung up. After a while he writes to me. He says he got caught and transferred the money. Sit down, if you are standing, now I will write how much... Twenty-four thousand!!! How is this in general? And I thought of calling only after what happened, I realized that I had missed it, and wrote to me. I fell for the classic legend about the expiring loan term. And after everything was revealed, he continued to communicate with this scammer.

The attacker convinced him to send another 6 thousand, but the man no longer fell for this “scam”.

The scammer convinced him that he did not expect that someone would send so much money, he said, send another 6 thousand, since the minimum withdrawal amount from his wallet is 30 thousand, and I will return the money to you. Strongly? Our friend, thank God, did not fall for this trick. And thanks for that.

During their conversation, the fraudster spoke about his craft. He complained that he had to invest a lot in electronic cards and his life was hard.

Borrow money

Banks often refuse to issue loans to citizens of the Russian Federation for various reasons. This is mainly due to a bad credit history. After receiving a refusal, the borrower is forced to look for the required amount in microfinance organizations or even on social networks. There are many groups registered on VKontakte in which users post announcements that they need a certain amount of money. It is through such communities that scammers find future victims.

Data theft

Scammers create a VKontakte page on which they publish photographs of expensive cars, watches and other attributes of a comfortable life. After that, they find a potential borrower in advertisements and write to him with an offer to lend money. The naive victim happily agrees, but it turns out that everything is not so simple.

The scammer says that for his own safety he wants to check your credit history. But to access the databases, he needs money and your personal data, often from access to Internet banking or a bank card. You are offered to pay several thousand or hundreds of rubles, depending on how much you need. At the same time, they explain that after checking your data, the money will be returned along with the loan.

Remember: the card PIN code, data from logging into the Internet bank, CVC/CVV code on the back of the plastic card cannot be told to anyone, as well as SMS codes that are sent to an authorized phone to confirm transactions. The code word that you came up with at the bank for access can only be spoken when communicating with a bank representative, and then only if you call the hotline yourself, and not if they call you.

Time passes, but no amounts are received. But now fraudsters have access to cards, well, if not credit cards, and to bank accounts through Internet banking. If you send them a photo of your passport, they may even be able to issue a loan in your name from an MFO. In this case, you will be left without money, but with debt.

Verified MFOs that issue money to those who have been refused by the bank →

Siphoning money

Some scammers take a different route. They tell you that your credit history is too bad. And they immediately offer a solution: to fix it for a certain amount. The scam may not end there; the scammer will continue to pump out money, coming up with new excuses and reasons.

Please note that no one will correct your credit history for any money except you. Don't be fooled by promises. They will take your money and leave you with nothing. Correcting your credit history and restoring your financial reputation is not a matter of one day or even a month. In particularly crisis situations, this may take years. Read about how to correct your credit history on the Brobank service.

Find out what is stored in your credit history so that you know what actions to take, and do not listen to scammers.

Review of Common Hoaxes

VK fraud - common schemes of scammers:

• magic and esotericism.

An ancient but still popular scheme, which is based on knowledge of human psychology. Many people strive to look into the future and trust their innermost thoughts to complete strangers in the hope of receiving a clear answer to any question. This becomes the main key of skilled scammers who create pages advertising their psychic and magical abilities at a decent price;

• winning a huge prize.

And, of course, with an advance payment for participation, which seems quite paltry compared to the coveted prize - a car, an apartment, a large sum of money, etc.;

• account hacking.

These actions can also be classified as fraudulent under Art. 159.6 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In this scheme, attackers not only use personal information for their own purposes, but also ask to pay for account unlocking by sending an SMS message to a specific number;

• viral links and spam sending on VK pages.

This could destroy your entire computer operating system and expose your payment information to criminals. With this method, scammers ask to send an SMS to remove the virus, but all funds are simply debited from the account, and the malicious program remains on the computer or gadget;

• charity.

A popular scam on all social networks, in which the contact of a real patient or charity foundation is replaced with the details of the swindler, which brings him high illegal income;

• financial pyramids.

Many social networks block them, but quick money remains an attractive way to get rich, both for the scammers themselves and for gullible users. Such schemes manifest themselves in games, direct money transfers and attracting new users;

• loans on favorable terms.

A treasure trove for the unemployed who want to receive finance without certificates or guarantors. The main condition for deception is the transfer of a small amount for checking a credit history or making a money transfer, after which the connection is terminated, and the money is spent on a donation to the scammer. This kind of VK fraud has several options - advertising a quick loan on the page; a group with reviews and fake visitors; page of a credit company agent who promises to draw up a loan agreement in a few minutes;

• sale of inexpensive goods.

Purchasing from a scammer’s page or a fictitious online store requires 100% or 50% prepayment. Then the user is left without money and significant evidence of deception;

• home business.

This method requires an “insurance premium” and non-refund of finances, as well as payment for the work done. In some cases, it is given to the interested person, but most often the criminals simply disappear;

• downloading programs with SMS confirmation, for which all money is withdrawn from the account;
• cashing out maternity capital for a certain payment.

A very popular service that not only violates the law, but also deprives the person of all compensation. Fraudsters rarely return the money, most often disappear with the parent’s signature and legalize the document for personal interests.

Blackmail

Some scammers do not even hesitate to blackmail other VKontakte users. This mainly occurs through the threat to send compromising pictures to the user’s friends. For silence, the scammers demand that you send money to your card. Usually we are talking about 3-5 thousand rubles, which largely depends on the age, status and income of the victim. But, as a rule, the process takes a long time, and these thousands of rubles eventually turn into tens and hundreds of thousands.

Users who encountered this kind of deception told their stories. In most cases, the scammers do not have any compromising information. The most they can do is unprofessionally attach the face of the page owner to other photographs with compromising content. Usually photoshop is immediately visible, but you can try to expose the scammers:

1. First, clarify what kind of photos we are talking about.
2. Then check the submitted pictures using special programs that show processing by graphic editors.
3. After this, you can contact the administration of the social network with a complaint about the user, group or community from which the threats were received.

Sometimes there is no processing, but the photo shows a person who looks similar to the victim. Don’t fall for the tricks and don’t transfer money to the scammer, in most cases they just scare you.

How to protect yourself from VK page hacking

To protect yourself from account hacking, read our article. Also follow the VKontakte safety rules:

• use the “Someone else’s computer” option if you log into your account on someone else’s computer, this also applies to your work computer;
• do not follow dubious links from messages;
• Enter your login and password only on the authorization page of the site * vk* .* com. Beware of phishing sites.
• do not give permission to dubious sites and applications. You can view your permissions in the settings by opening the “Application Settings” item. Remove anything that is in doubt.

Your VKontakte safety is in your hands. To avoid becoming a victim of scammers, you need to be careful and follow the recommendations of security experts. If you notice scammers, leave a complaint to VKontakte technical support, they will be blocked and other users will not be able to fall for their bait.

VKontakte store

Those who buy goods from online stores often encounter scammers. Scammers create VKontakte groups in which they publish colorful photographs of products and write interesting descriptions for them. They require 100% prepayment, and only after that they promise to send the goods.

What attracts customers is that the managers communicate with them in a friendly manner and promise a good quality item at a price several times lower than the market price. Often, representatives of fraudulent stores even justify this by the absence of rent or other costs. But after you make the payment, managers turn from friendly and sociable to silent and sometimes even aggressive. In the end, the naive buyer is blocked, and since there are no other ways to communicate with the store, the client is left without money and without goods.

Sometimes scammers still send the product to the user. But usually it turns out to be a counterfeit of a branded product or a wallet instead of shoes. In any case, it turns out that you were simply scammed out of your money.

What to do with scammers who sell counterfeits, forgeries, fakes, and replicas of VKontakte?

Advertising of counterfeit goods, in particular, counterfeit clothing and shoes, is common on VK. There are known advertisements for counterfeit shoes from Ecco, Salomon, Columbia, Timberland (usually the ad indicates a large discount, for example, 70%). Advertising links lead to sites like salomon-discount.com, about which there are many reviews of victims on the Internet. Such sites often contain the details of the organizations TorgService LLC, Online Retail LLC (Cheboksary), Millhouse LLC (Moscow).

The advertising rules do NOT prohibit sellers from posting such advertising:

The VK position on this matter is as follows:

Unfortunately, we do not regulate the activities of such groups. Likewise, we do not check the products in the stores that we stock. We provide a platform, but do not take on the functions of the police or Rospotrebnadzor.

If you were deceived in this way and sent a fake, you will have to solve the problem through law enforcement agencies, as described above.

What to do if you become a victim of scammers

The VKontakte administration takes the position that they provide users with a platform for communication and making transactions. But the administration of the social network is not responsible for the fact that you transfer money to an unverified person. If you voluntarily send funds to scammers, contact the police, court or Rospotrebnadzor. These authorities are empowered to investigate such cases. The VKontakte social network will help you find scammers and block groups or personal pages of scammers.

But as practice shows, even law enforcement agencies are not able to resolve the issue fully. The complaint against the scammers remains unanswered, no one solves the problem and the lost money is not returned. Tracking scams on the Internet is not so easy. And the smaller the transaction amount, the more unlikely it is that it will be returned to the owner.

The only thing you can do is file a complaint on VKontakte. Please include fraud in the reasons. The scammer's page will be deleted without the possibility of recovery. But keep in mind that this may not stop the deceiver. Nothing will stop him from creating a new page and continuing his illegal activities. The social network will not investigate the case and look for the person behind all the fraudulent operations. And return your money too. Be careful before paying for a product or service in online stores.

Trust only verified and reliable users. Remember that even reviews can be custom-made, just like words of praise on forums. If you are really interested in a product, place several orders for minimum amounts and check how delivery works, service and what you get in the end.

On VKontakte you can find communities in which victims of fraud or whistleblowers publish links to the pages of scammers so that other users do not fall for such deception. Use these groups if you are not sure of the integrity of the person behind the page.

How to complain within a social network?

The VK website is an Internet platform that is not responsible for all its inhabitants. That is, inside the resource you can at most freeze the scammers’ page, but this is unlikely to stop them, because you can create a new one, and it certainly won’t return your lost funds; all this can only be done by the police.

In order to report a scammer’s personal page, you need to click on the ellipses located under the avatar and select the “report page” tab. You won’t be able to complain about a group or public in this way, but you can do it on their posts using the same scheme: an ellipsis on the left above the post, then complain.

You can also write a request to technical support. For this:

1. On your own page, you need to select the “help” tab. You will be taken to a page with the most popular questions from users, but since we are not interested in a question, but in a complaint, we select any one, after which we select the “this does not solve my problem” tab, and then “I still have questions” and “ask a question”.
2. In the field that opens, describe the entire problem, add a link to the scammer and screenshots of your correspondence.

Online fraud is common, especially when it comes to virtual wallets. You can read about fraud with Qiwi wallets on our website.

Frequently asked questions about VKontakte scammers

The two most common questions from users who have encountered VKontakte scammers:

1. Can VKontakte help me get my money back? No. You are sending money directly to the scammer. VKontakte is not an online store; the administration cannot track the movement of funds. In addition, the administration will not control your relationship. If VKontakte has any information about a person in hiding, they will not give it to you, only to law enforcement officers.
2. Why don't they block the scammer about whom many have complained? The number of people who voted for blocking a VKontakte page does not guarantee 100% deletion of an account or group. The VKontakte administration cannot determine from complaints alone whether this is really the page of a swindler who gets money by deception. The "Report" function is only available when fraud is obvious. If everything happened only in your correspondence, the page will not be blocked.

In order to prove fraud, investigations must be carried out. As mentioned above, VKontakte does not do this. In any case, even blocking the page will not cause any real harm to the scammer. He still has plenty of ways to continue his activities and ruin the lives of other users.

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about the author

Klavdiya Treskova - higher education with qualification “Economist”, with specializations “Economics and Management” and “Computer Technologies” at PSU. She worked in a bank in positions from operator to acting. Head of the Department for servicing private and corporate clients. Every year she successfully passed certifications, education and training in banking services. Total work experience in the bank is more than 15 years. [email protected]

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What to do and where to contact government agencies?

You should complain about fraud in VK to the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at your place of residence, or to department “K” (the department that fights cyber crime). It is best to submit two applications to both departments. Applications can be submitted at the physical branch, as well as through the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The application should include the following information::

1. Full information about the situation that occurred.
2. Provide the amount of money lost.
3. Details to which the money was transferred.
4. Tell us how you transferred the money.

The application is accompanied by copies of payment documents that confirm the transfer of funds, screenshots of correspondence with scammers, as well as with technical support of the site, a copy of the application to the bank, and any other information about the scammer. In this case, the money will be returned to you upon completion of the entire process, if the suspect is found and convicted.

Read more about where to contact if you are being scammed via the Internet here.

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Author of the article: Klavdiya Treskova

Consultant, author Popovich Anna

Financial author Olga Pikhotskaya

Scam tactics

The first principle on which swindlers base their activities is human greed. The reasons why people contact them are simple:

1. Fraudsters are very good psychologists and know what to base their tactics on. They will probe the client and promise him “mountains of gold.” At a certain point, the victim begins to believe, for example, that he will invest 100 rubles and get back 200.
2. The scheme is structured in such a way that people are limited in information and time limits, and are offered to buy an item at a 30% discount, which is valid only for today. The swindler provides only the information that is beneficial to him.
3. They offer bait, a win-win lottery, for which you need to pay a negligible amount compared to the winnings received. If they ask for a small down payment, they are scammers.
4. Such qualities of gullible citizens as self-esteem and pride are used for processing. They offer a scheme for easy money, pressure on an insignificant existence, the opportunity to do more easily and simply.
5. Fraudsters instill fear. They instill in the victim the fear that she will lose everything if she does not invest money now and here.

Scammers work in a well-coordinated group and guide the victim along the right path.

Fraud is a very difficult crime to prove. Scammers mostly extort small amounts. For example, when offering an easy job, they offer to pay a small registration fee of 50-100 rubles. If you go to the police with such a statement, no one will really deal with it. Most fraudulent schemes work on the principle that the victim will not turn anywhere to restore justice for the loss of such a small amount.

Can they be held accountable for fraud?

Any person can be prosecuted and punished if his actions show signs of criminally unlawful acts. The elements of the crime under articles of fraud consist of the presence of deception and the intention to take possession of other people's funds. Even if you did not know and became a participant in the crime, ignorance of the law does not exempt you from responsibility. It is not easy to recognize a fraudster, so be vigilant in dubious transactions, consult with specialists about the consequences and possible risks.

Seventh scheme

Relevant for dating lovers. For example, you saw the page of a beautiful girl, went in, and there were links to third-party resources - they say, this is my other page. When you go, something like a dating site opens, and in order to chat with a girl, you need to send an SMS message. Of course, it's not free. And under the mask of a beautiful girl there may well be a bearded man hiding, but even with him it is unlikely that you will be able to communicate with him after withdrawing funds from your mobile account.

*****

If you have been the victim of a scammer or attacker, please tell your story using the comments section - don't let scammers profit from other users!

How to avoid becoming a victim of fraud

There are precautions that must be taken to avoid being scammed:

1. When you receive a message or letter from a friend asking you to transfer money, you need to contact him and find out whether he is really contacting you.
2. Do not click on VKontakte links when the system warns of a potential threat.
3. To accept an offer for a loan and a product, check the group or company using the available information on the Internet.
4. Check the address of the VKontakte site, which requires authorization.
5. Do not send personal information or copies of documents. The official organization itself makes a request to receive and process personal information.
6. Be careful when entering into any contacts on forums and groups.

Where to complain about fraud

Sequence of actions on how to complain about scammers on VKontakte:

1. Report to the support service about people who violate human rights and legitimate interests.
2. File a complaint on the website of the Russian Supervision Committee and the official services webmaster.yandex.ru and google.com, which can block the intentions of scammers.
3. Create groups and forums that bring together victims of extortion with the further goal of collectively contacting the police.

Complaining directly about a social network is futile, since it is not responsible and warns about this during registration.

What to do now

You filed a crime report through the Ministry of Internal Affairs website.
This is convenient, but given the bureaucracy, it is a rather long option. Your application may travel through authorities for weeks until it gets to where it will be considered. If a case had already been opened, you would definitely have been informed about it. Most likely, there is no solution yet. But it’s possible that your application has already been rejected, and you don’t know about it. The fact is that police officers often keep silent about decisions made.

If there is no refusal, but there are bureaucratic delays, you can speed up the process. To do this, write another statement to the police at your place of residence, and if possible, at the seller’s place of residence. It is enough to know only the locality where he lives.

Collective statement. In your situation, I also recommend reaching an agreement with other defrauded buyers and sending a collective crime report to the police of Izhevsk and Perm.

You can also send several applications of the same type, indicating the registration number in the book of statements and reports of crimes, under which the initial application will be registered. This is necessary so that police officers check all applications at once and the amount of damage is not split up.

You can also attach a certificate to your application stating that you actually received and sent the parcels. It will be issued by the head of your post office. To do this, you need to send an appropriate request. This can be done on the Russian Post website.

Second scheme

Users love various polls. The attackers decided to take advantage of this.

In the vastness of the RuNet or in the same VK, you can follow a link to a third-party resource (often by accident), which exactly copies VK. Here you can see the voting. To vote, you need to log in again. It would seem, what’s wrong with this? It’s simple - this is not VKontakte, it’s a completely different site that only looks like VK, but in reality it is not. Accordingly, after entering the data, it will go straight into the hands of those who own this very resource, and the data from the account can be used for various purposes, including fraud.