In Ukraine, cyber crooks are increasingly leveraging social manipulation to obtain entry to funds and profiles. This piece details the prevalent forms of deceit and shares advice on staying safe.
Cyber crooks are progressively shying away from directly breaching systems and are more often coercing individuals into surrendering access to their finances and accounts via phishing, deceptive calls masquerading as “banks,” counterfeit storefronts, and harmful software. In this article , UNN has gathered the most widespread categories of digital crime, notable indicators of jeopardy, and a succinct series of steps to take if one has already become prey to offenders.
Digital Deceit: Key Types of Scams and Detection Methods
Presently, in Ukraine, offenders typically avoid hacking into devices or deactivating protective systems, instead opting to manipulate individuals into performing actions themselves: clicking on links, typing in codes, setting up programs, or sending money. Assessments from the banking and financial sectors suggest that a considerable proportion of incidents stem from social manipulation, where the lawful account holder validates the transaction.
Phishing: Bogus Websites, Emails, and Messages
Phishing involves extracting details through sham resources or messages that mimic authentic communications from financial institutions, online marketplaces, governmental agencies, or courier services. Cyber thieves carry this out by way of:
- electronic mails;
- texts (smishing);
- phone calls (vishing);
- messages across messaging apps and social platforms.
A particular concern is telephone number forgery, where a scammer's text is merged into a thread alongside authentic bank texts, leading the individual to believe it's credible.
Strategies to Dodge Phishing
- verify the website’s URL before keying in any information;
- refrain from tapping on links embedded in texts or instant messages concerning urgent actions, dues, reparations, or account authentication;
- access the website manually or through its designated app;
- avoid inputting payment details on sites you’ve reached via advertising or from a dubious message.
Sham Online Vendors and Failing to Deliver Goods
A prevalent method in Ukraine, notably on internet markets and in advertisements, involves fictitious sales. The purchaser remits payment completely or tenders a down payment, following which the vendor vanishes.
Digital law enforcement identifies standard schemes, including non-delivery of products, phishing attempts, and deceptive “bank phone calls.”
In 2025, spurious vendors and stores continued to rank among the foremost dangers in virtual shopping.
Secure Online Shopping: Actions to Undertake
- abstain from making prepayments to unfamiliar vendors on classified platforms lacking transaction security features;
- opt for cash on delivery or payments via platforms that include authorized buyer confirmation and safeguards;
- scrutinize the vendor: their background, comments, accessibility of recognized contact information, and conditions regarding merchandise return.
“Call from the Bank” and Spurious Single-Use Codes
Within this ruse, the con artist impersonates a representative from a lender or a financial institution’s security unit, alerting the mark to an alleged suspicious transaction and requesting:
- code from a text;
- CVV number;
- personal password;
- affirmation within the application;
- setup of “defensive” software.
Cybersecurity authorities emphasize that, in reality, the institution will never solicit your one-time codes, as this defies the very notion of utilizing them. Furthermore, the National Bank of Ukraine separately reiterates guidelines that aid in sidestepping such situations.
Calls “from the Bank” or “Security Teams”: Self-Preservation Tactics
- If you are subjected to a phone call reporting a dubious transaction and demanding codes or other private data, terminate the dialogue promptly;
- contact the financial institution’s official telephone number listed on your card, within the app, or on the organization’s genuine website;
- shun heeding instructions that entail installing programs marketed for purported verification, protection, or distant assistance.
Harmful Software and Remote Entry
Typical strategy: an individual is directed to a link to supposedly revise banking, delivery, payment authentication, or a special offer. Yet, what they are actually downloading is a program intended to capture texts or provide remote management of the target’s smartphone. Consequently, assailants assume control over accounts and finances. Within their communications, criminals frequently push for immediacy and invoke anxiety about forfeiting funds, since this encourages rash decisions.
Defending Your Phone and Accounts
- Activate two-factor verification (2FA) for email, banking, social media profiles, and instant messaging services. Whenever viable, prefer using an authenticator app instead of short message service.
- consistently update the operating system plus all software applications;
- download and set up software solely from accredited sources (Google Play, App Store);
- Forgo setting up APK files obtained from links in chats or short messages;
- adjust parameters to conceal the content of communications containing validation codes on the locked screen;
- employ unique, sophisticated passwords across every platform;
- Adopt a password organizer when feasible.
Financial Number Hijacking (SIM-swap) and Access Retrieval Attacks
When a contact number is linked to a bank, postal service, and social media, misplacing it or entrusting it to an attacker paves the way for passcode rehabilitation and text interception. This issue is so serious that separate programs aimed at curtailing deceit involving financial numbers have been discussed in Ukraine.
Security Against SIM Swapping
- arrange an additional password/key phrase for SIM card actions with the phone provider, assuming such a choice is available;
- diminish reliance by offerings on SMS confirmation: employ authenticators and backup codes;
- give heed to indicators of jeopardy: abrupt disconnection without technical grounds, scarcity of SMS, inability to make outgoing calls. Should such circumstances occur, you must promptly reach out to the provider and the bank.
Investing “Ventures,” Pseudo-Brokers, and Cryptocurrency Scams
A recurring scenario for swindlers involves promoting ensured earnings, proprietary advice, coupled with a dedicated account manager. Initially, they request a token sum, display the target’s “earnings” within their internet profile, then persuade them to expand their down payment. When it comes time to extract the assets, charges, levies, and checks appear, which necessitate further expenditure.
Therefore, the individual is deprived of both their preliminary deposit, tendered with expectations of reaping profit, as well as the capital that supposedly went towards settling “commission.”
Employment Deception as a Means of Ensnaring Ukrainians in Criminal Collaboration
A distinct division of internet danger includes proposals of light labor pertaining to transfers, processing, or distributing cards or accounts “for the company.” An individual risks exploitation as a “money mule” (an intermediary for pecuniary laundering).
Bogus Support Services on Social Media and Instant Messengers
Swindlers craft replicated pages of trademarks and help desks, who are typically the earliest to reply across the comment area. Afterwards, they will request that you complete a questionnaire, validate your account or transaction, and join a secluded discussion where they extract delicate information.
Steps to Take If You’ve Accidentally Clicked a Suspicious Link
- Impound the card and banking credentials promptly, also amend passcodes to email accounts as well as pivotal online services;
- Deactivate the session across all signed-in devices (when supported), including the enabling of two-factor validation;
- If you proceeded in setting up a program or furnishing remote entry, disconnect from the internet, scrub anything of a suspicious nature, inspect your system, and revert settings back to factory defaults whenever necessary;
- Notify the bank and lodge a formal report featuring the digital police authorities.
Reminder
As previously reported, North Korean hackers achieved a benchmark by purloining $2 billion in cryptocurrency through 2025. Such acts account for a predominant part of global crypto heists, accumulating to $3.4 billion in totality.