Mintsifry turned to banks with a request not to provide services to customers through instant messengers, but to use only official channels of interaction with financial institutions for this. Such a call is associated with an increased number of fraudulent actions in instant messengers.

Director of the Cybersecurity Department of the Ministry of Digital Development Vladimir Bengin believes that Russian citizens should not be taught that a bank can officially contact a client in a messenger and offer its services there. Fraudsters can very easily forge the verification checkbox and bank logo, and the user will not even check the contact’s phone number. Bengin explained that the criminals are disguised mainly as the Central Bank, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other bodies.

According to the representative of the Ministry of Digital Development, about 65-80% of all contacts with intruders occur in instant messengers, in particular, in WhatsApp. Moreover, the majority of fraudulent calls in messengers come from Russian numbers, which makes it difficult to identify the ultimate owner.

Earlier, at the end of 2022, the State Duma banned the use of foreign messengers for the provision of banking services, as well as information on money transfers for non-cash payments and information necessary for making payments.

From March 1, 2022 Roskomnadzor banned a number of organizations transfer payment information and personal data via Telegram, which is on the list of foreign messengers. The restrictions were introduced against the backdrop of decisions by some banks to organize online banking within instant messengers, including Telegram.