Russian scammers target rural landowners with fake legal fines
Russia’s Interior Ministry has issued a warning about a fresh scam targeting rural property and land plot owners. Fraudsters are sending fake messages that claim to have uncovered violations of land laws. These deceptive alerts pressure victims into paying non-existent fines through suspicious links. The scam begins with a message falsely stating that the recipient has broken land legislation. Victims are then urged to settle a ‘discounted fine’ via a link included in the text. Clicking the link directs them to a fake login page for the Gosuslugi portal, where criminals attempt to steal account details.
Legitimate administrative fines are never issued through messenger apps or SMS links. Official penalties must follow regulatory inspections, with property owners notified in advance. Any valid ruling is signed by an authorised official and delivered through formal channels, not informal messages. This warning follows a previous alert from the ministry about a separate fraud scheme. Scammers had targeted apartments belonging to deceased individuals, exploiting gaps in inheritance records.
The Interior Ministry has stressed that only official rulings serve as a valid basis for paying fines. Property owners are advised to ignore unsolicited messages demanding payments. Any suspicious activity should be reported to the authorities immediately.
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