The essence: the victim receives a message from a fake account of a manager stating that they need to talk on the phone with a “curator,” a law‑enforcement officer – as a result, they are persuaded to transfer money to a “safe account” or to “declare” it.
Details: they may contact you via any messenger: Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp, and the photo often shows a real picture of a company or organization official (taken from the internet or social media).
Triggers: an atypical request from management, a demand for money, stories about violations, and the indication that “the curator will contact you.”
Complications: deep‑fake videos or voice messages that look convincing.
Who it concerns: everyone.
But in Belarus it has largely affected the education, healthcare, and real‑sector enterprises.
Features: the scammers’ phone number may be Belarusian, which often dulls vigilance.
What to do if you receive a message from the first‑person account of a company: follow the zero‑trust principle and verify everything; contact the manager by another means and confirm the information; if the manager’s account has been hacked – which is possible – respond to the atypical request only by personally confirming the information or asking company staff; also verify the accuracy of the data and phone number if it is in your contacts; if at the top of the conversation the options “Add to contacts” and “Block” appear, it means you do not have this contact and that is a reason not to trust; contact the company’s security service or HR if you realize it is a scam and warn others to minimize risks.