Russia-Ukraine War scams are here

There’s no limit to the depths that scammers will sink to find new victims. We saw a rise in scams from the start of the pandemic, and the pattern is continuing today with the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Scammers can target you from anywhere in the world via email, social media, calls and texts. You can be directly targeted or fall victim to a phishing scam, malicious ad, website, or post. Your personal and financial information is at risk, so take great care, especially during times like these. Tap or click here for Kim’s report on 10 Russia-Ukraine war scams to watch out for.

As we predicted and warned you about, the scams are coming in fast. Some are taking advantage of people’s willingness to help the Ukrainian people, while others go after people’s fears. Keep reading for examples.

Charity scams

Humanitarian workers are on the ground helping out where they can and need financial assistance. While most charities seeking aid are legitimate, others are just looking for a payday. We touched on this subject and listed some fake aid websites in a recent report.

Researchers at internet security company ESET have been seeing an increase in websites posing as charities helping out the people of Ukraine and the country at large against the Russian invasion. The following are some examples:

You don’t need to look very close to spot the red flags. Poor spelling, grammar and punctuation can be found throughout the text, along with urgent requests for assistance. And just how will your money be helping out? Charities should be transparent about their goals.

Malicious/scam emails

ESET also warns about emails being sent out pleading for assistance in the form of Bitcoin. A post shared by a Reddit user is a prime example of this scamming method:

Researchers at Bitdefender Labs have also been tracking charity crypto scams making the rounds in the wake of the conflict. The Ukrainian government is accepting Bitcoin and Etherium donations and people around the world are opening their virtual wallets.

Scammers are well aware of…