Attention, parents! Phone scammers are seriously targeting teenagers. The Minsk City Executive Committee's Internal Affairs Department has prepared a video in which victims themselves explain how it works.
Here is a simplified scheme:
1. In the first stage, the child is called or messaged under a false pretext – for example, about replacing a intercom or telephone debt.
2. After that, a second call is received – this time, from law enforcement agencies. The scammers intimidate the child with criminal liability, threaten parents with imprisonment, and the child with placement in a children's home.
3. The scammers strictly forbid telling anyone about what is happening.
Believing the scammers, children may hide the situation, lie to their parents, and secretly take money and valuables from home.
How to protect your family:
Build trusting relationships with your children.
Discuss current security threats. Be interested in who your children communicate with online and what they discuss.
Do not leave children unattended during their free time.
If you have become a victim of fraud, call the police immediately on 102.