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Uzbek
Cybercriminals in Uzbekistan have devised a new way to deceive citizens by exploiting the popular “Open Budget” project. In this project, citizens can vote for various initiatives, and those that receive the most votes receive government funding. However, scammers have found a way to profit from those who are accustomed to selling their votes in this project.
The scam is simple: twice a year, the results of the “Open Budget” project are tallied, and during this time, vote traders become active. People are offered money, food, and even cars in exchange for their votes. Scammers have decided to take advantage of this demand to steal money from the bank cards of Uzbeks.
They post advertisements on social media, offering to pay $50 or more per vote. Those who agree to the deal are sent a link to vote. Then, the citizen receives an SMS with a code, which the scammers claim is needed to confirm the vote. In reality, this code is used to link the victim’s card to the scammers’ account, allowing them to withdraw money.
These schemes operate not only online but also on the streets. Scammers approach people near metro stations, offering to buy their votes. Once they gain access to the card, they do not immediately withdraw the money so that the victim does not suspect anything. The funds are withdrawn during the night when the person may not notice.
Cybersecurity experts warn citizens to be cautious and not to share their personal information, including SMS codes, with strangers. It is important to remember that no legitimate voting process requires participants to share confidential information with third parties.
The text has been translated by AI. For more accurate information, please refer to the Russian version of the article
