Russian Official Warns of Rising Cyber Fraud, Fake 'FSB' Calls

Vladimir Tabak, head of Russia's Autonomous Non-Profit Organization Dialog Regions, known as GFCN, has warned that cyber fraud is becoming increasingly widespread, including cases in which scammers pose as officials from the Federal Security Service (FSB), according to Russian state news agency TASS.

Tabak said the current situation with fake news is "quite complicated," adding that cyber fraud has become a common occurrence, TASS reported.

Among the examples cited, Tabak referred to fraudulent phone calls in which perpetrators falsely claim to be calling on behalf of the FSB, Russia's principal security agency, in an apparent attempt to deceive victims.

TASS did not provide further details in the excerpt regarding the specific methods used by fraudsters, the scale of such incidents, or any measures being taken to address the problem. Additional comments from Tabak or other officials were not immediately available.