Nothing sacred: what schemes to expect from scammers before Easter
Fraudsters can use various schemes to deceive Russians before Orthodox Easter (the Resurrection of Christ), which in 2026 falls on Sunday, April 12. In the perception of Internet users, this holiday is associated with hopes and expectations of pleasant events, which is what the attackers use. For more information about what schemes to expect from scammers before the upcoming Easter, what is the danger of such deception and how to protect yourself from it, read the Izvestia article.
Why is the Easter theme interesting to scammers
Easter is a holiday celebrated even by those Russians who are far from the church, says Alexandra Shmigirilova, GR director of the Security Code information security company, in an interview with Izvestia. Easter is accompanied by a number of traditional dishes, people often set the tables for the holiday and celebrate it in the family circle. It is the anticipation of the upcoming celebration that makes it the topic on which scammers are trying to speculate.
"Starting in 2025, fraudsters are trying to adapt proven deception schemes for every popular holiday or landmark event," says Evgeny Egorov, a leading analyst at the Digital Risk Protection department at F6. — Earlier, for the first time, attackers used traps in investment fraud schemes timed to coincide with Carnival and National Unity Day. Easter was no exception.
Last year, on the eve of the Resurrection of Christ, fraudsters lured users to phishing pages, through which they tried to hijack Telegram accounts, the expert says. In 2026, this trend continues: attackers focus on holidays, which in the perception of the average user are associated with the hope and expectation of pleasant events, and Easter is one of these dates. For scammers, this Orthodox holiday is just a day on the calendar, an excuse to deceive and direct user traffic into various cybercrime schemes, emphasizes Evgeny Egorov.
What schemes can we expect from scammers before Easter in 2026
This year, on the eve of Easter, attackers should be expected to introduce advanced technologies into familiar schemes, says Marina Probets, an Internet analyst and expert at Gazinformservice. In particular, fraudsters can use neural networks to create realistic "video messages" or fake audio messages on behalf of clergymen asking for help.
— In addition, phishing chatbots are likely to appear, offering "exclusive digital icons" or free sticker packs, which require authorization through social networks, which leads to account hijacking, — says the interlocutor of Izvestia. — The growth of fake Easter package delivery services and products is also predicted, which will collect bank card data under the guise of making a pre-order with a big discount.
On Easter, as well as on Christmas and other major Orthodox holidays, attackers most often "steal" accounts in messengers, confirms Ashot Oganesyan, founder of the DLBI data leak intelligence and darknet monitoring service. This is due to the fact that users massively exchange greeting cards, which often contain Trojans or links to scam sites. In addition, in April 2026, analysts at F6's Digital Risk Protection department discovered the appearance of fake Telegram bots created on behalf of popular marketplaces and using Easter symbols, according to Evgeny Egorov.
Under the pretext of receiving prizes in honor of the holiday, attackers are forced to subscribe to dubious Telegram channels advertising investment fraud or switch to fraudulent sites with fake sweepstakes, in which it is allegedly possible to receive prizes in the amount of 500 to one million rubles.
"If the user believes in this offer and follows the suggested links, he risks both losing money and disclosing confidential data, including bank card or passport data," the expert warns.
What "Easter" fraud schemes have you encountered before
Meanwhile, attackers have been trying to use various schemes to deceive potential victims before Easter for several years. In particular, according to Marina Probets, fraudsters had previously actively exploited classic methods: sending out viral postcards with hidden links to malicious software and creating fake lottery sites on behalf of well-known grocery chains.
— There were often schemes with "travel" at incredibly low prices, where after paying for tickets or accommodation, the organizers stopped contacting, — says the interlocutor of Izvestia. — Deception with online notes "about health" or "about rest" was also popular, when money was transferred to the personal accounts of scammers who had nothing to do with real temples.
In 2025, fake QR codes for temple fees, as well as phishing files with photos and videos, were massively used before Easter, adds the CEO of Secure-T (Solar Group) Khariton Nikishkin. In addition, according to Alexandra Shmigirilova, attackers in messengers created channels or bots under names related to Easter, after which they promised users various gifts and prizes for the holiday. To do this, it was necessary to go to a phishing site, where the person had to enter their data — in this case, confidential information would become prey to scammers.
Such schemes are aimed at everyone who is going to celebrate Easter in one way or another, but this primarily concerns Orthodox people, especially the elderly, who may not expect fraud on this subject, the expert notes. The main danger of these tricks is the loss of control over your messenger account as a result of receiving a malicious file or link.
— Having gained control of the account, scammers most often use it to send scam messages (for example, asking to borrow money) and similar links, - says Ashot Oganesyan. — In rare cases, it is even possible to intercept the control of a banking application installed on the same device, but recently the security policy in mobile operating systems has become tougher and there are fewer such situations.
How to protect yourself from fraud schemes before Easter
In order to protect themselves from the "Easter" schemes of scammers, experts interviewed by Izvestia advise to observe certain cybersecurity measures. In particular, Marina Probets recommends never following links from messages from unfamiliar contacts, even if they contain festive pictures.
— Any donations should be made only through the official websites of dioceses or trusted foundations, making sure that the domain is written correctly in the address bar, — says the specialist. — When buying goods for the holiday online, you should use a virtual card with a limited limit and avoid offers with suspiciously low prices that require immediate payment through unsecured payment gateways.
If someone gets emotional on the Internet and rushes to make a translation, you need to stop - there is always time to think, says Marina Probets. In turn, Alexandra Shmigirilova advises to ignore offers coming through messengers and social networks, despite the desire to save money — they become the main entry points for scammers.
When shopping online, you should always check the linked sites, do not make purchases to individuals, do not pay 100% prepayment, make transfers only through official banking applications with a receipt and an indication of the purpose of payment, and do not give any personal information about yourself, the specialist emphasizes.
— Check information about sweepstakes on official brand resources, and when visiting websites for the first time, make it a rule to check the date of registration of a domain name through specialized Whois services - most often, attackers register domains shortly before the attacks, — Evgeny Egorov urges.
As for the various payments allegedly timed to coincide with Easter, the agencies responsible for them already have all the necessary information about citizens, and receiving assistance itself is declarative, concludes Nikita Novikov, an expert on cybersecurity at Angara Security. At the same time, all information about payments and benefits can always be found on the Gosuslugi portal, as well as on regional portals or during a personal visit to the MFC.
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