Cold reception: how scammers use the theme of installing air conditioners

Fraudsters can use various schemes on the installation of air conditioners to deceive Russians, experts have warned about this. The attackers are taking advantage of the growing demand for the purchase and installation of climate control equipment on the eve of the summer season: according to the latest data, in May 2026, sales of such equipment increased by 22% compared to the same period last year. For more information about how scammers use the subject of installing air conditioners, what are the dangers of such tricks and how to protect yourself from them, read the Izvestia article.

What is the topic of installing air conditioners interesting to scammers?

The summer heat can melt not only asphalt, but also the rational thinking of citizens when it comes to buying expensive climate control solutions, Maxim Fedosenko, a leading engineer and analyst at the Gazinformservice Cybersecurity Analytical Center, told Izvestia.

— The main interest of scammers lies in the high seasonal demand for air conditioners and the long queues for installation that follow from this, consisting of those who urgently began to solve the issue of heat at the moment when it took them by surprise, — says the expert.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Yulia Mayorova

As a result, as Maxim Fedosenko notes, it turns out that when a person is sweltering from the heat, and the solution to the problem through official dealers and electronics stores takes 1-2 weeks, he becomes a good target to fall for the bait of that scammer who promises to come and install everything tomorrow, at a convenient time, and even at a discount..

From the point of view of IT security, the topic of installing air conditioners attracts scammers with high demand in the heat and the willingness of victims to leave their data on unverified sites, confirms Konstantin Gorbunov, a leading expert on network threats and web developer of the Security Code company. Fraudsters quickly create fake landing pages for "promotions", and then collect confidential data and information from documents there, which they use to hack accounts on "Public Services".

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What schemes on the installation of air conditioners to expect in 2026

On the eve of the summer season, Russians are increasingly in demand for the purchase and installation of air conditioners: according to the latest data, in May 2026, sales of such equipment increased by 22% compared to the same period last year, according to experts at MTS Defender.

"Scammers understand this trend and actively use it: they call on behalf of private companies and offer the installation of air conditioners at a particularly favorable price, as well as place phishing ads for the installation or maintenance of air conditioners, according to which the potential victim initiates a call with the attacker himself," experts say.

This summer, according to experts, we should expect the appearance of deception schemes related to the installation of air conditioners in the communal area. The scammers are calling on behalf of the management company, offering to click on the link and select communal air conditioners for each floor for future purchase. If the potential victim agrees and enters their details by clicking on the link, the attacker automatically gets access to them.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Konkov

With the beginning of the heat wave, fraudsters may appear who will offer to install an air conditioner on very favorable terms, adds Evgeny Egorov, a leading analyst at the Digital Risk Protection department at F6. As a rule, in such schemes, the attackers rush the person. Fraudsters can also create fake websites for air conditioning stores. The price on such resources will be significantly lower, which increases the interest in buying from a potential victim.

"In the process of discussing the installation, attackers can send a phishing link to make an application or transfer an advance payment — as a result, the victim may lose the prepayment itself and the money from the account," warns the editorial interlocutor.

What schemes on the topic of installing air conditioners have you encountered before

The most common scenario of deception in previous seasons was to extract prepayment from victims under the pretext of selling non-existent equipment or installing it, the cost of which is often equal to the price of the split system itself, says Maxim Fedosenko. The attackers also used clones of popular authorized dealers and services and searched for victims through bulletin boards and service aggregators.

"Their main task there was to divert the dialogue with the client from the secure chat of the platform to a regular messenger, and then send a fake phishing link to the payment or ask them to transfer the advance payment to a personal card for booking a team of installers," the source tells Izvestia. — As soon as the transaction was completed, the fake seller, according to the standard scenario, blocked the contact and disappeared without a trace.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev

In addition, schemes for allegedly confirming an order using an SMS code were previously common, Konstantin Gorbunov adds. Trojans disguised as climate control applications and schemes were also recorded on popular sites, when the victim was sent a link to a fake online store or asked to go and continue communicating in a messenger.

Such tricks are mainly aimed at individuals, small businesses and smart home systems, while the degree of danger ranges from financial losses to security threats, says Nikita Kireev, an expert on cybersecurity at Angara Security. In the first case, the scheme is aimed at gullible people (pensioners, tenants, owners of cottages) who are looking for a "quick and cheap installation" during the hot season. Older people are more easily amenable to phone calls with offers of "warranty cleaning".

"Small businesses (cafes, offices, shops) require the installation of powerful industrial split systems, and failure of the air conditioning system can lead to loss of customers due to heat or failure of server equipment," the specialist notes.

Photo: Global Look Press/IMAGO/Zoonar.com/Dmitri Maruta

A separate category of potential victims are owners of air conditioners with Wi—Fi modules that are integrated into the smart home system. In this case, it is possible to hack the network perimeter through vulnerabilities in the firmware of a cheap air conditioner, warns Nikita Kireev.

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How to protect yourself from deception schemes on the installation of air conditioners

Protection against fraud during the installation and maintenance of air conditioners comes down to several key rules: checking the contractor, writing the contract and making a secure payment, Nikita Kireev says in an interview with Izvestia. To avoid deception and avoid getting into the network of intruders, it is important to contact long-established and well-established companies.

— They can be found through search engines or on the recommendations of friends, — says the expert. — The official websites of such organizations contain contact information and banking details. They can be used to check information about the company's history on the services of the Federal Tax Service.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Nina Zotina

In addition, Nikita Kireev advises using specialized specialist search services. In any case, it is worth carefully studying the suggestions of the masters and reviews about their work. In turn, Olga Altukhova, a cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky Lab, recommends that users critically evaluate online offers if they have doubts about the online store's website. It is better to check his domain using WHOIS services: if the domain is completely fresh and registered to a private individual, this is a reason to be wary.

— It is also important to remain vigilant on sites with bulletin boards so as not to encounter fake ads offering to buy equipment or installation services (read reviews on the seller, the registration date in the service, do not switch to third-party messengers). Finally, use a reliable security solution — it warns if a person tries to switch to a phishing or scam resource," the expert concludes.