The Ministry of Internal Affairs revealed a scheme for stealing online banking data via NFC on a phone

The Russian Interior Ministry has identified a new fraudulent scheme in which attackers gain access to the victim's bank account management via NFC (wireless communication technology). This was announced on July 4 in the press center of the department.

"The reverse version of the scheme was recorded, when the victim was asked to bring someone else's phone to his own for a "check," the Interior Ministry told TASS.

They added that in the process of such interaction, an access token to an online bank was transferred via NFC, after which the criminals gained full control over the citizen's finances. The criminals convinced people to install files under the guise of official banking applications. To pass the fictitious authorization, the victim was asked to attach the card to the smartphone and enter the PIN code.

"One of the most high—profile criminal schemes in 2025 was the disclosure of an interregional criminal group that used the NFC Gate malware," the department noted.

The Interior Ministry clarified that in this chain, the account holder's cell phone was a key tool, while the ATM served only as the final point for cash withdrawal. After receiving the necessary data, the accomplices could withdraw money in any region of the country.

According to the investigation, the attackers committed more than 600 episodes of fraud in 78 regions of Russia. The total damage exceeded 200 million rubles. To date, law enforcement officers have detained the software developer and the chief administrator of the malware control panel.

No need for fuel and energy complex: hackers have become more likely to blackmail industrialists

The ransom amounts are estimated in millions of rubles — companies of the fuel and energy complex are of particular interest to criminals.

Honored Lawyer of Russia, head of the "Don't let yourself be Deceived" project Ivan Solovyov announced on the same day that a new method of fraud had been identified in the Russian Federation related to reports of violations of the silence regime. According to the expert, the attackers send messages in messengers that a citizen's appeal has been registered at the user's address. The text contains a request to review the claims and provide explanations, followed by a malicious link.