The expert explained how not to fall into the clutches of scammers through bots in social networks

MOSCOW, 14 Oct – PRIME. Fans of social networks and instant messengers could already not only get used to bots, but also love them. However, this learning program, capable of performing any tasks automatically, imitating human activity, can also perform malicious tasks, Sergey Kuzmenko, senior specialist in testing digital products at the Center for Digital Expertise of Roskachestvo, warned the Prime agency.

Bots can be entrusted with any task, for example, to send greetings to new registered users or to ban violators, the expert noted.

However, it is worth remembering that a small virtual robot can be taught anything, including bad ones, which is what unscrupulous citizens with IT knowledge do.

“Malicious chatbots are created mainly to send offensive, spam or phishing messages in instant messengers or social media comments. You may also have heard of “botnets” and “spambots”. The latter are part of viruses and trojans: they are embedded in computers and other devices connected to the Internet, and then go through websites en masse, leaving spam comments or sending phishing emails,” the source said.

“If the bot asks you to enter your personal information (not just asks what your name is, but also requires you to enter your address, passport details, cards or passwords), there is every reason to be wary, and whether this is a fraudulent service. Such data is not shared, so more with bots,” the specialist added.

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Fraud schemes using Telegram bots differ little from others. You may be sent fake hacking messages, blackmail and threaten to leak information.

Look carefully at links before clicking on them. Phishing links have strange domain names that are only remotely consonant with the name of well-known sites. Another clear sign of a fake link is just the numbers: http://123.137.972.98, as well as the addition of the @ sign.

Another common Telegram scam is an offer to buy access to secret channels. The latest trend is certificates with a delay from mobilization. Such provocations should not be waged, Kuzmenko summed up.