Who are drops, why are they dangerous and how not to fall into the networks of scammers, RIA Novosti was told by the head of the laboratory for the development and promotion of cybersecurity competencies of the Gazinformservice company Ksenia Akhrameeva.
Who are drops in simple words
The term "drops" is derived from the English word "drop" - "to throw". This is the name given to people who unknowingly or consciously become accomplices of fraudsters. As a rule, drops are those people who have money transferred to their card so that they can cash it out and give it to a third party (the fraudster). Or drops voluntarily (for a fee) provide their bank details, and fraudsters use this data to "launder" the money.
How scammers lure people into their schemes: the most common ways to get into drops
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According to Ksenia Akhrameeva, there are many ways to get involved in fraudulent schemes.
"Let's start with a harmless request from a friend or relative. For example: a person says that all his accounts have been frozen, since enforcement proceedings have been initiated against him, and if money list of real mobile number database gets there, it will be written off immediately, and asks a relative/friend to transfer funds to his card, he will withdraw them from an ATM and give them to our hero. This is how a relative/friend, without even knowing it, became a drop," the expert says.
Or another case when they offer "easy" earnings - you just need to provide your bank details or accept and transfer funds for a small percentage or a fixed rate. Moreover, the job ad looks very attractive: for example, a high salary without a probationary period, no work experience and professional skills required, flexible schedule, etc.
If a job ad looks too attractive, promising a high income without any special skills, this should raise concerns, because it is clear that something illegal will be offered, Akhrameeva emphasizes.