Published on: 2026-09-28
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Project experts “Call me back yourself” Muscovites were warned about a common scam targeting senior citizens. The perpetrators call them, posing as Social Fund employees, frightening them with a reduction in their pension due to a documentation error or, conversely, informing them that unrecorded work experience has been found, the amount will be recalculated upwards, and even an underpayment will be refunded.
“Fraud today is not chaotic calls, but a structured system where every step is calculated. The scheme we encountered is a clear confirmation of this. The attackers start by striking at the fear of an elderly person of losing what they have earned their whole life. A message about an alleged error in documents and a reduction in pension is not just deception, it is a psychological attack designed to cause panic. I want to emphasize the main thing: employees of the Social Fund, banks, the Central Bank, the FSB—none of them ever call to report an error in documents, never ask for SMS codes, and do not offer to transfer money to a ‘protected’ account. Our task in the project is to give people simple and understandable tools, so that in a moment of stress they can remember a basic rule: hang up and call back yourself. The most important thing is not to act on the instructions of a stranger on the other end of the line,” said Valentina Shilina, head of the ‘Call Back Yourself’ project in the capital
The fraudulent scheme is carried out in several stages. The first is a call from a “Social Fund employee.” An unknown person informs the pensioner that there is an error in their documents, due to which the pension amount will be reduced. The caller persistently advises making an appointment with the fund to resolve the issue and recalculate the payments. The conversation resembles a normal appointment booking: dates and times are mentioned, and the person is asked to bring their passport and documents. The person misled usually agrees.
The second stage — the scammers ask to provide the “ticket number.” The fraudster says that the application has already been submitted, but the appointment will only be confirmed after the code from the SMS. He refers to this code as the ticket number and asks to dictate it. In fact, the SMS code is used to confirm login to various services. Most often, this is how they access different official resources: the scammers gain access to the personal account, see documents, and can perform illegal actions on behalf of the person.
The third stage involves calls from the “bank” and the “Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB).” After some time, unknown individuals contact the pensioner again. They report a breach of the personal account on official resources and an attempt to withdraw money from the account. Then, fake employees of the Central Bank and the FSB appear in the scheme, showing forged documents about an alleged ongoing inspection. The scammers suggest withdrawing the savings for “protection” and transferring them to a “secure account.” As a result of these actions, the pensioner loses all funds.
A similar scheme can be carried out via email. The letter is allegedly sent on behalf of the Social Fund: it mentions indexation, recalculation, or an error in payment, attaches a link to a page resembling the official website, and asks to fill out a form with personal or banking information.
Experts of the “Call Back Yourself” project remind that employees of banks, government agencies, and law enforcement bodies never ask to transfer money to “safe accounts” and do not request codes from SMS messages over the phone. Upon receiving such calls, the conversation should be ended immediately.
One should not trust unfamiliar calls about pension recalculation, as the Social Fund does not notify citizens by phone about “document errors” nor requires urgent appointments, experts note. In such conversations, it is also prohibited to disclose SMS codes. If money or accounts are involved, the correct decision would be to hang up and contact the bank or agency independently via the official number listed on the website or on the back of the card.
Moreover, experts from the “Call Back Yourself” project remind that “safe accounts” do not exist: neither the Central Bank, nor banks, nor the FSB will ever require to withdraw and transfer money there. Information about pension and social benefits assigned to various categories of pensioners can be checked independently — on the website sfr.gov.ru, in the personal account on the portal public services or by phone of the unified contact center: +7 800 100-00-01.
Informational online project “Call me back yourself” created in 2022 by the Moscow Government together with the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the city of Moscow. It helps the residents of the capital protect themselves and their loved ones from telephone and internet fraud. The project website contains information about upcoming in-person and online events, expert memos and recommendations are available, as well as recordings of past events webinars and other useful materials. For user convenience, lecture recordings can also be watched on the social network page “VKontakte” and on the channel on Rutube.
The main components of the “Call Back Yourself” project are simple and clear expert advice, relevant examples, and a convenient format. It discusses real stories of victims, highlights scammers’ tricks, and explains how to behave correctly in such situations.
The creation, development, and operation of e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services and electronic-service forms, correspond to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Government Administration.” More about Russia’s national projects and the capital’s contribution can be found at special page.
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Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.