The companies Wildberries and Russ have documented a new scam method where fraudsters impersonate marketplace employees to gain access to users' data. They call customers and, under the pretext of an expired free storage period for orders, ask for the SMS code.

How the Scheme Works

According to information from the press service of Wildberries and Russ, scammers operate as follows:

  • They call the customer, pretending to be marketplace staff.
  • They claim that the free storage period for an order has allegedly expired and offer to cancel it.
  • To "confirm the cancellation," they ask for the code from the SMS.
  • After obtaining the code, criminals can hack into the victim's personal account or withdraw money from their account.

Note that these scammers do not have data from real orders; instead, they make mass calls hoping to catch someone off guard.

How to Protect Yourself from Scammers

Wildberries and Russ experts emphasize that there is no charge for storing orders on the platform, and no SMS codes should be shared with anyone. Here are the key safety rules:

  • Check information in your personal account before taking any action.
  • Do not share SMS codes, even if the caller claims to be from the marketplace.
  • Remember, scammers use stress and the element of surprise, so avoid making hasty decisions.

"To avoid becoming a victim, you must always verify information in your personal account, never share secret codes with anyone, and remember: scammers use time and stress against you, so it's crucial never to make decisions in a hurry," said Igor Somov, head of Trust & Safety for the combined company Wildberries and Russ.