Kazakhstani cyber police convince woman not to send money to ‘Keanu Reeves’
Over six months, a 62-year-old woman residing in Kostanay had been messaging with a person pretending to be Keanu Reeves on TikTok. He asked her to transfer him $400, claiming he had ended up in a difficult situation, as reported by Polisia.kz. To make the transaction, the woman went to a bank, where bank officials, along with the office for combating cybercrime, persuaded her not to proceed with the transfer.
The woman approached a second-tier bank because she didn’t know how to transfer funds on her own. However, the bank’s employees noted that the account to which the victim wanted to transfer her money belonged to an unidentified betting company.
«Following the protocol, bank tellers immediately contacted the police. Officers from the office for combating cybercrime arrived at the scene and managed to persuade the woman not to carry out the transaction,» Polisia.kz reported.
In a conversation with the victim, officers found out that it was her second attempt to transfer funds to fraudsters. In early April, she had planned to send money to other criminals. It is unclear whether that attempt was successful.
To avoid such situations, the police recommend not trusting strangers, including those who claim to be celebrities. Fraudsters often use pictures and names of famous people to gain a victim’s trust.
«Even if a person writing to you introduces themselves as a celebrity, friend or relative, always stay alert,» the article said.
It is also suggested verifying information shared by fraudsters and avoiding rushed responses to their questions or proposals.
«Be careful with last-minute deals. Fraudsters often use urgency tactics, urging their victims to act immediately. They may claim that they are in trouble or need money for treatment. Do not rush to respond to such requests. Be suspicious of any links and apps from unverified sources. Do not open or download them, even if they look legitimate,» the article read.
With the help of such techniques, perpetrators aim to infect victims’ devices with worms and viruses to gain access to their data. Furthermore, such cases must be reported to the police.
Notably, earlier this week, Kazakhstan’s Prosecutor General’s Office reported the extradition of a Kazakhstani resident from Kyrgyzstan, suspected of committing large-scale fraud. According to investigators, she deceived citizens of Kazakhstan for a total amount of approximately $437,990. The woman faces up to 10 years in prison.
