How do fraudsters find out the names, numbers, and even workplaces of Belarusians?
Fraudsters don't necessarily have to hack your phone or computer. They can collect personal data from various sources.
In particular, information can fall into the hands of attackers through company data breaches. According to information from the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Brest Regional Executive Committee, data breaches affecting hundreds of thousands of users were reported in Belarus in 2026. Reasons can include hacking of information systems, theft of credentials, software vulnerabilities, and other issues.
Another source is malicious programs. Infostealers, or spyware, are capable of stealing passwords, cookies, and other data from a computer or smartphone. For example, a person might install a program that seems useful, but along with it, they get malicious software.
Attackers also use phishing. They might send messages like "your parcel is delayed," "confirm your identity," or "a loan is being processed for you." The person clicks the link and voluntarily enters their data on a fake website.
Hacked accounts also become a source of information. If a fraudster gains access to a person's email or social media page, they can find contacts, correspondence, workplace, documents, and many other details there.
In addition, a lot of information can be gathered from social networks and open sources. Name, city, workplace, relatives, photos – all of this can be gradually collected from various publications. For example, one post shows where a person works, another when they went on vacation, and a relative's profile can provide additional information.
The police emphasize that a fraudster does not necessarily need to have a complete dossier on a person immediately. Sometimes, a few details gathered from various sources are enough to create the impression during a phone call that the attacker knows their interlocutor well.
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Ад мусароу́/лукашыстау́ і даведваюцца
А калі ёсць доступ да базы МУС, аёй. Улічваючы, што б'ецца на псіхалогію - чалавек мусіць быць заможны, але крыху "зашуганы".