District Department of Internal Affairs warns!!! New Year scammers!!!

On the eve of the New Year holidays, the Postavy District Executive Committee Internal Affairs Department began receiving reports from citizens about fraudulent activities by online stores operating on social networks and messengers, selling New Year's decorations and Christmas trees. For example, on December 15, a resident of Postavy reported that she had ordered an artificial Christmas tree from the online store "christmastree.belarus" on the social network "Instagram", which currently operates under the name "happyyear.tree", and made a prepayment. After the payment, the online store blocked the victim's account and did not return either the money or the tree. Similar incidents are being registered in other regions of the republic.

In addition, other types of online fraud remain relevant: calls aimed at obtaining loans; theft of money by installing third-party applications on the victim's phone, allowing remote access to online banking and performing transactions; creating copies of bank websites, postal services, and other services; sending messages on social networks and messengers that allow stealing accounts.

In this regard, we strongly recommend not making prepayments for goods to unverified online stores; not communicating in messengers with unfamiliar individuals posing as bank employees, police officers, etc.; not installing any programs or applications on your mobile phone at anyone's request; not clicking on links in social networks and messengers; and checking the names of the websites you visit.