A new fraudulent scheme targeting underage users of social networks is gaining momentum in Russia. According to the press service of Sber, the criminals offer children to "rent out" their accounts for a small fee - from 200 to 500 rubles per hour of use. Behind this seemingly harmless deal lies a serious threat: such accounts become a tool for committing crimes, and the children themselves risk becoming accomplices to illegal activities.

According to the bank, fraudsters use rented children's profiles to carry out telephone scams. They change the account settings, adding logos of well-known organizations - banks, mobile operators, government agencies or law enforcement agencies - to create the appearance of legitimacy. Then, these accounts begin making mass calls to citizens in order to extort money or confidential information. A person who provides access to their profile automatically becomes part of a criminal chain, which, as Sberbank emphasizes, can lead to criminal liability under articles related to complicity in fraud.

To counter this threat, the bank has developed a number of recommendations published in the Cyberarium cybersecurity knowledge library. Experts urge parents to conduct explanatory talks with their children, focusing on the inadmissibility of transferring personal data, including logins, passwords and codes from SMS, to third parties. Particular attention is paid to the so-called stop phrases, which should alert the child: "don't tell anyone", "easy money", "rent an account" or assurances of "complete legality". When faced with such expressions, children are advised to immediately stop communicating with the stranger. In addition, it is important to teach them how to use privacy settings on social networks and explain that participation in such schemes is fraught with serious legal consequences.

This type of fraud has become a noticeable phenomenon against the backdrop of the growth of cybercrime in Russia. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs data published in March 2025 on the RBC portal, last year the number of registered cases of telephone fraud increased by 12%, reaching 1,2 million incidents. Experts attribute this to the development of technologies that allow criminals to disguise their actions as legal transactions. In particular, the use of children's accounts, as Kommersant reports, has become popular due to their relative "purity" - such profiles are less likely to arouse suspicion among victims and security systems.

Against the backdrop of increasingly frequent cybercriminal attacks, Sber has stepped up its educational work. In early April, the bank launched the Safe Internet for Children campaign, aimed at teaching schoolchildren the basics of cyber hygiene. According to the press service, in the first quarter of 2025 alone, more than 15 attempts to involve minors in fraudulent schemes through social networks were recorded, which is 20% more than a year earlier. Bank analysts note that children are becoming easy targets due to their lack of awareness and desire to make a quick buck.