RWB warns of scam selling books supposedly written off from warehouses
In short
The security team of RWB, the combined company of Wildberries and Russ, said fraudsters are offering buyers of paper books cheap titles supposedly written off from warehouses. Victims are sent links to malicious pages that ask for card data and other personal information, and the scammers stop responding once they are paid.
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The security team of RWB, the combined company of Wildberries and Russ, said it has found a fraud scheme aimed at people who buy paper books online. TASS, CNews and Kommersant all reported the warning on 20 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to RWB, the fraudsters offer books at low prices, saying they were written off from the warehouses of publishers, retailers, marketplaces and other services. Users are sent links to malicious pages that ask for card data and other personal information. Once payment is received, the scammers stop responding. [ 2 , 3 ]
Elena Orlova (Елена Орлова), head of antifraud and moderation at RWB, told CNews that fraudsters constantly track buyers' interest. She said paper books remain popular, with several thousand editions ordered every day on Wildberries and in the WB Knigi (WB Книги) app. In her words, schemes involving such goods make the news less often than fake prize draws, which works in the scammers' favour. [ 2 ]
The WB Knigi team stressed that the service does not write off goods from warehouses or hand them over for sale. Kommersant likewise reported that Wildberries said it does not write off goods or pass them on for sale. [ 2 , 3 ]
RWB specialists urge users to check any message about special offers or promotions in official sources. CNews said this means opening the app or website independently and asking in the support chat. Anyone who has already entered data on a fraudulent site should immediately block the compromised accounts or change passwords through the apps or by contacting their banks. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The warning is aimed at online buyers of paper books and tells them how to check offers and what to do if they have entered data on a fraudulent site. The documents give no figures on victims or losses from the scheme.
Key facts
- RWB's security team said it found a fraud scheme aimed at buyers of paper books online. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Fraudsters offer books at low prices, saying they were written off from the warehouses of publishers, retailers, marketplaces and other services. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Victims are sent links to malicious pages that ask for card data and other personal information. [ 2 , 3 ]
- After receiving payment, the fraudsters stop responding. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The team behind WB Knigi (WB Книги) stressed that the service does not write off goods from warehouses or hand them over for sale. [ 2 ]
- Users are advised to check special offers and promotions in official sources, such as the app or website or the support chat. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Anyone who has already entered data on a fraudulent site should block the compromised accounts or change passwords. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- RWB said fraudsters are targeting buyers of paper books with offers of cheap books supposedly written off from warehouses, using malicious links that collect card data and personal information. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Wildberries does not write off goods from warehouses or hand them over for sale. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Users who have entered data on a fraudulent resource should block compromised accounts or change passwords. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- How many people have been affected and how much money was lost. None of the documents gives figures on victims or losses.
- Who is behind the scheme. The documents do not identify the fraudsters; the account of the scheme comes from RWB alone.