According to law enforcement officials, in 2024, over 2,500 individuals invested money in non-existent funds, falling victim to scammers. Often, people seek to recover the funds they lost to these fraudsters by turning to their "colleagues," resulting in even greater financial losses.
"For instance, a resident of the Karaganda region, in an attempt to retrieve 40,000 tenge spent on an online purchase, ended up losing over 11 million tenge," the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported.
The agency warns that targeted advertising is a tool for promoting information that is actively utilized by internet scammers on social media and online platforms.
"These can be fake investment funds or legal services for recovering funds stolen by fraudsters. When creating ads, criminals often use original videos of well-known personalities and legal firms, distorting them with artificial intelligence to deceive Kazakhstanis," the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs explained.
The ministry outlined how to recognize scammers in advertisements:
- too good to be true offers – the ads promise easy money and fantastic conditions for wealth accumulation without any risks;
- links lead to dubious websites lacking contact information or licenses;
- requests for personal data, demanding that individuals provide questionnaire details, card numbers, passport information, or other personal data;
- aggressive marketing tactics and pressure with calls to "not miss the opportunity";
- persistent calls from "investment" fund managers;
- pay attention to the facial expressions of well-known figures in the advertisements, as mismatched lip movements and sound can indicate deception.
Previously, it was reported that a resident of the Akmolinsk region lost over 11 million tenge after falling victim to a fraudulent scheme involving a pseudo-investment platform.