Buying a car, obtaining a driver’s license, re-registering a vehicle, registering an authorized user, or purchasing an insurance policy — in each of these situations, you may encounter various types of fraud. The Cyberpolice and the Main Service Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine explain how criminals use social engineering to manipulate drivers into transferring money, disclosing personal data, or performing dangerous actions.
What is social engineering
Social engineering is the use of psychological techniques and manipulations to influence human behavior. Criminals use them to gain trust, trigger necessary emotions, and induce a person to perform certain actions: report confidential information, click on a link, provide access to an account, or transfer funds.
In such cases, the victim performs the necessary actions for the scammers themselves. Even knowing safety rules does not always protect against manipulation — under pressure, in a state of anxiety, or due to excessive trust, one may fail to notice the danger.
Emotions targeted by scammers
Criminals most often use several psychological techniques:
Urgency. They convince you that a car is about to be bought by another buyer or that a service needs to be paid for or confirmed immediately. This gives the person no time to verify the information.
Intimidation. They report alleged problems with documents, registration, or insurance policies and offer to “resolve” them urgently, demanding personal data or confirmation codes.
Promise of benefit. They attract victims with an excessively low car price, a significant discount on insurance, or a promise to issue a driver’s license without attending a driving school or taking exams at a Ministry of Internal Affairs service center.
Trust in authority. They pose as employees of a Ministry of Internal Affairs service center, an insurance company, or a bank, using official names and logos. However, the presence of symbols does not confirm that the person is truly representing that institution.
How social engineering works in the automotive sector
When buying a car online, a scammer may post an advertisement with an attractive price, rush to close the deal, and demand a prepayment, citing other interested buyers. To be convincing, they may send photos of documents or a link to a fake transaction processing service.
When selling a car, a criminal may pose as a buyer and suggest receiving payment through a third-party service. To do this, they send a link and ask to enter card details, a password, or a code from a message. Such data can be used to access the account.
Another common scheme involves promises to issue a driver’s license without exams, remotely, or faster than the established procedure. For this, fake websites and advertisements are used. After payment, a person may not receive the document or may become the owner of a forgery, and their personal data may end up in the hands of third parties.
In the insurance sector, scammers offer to issue a policy at a favorable price, ask to send photos of documents, and transfer funds to specified details. They may also send messages about alleged urgent surcharges or the need to confirm data via a link. In such cases, information should be checked through the official channels of the insurance company.
What these situations have in common is an attempt to control a person’s decisions: to create a sense of urgency, build trust, or convince the person that the service or transaction cannot be completed without the help of a stranger.
Phishing and phone calls as tools of social engineering
One of the most obvious examples of social engineering is phone fraud. During a call, a criminal may pose as a service center worker, an insurance company representative, or a bank employee, report a problem, and demand urgent actions or confidential data.
Another method is phishing, where digital tools are used for manipulation: fake websites, emails, or messages. A link can lead to a resource that imitates the official website of an institution or company. The user is prompted to enter personal data, card details, or confirmation codes there.
Scammers also manipulate and pressure citizens regarding the urgency of receiving services, claiming that due to frequent air raid alerts, services are not provided or are delayed. However, Ministry of Internal Affairs service centers are operational, and some of them provide services in shelters during air raid alerts. Although there may be delays in some territorial units due to the security situation, services are provided.
How to avoid falling into scammers’ traps
When buying or selling a car, processing documents, or purchasing insurance, follow these simple rules:
Check the website address, information about the seller, the service, and the recipient of funds. Do not click on suspicious links and do not open unknown files.
Do not rush to pay if you are being pushed or intimidated. Contact the institution or company yourself using the contact details from their official website.
Do not disclose PIN and CVV codes, online banking passwords, or confirmation codes to anyone. Do not give strangers access to your devices or accounts.
Do not transfer money until you have verified the seller or intermediary. A refusal of a personal meeting, inspection of the car or documents, and a demand for prepayment should be a warning sign.
Use different strong passwords for important accounts, enable two-factor authentication, and keep your software updated regularly.
If you have already disclosed confidential data, stop communicating with the suspicious person. In case of disclosure of banking information, immediately contact the bank, change the passwords for the accounts that may have been compromised, and report the fraud to the Cyberpolice.
Remember: services for issuing and exchanging driver’s licenses, registration, and re-registration of vehicles must be obtained through the official channels of the Main Service Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs — at service centers, or online using the Driver’s Cabinet and the Diia app. Do not trust unknown persons who promise to issue documents outside the established procedure or for an additional fee.
Consultation regarding Ministry of Internal Affairs service center services can be obtained by calling (044) 290-19-88 or on the pages of the Main Service Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Facebook and Instagram. Answers to common questions and useful information can be found on the website.
Photo: Колаж Кіберполіції України
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