Deputy Aksenenko warned about fraud in the housing and communal services sector before the heating season

At the start of the heating season in Russia, scammers became more active - they offer to confirm an application for heating connection, visit a technician, check meters or recalculate payments and steal citizens’ data. State Duma deputy Alexander Aksenenko warned Russians about the widespread scheme, RIA Novosti writes.

“Before the heating season, the topic of housing and communal services becomes especially convenient for scammers: people are really waiting for the heating to start, system checks, and they can contact the management company about batteries or charges. That’s why they choose the most plausible legends,” the parliamentarian explained.

Sometimes, to be convincing, scammers give the address of the house, last name or management company (MC), and then ask for a code from an SMS message, follow a link or install an application. Aksenenko emphasized that codes from SMS are not required neither to start heating, nor to visit a specialist, nor to recalculate utility bills.

“If doubt arises, it is better to end the conversation and clarify the information yourself. Find the phone number of your management or resource supply organization in the receipt, GIS housing and communal services or on the official website,” the deputy concluded.