Scammers are getting craftier: an eGov warning that applies to business too

The official eGov Telegram channel published a warning: scammers in Kazakhstan are acting ever more cunningly, posing as state agencies, banks and familiar services. The classic advice — never share an SMS code — still holds but is no longer enough: modern schemes are built on trust and urgency, and AI tools make forged messages and voices more convincing than before.

Business in this picture is a richer target than individuals: the sums are larger and the entry points many — from an accountant receiving a «supplier invoice» to a manager whose «director» urgently texts from an unknown number. What works against this is not training alone but procedures: any new bank details are confirmed by a call to a known number, any urgent payment gets a second sign-off, and no single person can send money alone. Automated checks help too: in 1Cifer an agent flags atypical payments — a new payee, an unusual amount — before the money leaves.

A practical step for this week: walk the team through two or three fresh fraud scenarios and put the second-confirmation rule in writing. It costs nothing and closes most schemes, however crafty they become.