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The illegal activities of international cybercriminal networks against our country are being prevented.

Recently, numerous criminal acts targeting civil servants, as well as employees of various enterprises and organizations, have been recorded through the creation of fake social media and instant messaging accounts using numbers belonging to Azerbaijani mobile operators by organized cybercriminal groups operating outside the borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Led by foreign citizens, these networks massively acquire contact numbers of employees from the official websites of state bodies, as well as enterprises and organizations, using special computer programs. Through the "WhatsApp" application, "urgent" messages are sent to these numbers from fake accounts created using photographs of the management of the respective institution. Victims are then redirected to another fake account operating on behalf of law enforcement agencies, and instructions are given to transfer funds to foreign accounts or carry out other tasks.

Within the framework of operational-investigative measures initiated regarding the existing facts, some participants of the mentioned criminal acts have been identified, and international legal procedural measures have been initiated against them. In addition, comprehensive measures are being continued in cooperation with the relevant bodies of foreign states, as well as the security divisions and platform operators of international technology companies to which relevant social networks and platforms belong.

At a time when the development of information technologies is accompanied by broad opportunities for misuse, citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan must demonstrate vigilance against suspicious contacts established for criminal purposes via social networks and instant messaging platforms, and promptly inform state bodies.