Scammers use fake Telegram voting links to seize accounts in Latgale

Scammers in Latvia’s Latgale region are using fake Telegram voting links to take over accounts and target victims’ contacts, LSM reports. CERT.LV has warned of increased phishing activity, with residents of Daugavpils reporting similar messages.

The messages ask recipients to vote for a child in a competition and appear to come from someone they know. The link leads to a fake voting page that requests Telegram login details and a confirmation code. Scammers can then take control of the account and use it to send further fraudulent messages to the victim’s contacts.

CERT.LV cybersecurity specialist Gints Malkalnietis said users’ interactions with the links help the scam spread: once an account is taken over, criminals can send links to that person’s contacts and attempt to seize their accounts too.

Daugavpils residents told LSM they had encountered digital scams. One said a friend had lost access to her Telegram account and warned others that messages from it were not genuine. Residents also noted that scammers may use compromised accounts to ask contacts for money.

A 2024 media literacy study found that nearly one in five people in Latvia aged 16 and over use Telegram.