{"id":8036,"date":"2026-05-15T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.eset.ee\/et\/2026\/05\/15\/why-geopolitical-turmoil-is-a-gift-for-scammers-and-how-to-stay-safe\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T09:00:00","slug":"why-geopolitical-turmoil-is-a-gift-for-scammers-and-how-to-stay-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.eset.ee\/et\/en\/2026\/05\/15\/why-geopolitical-turmoil-is-a-gift-for-scammers-and-how-to-stay-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"Why geopolitical turmoil is a gift for scammers, and how to stay safe"},"content":{"rendered":"

It didn\u2019t take long for tensions in the Middle East to spill over into the cyber domain<\/a>. There\u2019s been significant disruption of a major US medtech provider<\/a>, the compromise of OT assets in US critical infrastructure<\/a>, and ongoing ransomware attacks<\/a> on businesses by Iran-nexus groups. But what about regular internet users? The truth is that geopolitical tension and conflict offers potentially rich pickings for opportunistic online scammers.<\/p>\n

Fraudsters know that these events are a great way to grab the attention of potential victims, and exploit their fear and sympathy in equal measure. The backdrop of geopolitical turmoil, whether it\u2019s Ukraine<\/a> or Iran, adds weight to the stories they spin in order to achieve their goals.<\/p>\n

What scams prosper in times of turmoil?<\/h2>\n

Whatever tactics they choose, the end goal is usually the same: to harvest your credentials and\/or personal and financial data. Or to trick you directly into making payments to non-existent entities. These are not novel techniques. They\u2019re tried and tested and could come via email<\/a>, text<\/a>, social media or phone call<\/a>. What\u2019s different is the lure; specially crafted for timeliness and maximum impact.<\/p>\n

Watch out for the following scams:<\/p>\n

Fraudulent charges<\/h3>\n

You receive a call or text from a bank or trusted company informing you of non-existent charges related to \u201cIran\u201d on your account. According to the FTC<\/a>, you might then be put on to a government official who convinces you to hand over your bank account details.<\/p>\n

Romance fraud<\/h3>\n

Romantic-themed scams<\/a> are a big money-maker for fraudsters. According to the FBI<\/a>, they generated over $929m in illegal profits last year. In this new take, a romantic contact you met online may claim to be a soldier deployed to the Middle East, who now needs cash to deal with an emergency.<\/p>\n

Fake charities<\/h3>\n

Geopolitical turmoil often leads to human misery, which tends to pull at the heart strings. Legitimate charities may solicit donations to help their efforts to support innocent citizens caught in the crossfire. Scammers know this and will create their own fake charities \u2013 or impersonate legitimate ones \u2013 to collect donations. They may have professional-looking websites designed to add weight to their requests. Be in no doubt though, if you fall for these scams you\u2019ll end up handing them your money, your card details, or both.<\/p>\n

Travel scams<\/strong><\/p>\n

Military conflict can often result in sudden flight cancellations, border checks and other travel-related disruption. Scammers can take advantage of this by impersonating airlines and government agencies. They might offer streamlined visa processing or refunds on booked flights and accommodation<\/a>. But all they\u2019re after is your personal and financial details.<\/p>\n

Investment fraud<\/h3>\n

Investment scams raked in more money than any other type of cybercrime last year: over $8.6 billion, according to the FBI. Sure enough, scammers can take advantage of geopolitics to further their goals here, perhaps by claiming to offer guaranteed returns as a hedge against inflation or market instability.<\/p>\n

Sensational (fake) news<\/h3>\n

Political and social unrest usually generates a great deal of click-worthy content. The problem is that some of it is complete fake. Scammers use sensationalist \u2018leaked videos\u2019 and \u2018breaking news\u2019 stories to lure you into clicking on malicious links. The most likely end result is getting an infostealer on your phone or computers. This category of malware is designed to harvest passwords, record keystrokes and even steal session cookies to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your accounts.<\/p>\n

Advance fee fraud\/419 scams<\/h3>\n

This is perhaps one of the oldest scams in the book. You receive a message out of the blue from someone you\u2019ve never met. They\u2019ll proceed with a fantastical story about how they will let you share in their riches if you can only pay a small fee upfront for some kind of admin. This template is already being repurposed for the current conflict<\/a> in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

How to spot scams like this<\/h3>\n

Thanks to generative AI tools, it\u2019s easier than ever for scammers to create highly convincing written content, videos and websites to further their goals. But there are some tell-tale signs that will keep you safe. Look out for:<\/p>\n