Amid the rush for fuel, a huge number of apps for finding gasoline have appeared, and we covered them in a separate article. At the same time, scammer services began popping up online, disguising themselves as gas station maps. Specialists from F6 identified more than 60 such resources, and all of them serve one purpose — to steal your messenger account. Let’s break down how the scheme works and what to do to avoid losing access to your chats.

Exposing the scheme of scammers exploiting the fuel crisis

Why Scammers Create Fake Gas Station Maps

Scammers always latch onto whatever concerns people right now. According to Anna Panevina, an analyst at CERT Digital Risk Protection at F6, cybercriminals are actively exploiting the increased demand for information about fuel availability.

The logic is simple: many drivers are searching for data on operating gas stations and gasoline prices, so the likelihood of clicking on a phishing site in this situation increases significantly. A person is in a hurry, doesn’t want to be left without gas, and more easily agrees to enter a code just to see the map.

How the Fake Gas Station Map Scheme Works

The scammers’ logic is built on real demand. F6 specialists identified more than 60 fraudulent websites pretending to be gas station search services and fuel availability maps — similar to the most popular resources. Users are offered to select a region and fuel type, and then promised a list of operating gas stations with current prices.

Scammers adapted an old fraud scheme to new realities

Then comes the catch. Before granting access to the data, the site asks you to enter your phone number and a confirmation code. In reality, this code is used to hijack your messenger account — you essentially hand the attackers the key to your account yourself.

Some resources disguise themselves as interactive gas station maps. When trying to open the map, they also request “confirmation” via phone number, explaining it as necessary to obtain an electronic fuel voucher. There are no vouchers, of course — only your data being collected.

Account Hacking on Android — How It Happens

Messenger account hijacking is not a minor inconvenience — it’s access to your entire digital life. Once in control, scammers can read your chats, view photos and videos, and take your contact list.

Through such services, scammers can hack your messenger account

The account is then used for new attacks — targeting your contacts, who trust messages coming from your name. In some cases, the owner is completely locked out of their account. If this has already happened, you should immediately figure out what to do if you clicked a scammer’s link and not waste any time.

How to Safely Find Gasoline in Russia

The main rule is simple: a legitimate gas station search service will never ask for a confirmation code from a messenger. Experts recommend not entering phone numbers and codes on third-party resources and checking gas station information only through official services and apps.

The good news is that legitimate services already exist. Real fuel availability maps have been released by T-Bank, Yandex, and Sber — they can be used without risking your account. Here are a few rules that reduce the risk to almost zero:

  • Never share an SMS or messenger code with anyone — legitimate services don’t ask for them;
  • Open gas station maps only in bank and Yandex apps, not through random links from search results;
  • Enable two-factor authentication in your messenger so that a single code isn’t enough to log in;
  • Be suspicious of any “vouchers” and “confirmations” that require a phone number.

The bottom line: it’s better to keep a trusted app handy than to search for gas station maps through a search engine every time. Just remember one principle — a gas station map cannot require a messenger code — and you’ll never fall into the trap.