Baku: Illegal activities of international cybercriminal networks against Azerbaijan are being thwarted, the press service of the State Security Service told APA.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, organized cybercriminal groups operating outside Azerbaijan have been creating fake social media and instant messaging accounts using numbers from Azerbaijani mobile operators. These groups target civil servants and employees from various enterprises and organizations.

The networks, led by foreign citizens, utilize special computer programs to harvest employees' contact numbers from official websites of state bodies and enterprises. They use these fake accounts with images of institution heads to send urgent messages via the WhatsApp application. Recipients are then directed to other fake accounts impersonating law enforcement agencies, where they are instructed to transfer funds to foreign accounts or perform other tasks.

Operational and investigative measures have identified some participants involved in these criminal activities, leading to the initiation of international legal procedures against them. Comprehensive efforts continue to expose all members of these criminal networks, in collaboration with foreign state authorities and security divisions of international technology companies that own the relevant social networks and platforms.

The statement emphasized the importance of vigilance among Azerbaijani citizens against suspicious contacts through social networks and instant messaging platforms, urging them to promptly report any criminal activities to state authorities.