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- Deception from all sides: how scammers use the topic of online casting against Russian women
Deception from all sides: how scammers use the topic of online casting against Russian women
Scammers can use the topic of online casting to deceive Russian women, experts have warned about this. Malefactors, under the guise of organizers of such selections, trick girls into taking explicit photos, and then use these pictures as a tool of blackmail. For more information about how scammers use the topic of online casting, how dangerous such schemes are and how to protect themselves from them, read the Izvestia article.
Why is the topic of online casting interesting to scammers
Elena (name changed) is 25 years old. She recently moved to Moscow. For some time, the girl worked as an SMM specialist and a dancer, but she did not stop looking for work. One day, Elena found an offer online for dancers to star in a video by a popular Russian singer. The girl found it interesting, and she responded to it.
After a while, some "organizers" contacted Elena via video link. First, they asked the candidate to show a seductive figure, and then to get naked, ostensibly to check the body for tattoos and scars. As it turned out later, the entire "casting" was recorded on video, which the girl did not even know about.
Meanwhile, after the video call, Elena began to receive messages from anonymous users: they wrote to the girl that explicit pictures from the "casting" had been posted on the prostitutes' website — and now they wanted to order her. And then scammers contacted Elena and offered to delete the questionnaire from the site for 20 thousand rubles. However, the victim refused because she was not provided with any guarantees of removal.
For many, the modeling business is associated with fame and wealth, and not only in our country, says Sergey Polunin, head of the Gazinformservice IT infrastructure solutions protection group, in an interview with Izvestia.
— This is an extremely powerful psychological trigger, especially for young and inexperienced people who want to achieve fame and fortune as quickly as possible. Waiting for fast money can turn off critical thinking, and this is fertile ground for scammers," the expert points out.
What online casting schemes are used by scammers?
In the outgoing year 2025, cybersecurity experts have repeatedly encountered various tricks of scammers on the topic of online casting. According to Sergey Polunin, attackers usually use two large schemes that allow for some variability. The most popular one is that after casting, the potential victim is informed that they additionally need paid training or the creation of a portfolio, of course, also for money. And people, inspired by success, easily give away these funds.
— The second option is a fake contract, which is offered to be signed right there, on the spot: upon careful reading, it turns out to be a loan agreement, and for a large amount, — says the interlocutor of Izvestia.
Ivan Anufriev, an information security specialist and founder of Cybersystem, cites another typical scheme as an example. This is the placement of casting announcements in a clip of a famous artist or in the extras of a film (Elena became the victim of just such a scheme). Next, at the so-called casting, the victim is asked to undress in front of the camera, ostensibly to make sure they are ready for explicit scenes or to look at the body in the absence of tattoos and piercings.
Then those who agreed are blackmailed, and scammers post photos and videos on sex service sites or porn sites. A fraud scheme is also flourishing, when money is collected from participants for participating in the casting, allegedly for organizing or accessing the site. At the same time, attackers often use well-known names to attract an audience, Ivan Anufriev notes.
"Attackers can also use the bait of a "free photo shoot" in their schemes to lure out confidential data and money from people, and in some cases even steal accounts in messengers," adds Leonid Bezvershenko, senior expert at Kaspersky GReAT.
How will online casting schemes change in 2026
In the near future, technology will give scammers new "toys" and control levers, says Yakov Filevsky, an expert on sociotechnical testing at Angara Security, in an interview with Izvestia. Even today, deepfakes and locker room applications are actively used for extortion - they make a pseudo—naked photo out of an ordinary photo and blackmail it without waiting for the victim's actions.
— It is logical to expect fake video calls "from producers" with fake faces of celebrities, automated bots acting out the behavior of casting managers and, perhaps, even requests for 3D body scans "for virtual costume fitting" - that is, collecting the most intimate biometric data under a beautiful legend, — says the expert.
In the future, attackers will focus on mass distribution and, as a result, on the use of online schemes, adds Sergey Polunin. This is still fully working, but the connection of the same artificial intelligence (AI) will make attacks more personalized. At the same time, social networks and instant messengers can be used to attract victims, as well as a combination with other types of fraud.
As Ivan Anufriev notes, schemes have already begun to appear when fraudsters at online castings, under various pretexts, gain remote access to the victim's device or bank and, after the end of such a casting, collect personal information from the device, including passwords. Fake websites of production agencies or casting companies are also appearing, where when registering via a social network, the user gives scammers access to account management and data.
— A scheme is also possible in which the victim is asked to install infected software (software) allegedly to pass a casting or to fill out a questionnaire, — says the expert. — At the same time, it is important to know that by installing software from an unverified source, the user also risks getting a virus along with it, which will "open the door" and transfer all device data to fraudsters, including access to banking applications and personal data.
How to protect yourself from online casting fraud schemes
The main targets of online casting fraud schemes are young women and men who have moved to large cities, without a stable social circle and with a request to "break through" at least somewhere: in music videos, TV series or blogging, says Yakov Filevsky. At the same time, teenagers and students who are flattered by any attention from the modeling industry can be singled out separately.
"As a result, a person gets not a career, but long—term reputational damage, because intimate photos can pop up on porn sites and in escort catalogs for years," the Izvestia interlocutor notes.
The possible psychological consequences of such situations are severe anxiety, feelings of shame, and the risk of suicidal thoughts, which are well described in works on the consequences of sexual exploitation. In addition, there is a risk of financial damage due to loans, "contributions", paid "portfolios" and "courses". Finally, there is a threat of physical violence and human trafficking if the "casting" is transferred to closed premises without escorts and documents, emphasizes Yakov Filevsky.
In order to protect yourself from such threats, you need a cool head and attentiveness, which are sometimes extremely difficult to provide, notes Sergey Polunin. It is important to check the documents of modeling agencies, not to make any payments for job guarantees, not to sign any documents without careful reading, and to control your emotions. And if something seems too good, if not perfect, you need to take a break and think again.
"In order not to fall for a variety of schemes, we recommend that users do not follow links in messages from unknown people, and also do not enter their personal and payment information on questionable resources," concludes Leonid Bezvershenko. — Finally, it is important to use a security solution that will notify you of an attempt to switch to a phishing or scam resource.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
