A viral “game” has spread in the Russian-language segment of the social network Threads: users publicly post their bank card numbers, hoping that a so-called “secret Santa” will transfer money to random participants. Such posts expose users to a wide range of fraud risks.
Threads, still relatively new for the region, is rapidly growing. Its algorithms can spread content at high speed — a feature that fraudsters can easily exploit.
A simple search for “secret Santa” on the platform brings up dozens of posts such as:
“Well, I decided to try too. Maybe I’ll get lucky and a secret Santa will show up.
My card number:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I will also make 10 people happy. Just follow and like!”
These posts collect dozens or even hundreds of comments, with people posting their own card numbers as well.
Why this is dangerous:
- Fraudsters may attempt payments if, in addition to the card number, they manage to obtain the expiry date and CVV/CVC.
- Even a card number alone can be used for social-engineering attacks, brute-force attempts or phishing schemes.
- There is a risk of identity theft if the card is linked to other personal data.
- Published information can remain in caches, archives or website copies even after a post is deleted.