Kazakhstanis warned about Teachers’ Day gift scam

Tengrinews.kz - The Prosecutor General’s Office has warned Kazakhstanis about a new fraud scheme ahead of Teachers’ Day. Scammers are offering gifts for teachers through fake websites and, to make the offers look more convincing, are using AI-generated product images.

The product exists only in the picture

Scammers send links to websites that supposedly offer attractive deals on gifts for teachers. These pages may look like genuine online stores.

The images of the products being offered are generated with artificial intelligence. Instead of a real seller, buyers’ questions are answered by a chatbot.

After making a payment, a person may receive neither the order nor a refund.

How to avoid falling for the scam

The Prosecutor General’s Office recommends not clicking links in suspicious messages and not calling the phone numbers provided in them.

People should also never share passwords, PIN codes, bank card CVV codes or SMS confirmation codes.

Before making a payment, specialists advise checking whether the website is genuine and verifying information about the seller. It is better to confirm order details independently through the store’s official website or app rather than following links from messages.

If bank card details have already been given to scammers or a suspicious transaction has occurred, the bank should be contacted immediately, the card blocked, and the incident reported to the police.

Teachers’ Day, the professional holiday of Kazakhstan’s educators, is celebrated on October 5.