A New Scam: Ukrainians Are Receiving Fake Certificates
23 July 03:55
A new wave of cyber fraud has been reported in Ukraine. Cybercriminals have begun sending out mass emails disguised as messages from popular educational platforms. In these messages, users are informed of the alleged successful completion of a training course and are offered the chance to download a certificate; however, the link actually leads to malicious software.
This warning comes from experts at CERT-UA, the government’s computer emergency response team, which operates under the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
How the new scam works
According to cybersecurity experts, the attackers send emails designed to look like official notifications from educational platforms.
The email informs the user of:
- the successful completion of their course;
- the certificate is ready;
- the option to download the document.
The message is accompanied by a PDF file containing a link.
Clicking on the link downloads an archive to the computer that may contain malware.
Who Is Most at Risk
Experts note that the primary targets of this campaign are people who have actually taken online training courses.
First and foremost, these include:
- government employees;
- staff at educational institutions;
- teachers;
- civil servants;
- users of popular educational platforms.
That is why these scam emails can appear convincing and not raise any suspicion.
How to Protect Yourself from This Scam
CERT-UA recommends following basic cybersecurity rules.
In particular, you should not:
- open attachments from suspicious emails;
- click on links in PDF documents without verifying them;
- run files contained in email attachments;
- trust messages solely based on their official appearance.
It is recommended to verify the authenticity of certificates exclusively through official websites and personal accounts on educational platforms.
Where to Report Suspicious Emails
If a user receives a suspicious email, experts recommend not opening any attachments or clicking on any links.
Such messages should be forwarded to the National Cyber Incident Response Team (CERT-UA) for analysis.
This can be done through the official CERT-UA website or by sending an email to [email protected].
Why Are These Attacks on the Rise?
Cybersecurity experts explain that scammers are increasingly using themes related to education, government services, and electronic document management, as these topics inspire greater trust among users.
That is why Ukrainians are urged to carefully check the sender’s email address, avoid opening unknown files, and regularly update their antivirus software.
