Nizhny Novgorod residents over 65 years old were more often targeted by scammers than others.

      On July 14, 2026, 10:39 Society Women over 65 became the main target of fraudulent and spam calls in the Nizhny Novgorod region according to the results of the first half of 2026. Another notable group that was actively targeted by criminals was men aged 25 to 44 years.

      This data was obtained by MTS, which analyzed unwanted calls received by residents of the region from January to June. Over six months, the "Protector" service blocked more than 12.6 million calls.

      The analysis showed that criminals primarily used two tactics. Some called the most vulnerable groups of the population en masse, while others tried to specifically reach economically active individuals.

      Most often, fraudsters and spammers called women over 65. This is attributed to the fact that elderly people may be more likely to trust calls from strangers who present themselves as "bank employees" or "security services," and they also tend to be less familiar with digital technologies. Men over 65 also found themselves in the risk group, but they received fewer suspicious calls.

      Another notable target was men aged 25 to 44. Criminals view them as a financially active audience that uses banking and credit products.

      In total, over six months in the Nizhny Novgorod region, more than 2.9 million minutes of unwanted conversations were blocked. If this time is added together, it amounts to about 5.5 years of continuous calls. On average, a spam call lasted 13 seconds.

      March and May were the most active months for fraudsters. They used holidays as an additional reason for calls, disguising their offers as messages about winnings, government payments, and "exclusive" promotions.

      However, not every blocked call was related to an attempt to steal money. Among the unwanted calls, there was also a lot of regular advertising spam. Most often, residents of Nizhny Novgorod were offered various goods and financial services, and collectors also called the residents.

      The director of MTS in the Nizhny Novgorod region, Andrey Belov, noted that today digital security helps protect against not only intrusive calls but also more serious consequences—psychological pressure, leakage of personal data, and loss of money.

      This includes services that can recognize signs of fraud during a conversation. For example, if mentions of accounts, money transfers, or code words appear in the conversation, the system can warn the subscriber about possible danger. The NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.