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State Security Service: Illegal activities of international cybercriminal networks against Azerbaijan being prevented

10 August 2026 19:13 (UTC +04:00)

Illegal activities of international cybercriminal networks against Azerbaijan are being prevented, the press service of the State Security Service told APA.

Recently, numerous violations have been recorded in which organized cybercriminal groups operating outside the borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan create fake social media and instant messaging accounts using numbers belonging to Azerbaijani mobile operators and target civil servants, as well as employees of various enterprises and organizations.

It was stated that these networks, led by foreign citizens, use special computer programs to obtain employees' contact numbers en masse from the official websites of state bodies, as well as enterprises and organizations. Using fake accounts created with photographs of the heads of the relevant institutions, they then send supposedly "urgent" messages to these numbers via the WhatsApp application and direct recipients to other fake accounts operating on behalf of law enforcement agencies, where they are instructed to transfer funds to foreign accounts or carry out other tasks.

It was noted that, within the framework of operational and investigative measures launched over the existing facts, some participants in the aforementioned criminal activities have been identified, and international legal procedures have been initiated against them.

"In addition, comprehensive measures aimed at fully exposing members of the criminal network are continuing jointly with the relevant authorities of foreign states, as well as the security divisions of international technology companies to which the relevant social networks and platforms belong and platform operators.

At a time when the development of information technologies is accompanied by extensive opportunities for abuse, citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan should remain vigilant against suspicious contacts established for criminal purposes through social networks and instant messaging platforms and promptly inform state authorities," the statement reads.