Armenia has seen an increase in fraudulent attacks related to the deployment of 5G networks. According to IDBank, attackers impersonate mobile operators' employees and convince users to "update communication settings" or manually activate the new standard via phone commands.
The scheme relies on the use of USSD codes: the victim is asked to dial a combination that actually redirects all calls and SMS to the criminals' number. In some cases, they are offered to install a third-party application, which turns out to be spyware. After this, scammers gain access to one-time confirmation codes from banking services.
Banks and telecom operators emphasize that the transition to 5G happens automatically and does not require any manual actions from the subscriber. The Prosecutor General's Office and telecom companies regularly warn citizens: any requests to "enter commands to activate communication" are a sign of fraud.