In Ukraine, there is a growing concern over fake chatbots designed to deceive users. Scammers may aim to obtain sensitive information or simply steal your money.

Identifying and blocking these fake pages is not an easy task. The cyber police are working on this, but as one is shut down, another emerges.

For instance, the chatbot EnemyBot, used for reporting Russian military movements, has several clones. Similarly, the TicketBot for purchasing tickets also has its share of impostors. Some of these clones may be inactive, causing you to miss out on crucial purchases. All of these bots are uncontrolled, and their creators can modify the ticket purchasing mechanism at any time to steal your funds.

How to Spot a Fake Bot?

Fake bots:

• look almost identical to the real ones but differ by a single extra character in the name or link;
• lack a blue verification badge or have a forged one;
• may respond in Russian or have a Russian menu;
• can be inactive, leading users to believe that government services are unreliable.

To check if a bot is genuine, use the BotChecker tool on the Dovidka.info website.

What is BotChecker?

It is a database of verified Ukrainian chatbots created by specialists from the Center for Strategic Communications in collaboration with the cyber police and other state bodies.

“Since its launch in 2022, BotChecker has been used by over 100,000 people. It serves as a simple tool for users to identify fake bots and safeguard their data,” said Mykola Balaban, Deputy Head of the Center for Strategic Communications.

How to Use BotChecker?

1. Enter the name or link of the chatbot in the search field.
2. Receive information about its authenticity and developer.
3. If the bot seems suspicious, report it to the cyber police via the chatbot @stopdrugsbot.

Be Cautious! Don’t let the enemy deceive you!