Russian special services recruit Ukrainian children through online games and quests. They use platforms such as Roblox, Arma 3, and Discord
Kyiv • UNN
Russian special services use Roblox and Discord to recruit teenagers for sabotage under the guise of game missions. Parents are urged to monitor chats.
Russian special services are using online games, chats, and mobile applications to recruit Ukrainian children, disguising criminal tasks as "quests," "missions," or in-game rewards. This was reported by the Patrol Police of Ukraine, according to UNN.
Details
Law enforcement officers note that popular platforms such as Roblox, Arma 3, Discord, as well as messengers and special applications, are often used for such schemes.
According to the police, one of the most common schemes is the so-called "gamer friend." A stranger gains the child's trust through an in-game chat, moves the communication to private messages or Telegram, and then offers a "prize" or gift.
After this, the minor may receive a dangerous task – to photograph infrastructure objects, leave a package in a certain place, or perform other actions that may show signs of sabotage.
Another format is an "in-game quest," where the child is offered to follow a route and photograph certain objects, allegedly to advance to a new game level.
"Courage tests" are also used, during which children may be coerced into graffiti, posting flyers, or delivering items to designated locations.
The police emphasize that any "prizes," "gifts," or "packages" in such schemes are a trap, and participation in such actions can have serious legal consequences.
Law enforcement officers urged parents to be more interested in their children's online activity, pay attention to new suspicious contacts, and explain the risks of communicating with strangers online.