Police are urging parents to closely monitor their children’s phone activity after the emergence of a new scam that targets schoolchildren. Fraudsters are posing as medical professionals to trick children into divulging SMS verification codes.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that scammers impersonate polyclinic employees or school nurses. They then deceive children into providing codes received via SMS, claiming it’s necessary for online medical examinations or testing.

Parents are advised to restrict their children’s access to suspicious applications and websites to mitigate the risk of them falling victim to these scams.

This warning comes in the wake of previous reports highlighting how teenagers are increasingly being involved in criminal activities, such as acting as “droppers.” Children can unknowingly become accomplices to crimes. Law enforcement also cautions against scams targeting online marketplace users, where fraudsters exploit individuals making purchases.