Fake Telegram accounts of Zelenskyy, Maliuk, and Yermak: How to recognize real accounts?
Ukrainians warned about fake Telegram accounts (photo: Getty Images)
Fake Telegram accounts allegedly belonging to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the First Lady of Ukraine, and several other Ukrainian top officials have appeared on the popular cross-platform messaging service Telegram. The Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine warns Ukrainians about these deceptive "accounts" circulating online.
It is reported that the fake Telegram accounts were created for:
- President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky
- First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska
- Head of the Presidential Office Andrii Yermak
- Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Vasyl Maliuk
"It should be noted that the president, the first lady, and the head of the Office have official accounts marked with a verification badge (a blue check mark), and the activities of the head of the SBU are covered on the official verified account of the Security Service of Ukraine. All other channels are fake," the CCD emphasized.
The Center also noted that "in some cases, fake channels are created by repurposing old cryptocurrency exchange pages and renaming them."
Enemy fakes and disinformation
The Russian propagandists and intelligence services regularly spread fakes and disinformation about the war in Ukraine, the Ukrainian government, and military leadership. These efforts are part of ongoing information and psychological operations (IPSO).
Cybercriminals also create fake websites and various fake pages (including Telegram channels) impersonating institutions, state bodies, or public figures on social media.
For example, in February 2024, Ukrainians were warned about fake websites allegedly connected to Valerii Zaluzhnyy, the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In October of the previous year, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk warned Ukrainians about a fake Telegram account and asked people not to respond to messages from that profile, as he had not used the messenger for a long time.
In May of this year, a fake statement allegedly on behalf of Defense Minister Rustem Umerov about the supposed death of a Ukrainian drone designer circulated widely online. The Ministry of Defense has since refuted this information.
In this context, Ukrainians are urged to be vigilant all the time: check website URLs carefully to avoid fake domains; use secure HTTPS protocols (look for "https://" at the beginning of the URL and a padlock icon indicating a secure connection); look for verification check marks on social media accounts (a special mark indicating the authenticity of a profile); do not click on suspicious links.
Additionally, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has previously warned that Russia is preparing an information operation against the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
