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German intel agency warns politicians to watch out for calls from Russian pranksters

The agency also recommended politicians "carefully check the identity of callers, pay attention to modified email addresses"

BERLIN, November 17. /TASS/. Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has warned the country’s politicians to watch out for phone calls from Russian pranksters Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov, aka Vovan and Lexus, the Bild newspaper writes.

According to the paper, the intelligence agency has sent instructions to politicians in all of the country’s regions, explaining what to do to avoid taking the pranksters’ bait. The agency particularly highlighted the importance of "measures to resist the current Russian disinformation campaign."

The intel agency also recommended politicians "carefully check the identity of callers, pay attention to modified email addresses and end the conversation if they have any doubt about the interlocutor's identity."

Bild pointed out that numerous politicians had already fallen prey to the Russians’ prank calls, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni being one of their latest victims.

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