Every day we see something new that has gone viral on the internet. In the era of sharing, we love to upload, share and watch anything from a cat video chasing a mop, to a super talented little girl singing, to a celebrity´s bad hair day. Big news, either positive or negative, bring people together and trigger a popular reaction, to share because you agree with the cause or because you disagree, but to share at the end. Having a public digital life is a dangerous trend that needs to be controlled.

Russian private investigators have been investigating in the last few years many cases of identity theft and fraud originating in Russia through online schemes. For a long time, hackers and online criminals have been using trendy topics to distribute all kinds of viruses and malware that may eventually affect you.   Criminals and scammers operating from anywhere in Russia, thanks to the Internet, now have global reach and can target you, your business or even your government.

Here are some of the most important risks that you should be aware of:

Videos that play only when you first agree to share them. It´s a trap! You won´t be able to watch the video until you have shared it in your social media profiles. The title and presumable content of the video is so appealing that thousands of people actually agree to sharing before even watching it. What you´re really agreeing to is to insert a virus in your computer and since you agreed to share it, some of your friends will have it too!  Never open any file your link you’re not sure about.

Any application that requests permission to access your personal information on Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites. There are many apps that claim to request such information just for internal purposes, like advertising or better suiting their services for your needs, but how much of your personal information are you willing to give to anyone on the internet? If you do not want to be spammed, or spied on, then do not agree or install those apps.

Have you seen those sites that request subscription before letting you in to their contents? Some big newspapers and magazines online are now paid, so it is somehow logical that they request for you to subscribe since you will need to pay for a fee. But many other websites gray out their contents until you subscribe, just to have your information! Try to stay away from as many databases as possible if you want to keep your privacy and reduce the risks of being victim to identity theft.

Causes that trigger big reactions. People show their support to gay marriage by installing a program that colors their profile pictures. For most causes and big events there is a ribbon, an image, something that helps people identify themselves as supporters of the cause. The problem with this is that usually it requires the installation of software that may contain spyware or another type of viruses that can affect you. Russian hackers will try to target your data in any way possible. Try supporting in another way

If you are the creator of the viral content, you should know that when you are innocently uploading the cutest video of your baby dancing, online criminals are actually seeing a potential material for their use. It can either be used to distribute all kinds of junk to people´s computers, or used for even worse purposes. Pedophiles operate online, extortionists too. Protect your family, and keep those cute images or videos to yourself.  The internet is not harmless. There are many dangers out there and the key to staying safe is to be extremely careful with what you click on and every step you take online.

If you’ve recently met a person from Russia, or come into contact with a company on the internet that you’re not sure about, contact our team of highly trained Russian investigators today.

C. Wright
© 2015 Russia PI™

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