Russia’s economy has been recovering robustly in the past few months, which historically means lower rates of criminality, especially internet and fraud related crime. However, the boom has encouraged online scammers to seize the opportunity to expand their “business”, with investment, employment and romance fraud on the rise.

Russia private investigators urge investors, employers and individuals who are interested in a business or personal relationship with a Russian citizen to go in knowing the risks, and to consider a professional background check investigation or due diligence to reduce the high risk here. Keeping your fingers crossed and hoping for the best can produce serious damage to your own finances or your company’s. It’s never been more important to take the necessary time to verify, and to contact a professional investigator if you are considering an investment in raw materials, joining forces with a potential partner, hiring an expert from Russia or having an online romance relationship.

Russian internet scammers have become better in the past year, resulting in rising identity theft, financial loss, blackmail, and more. New tactics to fool people are created on a daily basis and most victims are not aware they’ve been a victim until it is too late. It is important that people understand there is great risk coming from fake websites, spam emails, phishing and hacking. Criminals stay one step ahead of the learning curve, and it’s hard for law enforcement to catch up. This is why Russian investigators offer the following tips to avoid being at risk.  Knowing the risk and taking safety precautions is key.

1. When dating online or corresponding with strangers through social media sites, make sure you ask the right questions. A full name and date of birth are extremely important to verify the identity of the person you communicate with. Without this information, it is virtually impossible to know if you’re dealing with the real person or a fake persona. Also, keep your own personal data to yourself. The less you reveal, the least the scammer finds out about you and the safer you’ll be.
2. Be careful with emails, regardless of how professional they seem. Don’t open emails that come from people or companies you are not familiar with. Instead, delete them or click on spam. You can also block unknown senders. Open attachments only when you are sure they are safe and reliable, and after they are screened by your virus software, which may be included with your email service.
3. Make sure the websites you visit are safe and are the official platform of the organization you mean to visit. Russian hackers are experts at creating phishing websites that are very similar to the real ones. Look for https secured sites, and search online for the company’s name to make sure the website you landed in is in fact the legitimate one. Ask an investigator to help verify the company or website.
4. Hire a private investigator to verify that the company or person you are in contact with is real and reputable before taking any important steps. Local investigators in Moscow have seen thousands of cases of fraud that could have been avoided with a background check investigation at the right moment. Don’t hesitate to look for help.
5. Get good quality anti-virus and anti-spyware that can be updated and use your firewalls. Make sure you keep your anti-virus software updated for the latest threats.

Be safe online and stay skeptical. You never know when someone is targeting you.  If you use social media or online dating sites, you are at an increase risk. Contact a professional investigator today for a free quote on how to verify your contacts.

C. Wright
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