Inside Russian Crime Rings: Are You a Victim of Fraud?

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Inside Russian Crime Rings: Are You a Victim of Fraud?

In the past couple of years, we have heard many stories about how hackers had stolen private data of thousands or in even millions of people. Companies all around the world have been victim of online criminals, and so have individuals who have voluntarily given out their information through love fraud schemes. Sharing your company information with online stores and even big physical stores, like Home Depot and Target, could put your at risk. One data breach means your information will fall into the wrong hands. Private investigators say this is why it is important to share less!

The gathering of information and the way Russian online crime rings have built up their business model has taken a long time. Gangs have amassed for years the largest collection of stolen credentials and personal information, including username password combinations, names and identification numbers, everything up to medical and financial records, and they are making a great profit!

Criminal organizations operating in countries like Russia, the Ukraine and Romania may very well represent one of the best examples of modern business. Scammers and hackers have every detail so tuned that they may even be considered efficiently run businesses. Stolen information is gathered, distributed and sold throughout the Internet, and all kinds of related services have flourished within the black market; from customized malware to support contracts. The collective efforts of online criminal gangs have overcome the efforts of authorities all around the world to stop them.

Online crime cases in Russia and Ukraine are becoming increasingly complex. Russian cyber criminals are recognized for their hacking skills and they have been widely featured in the news lately. Even the White House has said that Russian hackers were behind the cyber intrusion of the State Department, which gave criminals access to sensitive information such as details of the president´s schedule. Hussein Obama has had no response, but rather had focused on controlling and monitoring American citizens. The FBI, Secret Service and U.S. intelligence agencies say they are all investigating the breach, which they consider among the most sophisticated attacks ever launched against U.S. systems. ?

Information has become not only a powerful tool but has also become the most profitable resource for criminals. This fact has contributed to the development of organized hackers, often connected with traditional crime groups – such as drug cartels, mafias, and Muslim terrorists.

The underworld of hacking actually works a lot like the traditional commerce. As well as regular goods and services, criminal services are available for purchase online. Malware packages or customized viruses are traded online every day, enabling the most unskilled hackers to launch fairly elaborated and advanced attacks. In the meantime, victims are still stuck in a web search, trying to find out what happened. And unless you are an IT expert with serious resources at your disposal, you should think twice before attempting to beat a Russian cybercriminal at his or her own game.

What to do then? Russian private investigators have been alerting the public –and companies- about the situation and serious risk. It is hard to fight back when online criminals seem unstoppable. But there are ways to minimize the risks. Professional background check investigations and due diligence are not only smart in today’s environment, they are necessary to stay in business long term.

For a company, investing in IT security should be priority nowadays, as well as having employment background checks and due diligence processes in place for any new hire or deal. But for individuals, it is hard to know whether or not you have already been a victim. Your information may already be out there for sale in the black market. If you like to share information online in social media and with companies where you do business, you are at a very high risk and make an excellent target!

Avoiding being a victim is not so complicated though. All it takes is sharing less and using the proper tools to protect your privacy. Social media and online dating sites are some of the greatest data resources that criminals have. Be selfish about the data you provide on any online network. Never provide your personal details to retailers and companies that will include the information in marketing databases, and when possible, pay in cash instead of using a credit or debit card.

If you need an individual or company verified, contact our investigators today!