Russia Private Investigators Say Hacking a Global High Risk

As internet evolves, cyber criminals are getting more audacious and evolving as fast as their law enforcement counterparts. They are staying one step ahead of the curve, and finding internet criminals is no easier today than it was 10 years ago. In fact, identifying and locating hackers and internet criminals seems be getting more difficult, and as a result, crime is on the rise. Spam, phishing, viruses, identity theft, malware, and other online dangerous are growing in most countries, and often major companies and even banks have their information breached by criminals, putting your sensitive personal data in harm’s way. And it’s getting worse.

Russia private detectives say that hacking is becoming a major threat to internet users not only in their local country, but all over Europe, Canada, the U.S. and Australia where internet financial transactions occur in large volume than in developing countries. The developed world seems to have forgotten about the risks, and most internet users from the developed world have a false sense of security when using the internet and doing online banking, posting information on social networks, or sending emails. Bank institutions and private companies that handle internet financial transactions are primary targets where their systems can be accessed by professional hackers and stolen sums can be as large as $750,000 USD in just one day. Interpol, the Metropolitan Police in London and FBI say many of the hackers now operate from Eastern Europe, especially in Russia where savvy internet users specialize in phishing and hacking.

Russia investigators in Moscow do not dispute the claim that internet crime is a growing problem in Russia. Stealing someone else’s money has become an easy business for hackers with the needed skills and experience. Making matters worse is that many criminals get away with it. Law enforcement in Eastern Europe in countries like Russia, the Ukraine and Romania are often ill-equipped to tackle an investigation involving cyber crime. In these countries, criminal typically have the upper hand with law enforcement agencies that lack experience in internet based crime. Even the FBI and Interpol face challenges. In fact, the CIA could not locate the Muslim terrorist Osama bin Laden when he was sending emails through his courier in a local cyber café.

Countries like the Ukraine and Russia are top software developers on both sides, to keep users safe but also to develop the most threatening viruses and malware you can dream of. Experts say there is no easy solution in site, but it is clear that law enforcement needs to dedicate budgets and resources to the growing threat, and increasingly consumers and businesses are relying on a professional private investigation firm such as Russia PI™ to verify unknown persons online, and to investigate and identify risk factors. The problem and risk appears to be here to stay.

Internet crimes are global. An experienced hacker in Moscow can steal money from citizens in Australia, Hong Kong, Argentina, the U.S. and the U.K., and any other country. If you’re online, you’re at risk. If you bank on line or share your personal information on the internet, you’re at risk. Experts say be very cautious about what you share online and change your passwords often. Delete suspicious emails from people you don’t know, and when in doubt, contact a professional private investigation firm with offices or investigators in Russia for verification.

All the best,

S. Birch

© 2011 S. Birch