The internet provides the freedom to hide behind any names and avatars. Malicious actors take advantage of this for blackmail, provocations, extortion, and fraud. Finding an anonymous person on your own, without sufficient technical skills, is difficult. Experienced offenders who use anonymization tools can be almost impossible to trace.
However, people hiding behind fake profiles are often not very technically skilled and make mistakes that allow their identity to be uncovered. This information can then be used to contact law enforcement authorities.
It is impossible to guarantee success in identifying perpetrators. It must be honestly acknowledged that there are situations where we are powerless. However, based on experience, approximately half of the cases result in a positive outcome.
What Can Be Investigated?
- Social Media Profiles
Accounts on VKontakte, Mail.ru, Odnoklassniki, Facebook, as well as accounts on other public platforms. It may be possible to determine the email or phone number linked to the account, the IP address used to log in, etc.
- Mobile Numbers in Russia and Ukraine
The passport details of the number’s owner, as well as location data accurate to the cellular tower. Accuracy ranges from 300–500 meters in cities to several kilometers outside urban areas.
- Skype and Viber
These messengers have vulnerabilities that may expose metadata of account owners. Some other messaging apps are subject to similar vulnerabilities.
- Website Owners
Registration data of a website owner, including disclosure of private WHOIS information.