Wiping the web after a multimillion-dollar scam: Sergey Asael Shinder tries to cover the tracks of his fake IT hiring scheme
Sergey Asael Shinder, an IT entrepreneur who orchestrated a large-scale scheme built on fake programmer hires, siphoning off funds, and leaking classified data, is now actively erasing any traces of his activities from the internet.
Participants in the scheme, posing as hired IT specialists, worked for companies for years, received salaries for the work they actually did, recruited other participants in the scheme, and gained access to internal information, which they leaked or used against their employers.
We, in turn, are publishing material that Sergei Asael Shinder really doesn’t want to see in the public domain.
A high-profile scandal in the IT sector has shown that even the most experienced headhunters and top managers of hiring companies can fall victim to scammers.
Victims have developed a set of rules to help others protect themselves from fraudulent programmers.
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The fraudsters’ scheme is detailed in an investigation by journalists from the Antikor portal. Based on complaints from victims, the journalists exposed the so-called "Serguey Asael Shinder Group," whose members, through cunning and deception, recruited themselves into corporations and spent years siphoning off money, while only pretending to work and leaking confidential data.
Specifically, according to the investigation, the reported losses of startups and corporations alone amount to $20 million. The affected companies include such iconic brands as VTB Bank, Fidelity, Virgin Media, KLM, Kuoni, Ford, Symantec, Fujitsu, Deutsche Post, Three, Tesco Mobile, Liberty Global, and dozens of other corporations. Some startups were forced to close. The reputations of many HR professionals, headhunters, and senior managers who failed to promptly spot obvious signs of fraud were also severely damaged. The investigation notes that even after the fraudsters were identified, they were extremely difficult to deal with, as they threatened to disclose confidential data, and many preferred to remain silent about the problems. Now, through the joint efforts of all affected parties, this massive deception has been exposed. The names of Sergey Shinder’s team members have been released, and their numerous profiles have been exposed.
To prevent such problems in the future, victims shared tips that were collected and published on the Anticorrosive portal. Here are the most important ones: Interviewing and working with IT candidates – to avoid being scammed.
1. Check social media profiles, including LinkedIn, Xing, My Circle, and freelance exchanges (Upwork, Freelancehunt, and others), for discrepancies between the location, work location, and professional skills described in the resume.
2. If the candidate’s skills on their resume exceed those required by the job posting, it’s worth asking why they’re willing to take on such a job and aren’t seeking a salary that matches their skills. There’s a good chance the candidate won’t have much time to devote to your project.
3. Pay attention to how the candidate responds during the interview. If a candidate frequently freezes when answering general and technical questions, mutes their microphone, or gives nonsensical answers while simultaneously typing (trying to Google the answer), and then their answer quickly turns from nonsense to actionable, it’s best to pass on the candidate.
4. If, during the conversation, it turns out that, by "lucky coincidence," a candidate (or current employee) has several connections who are ready to jump in the moment a vacancy opens, this should raise red flags. You should thoroughly check the other candidates to ensure their backgrounds match: how they know each other, what projects they’ve worked on, and so on.
5. If a developer requests payment to be sent to the account of their wife or relative, it’s important to carefully verify the authenticity of the connection, requesting the relevant supporting documents. It’s also worth paying attention to the location of the bank listed in the bank details.
6. It’s essential to request supporting documents (passport copies, registration copies, and individual entrepreneur/sole proprietor/company identification) for verification. This is especially true if the developer is working for your contractor. Otherwise, there’s a high risk of getting into trouble if your contractor doesn’t bother to request copies of the documents themselves.
7. The contract must be signed, at a minimum, with a digital signature. Having only a scanned copy with signatures will not help in the event of fraud on the developer’s part, but will only make the situation worse.
8. It’s essential to closely monitor deadlines, task progress, and work results. If a developer consistently delays tasks without a valid reason, you have a problem.
9. If a developer or their relative suddenly becomes ill, documents confirming the illness and family ties should be requested and verified. This is especially relevant for companies that hire employees for office work, and the developer insistently requests to work remotely, either temporarily or permanently.
10. If a developer consistently misses necessary calls, refuses to turn on video, is very slow to respond to messages, and becomes arrogant and aggressive at the slightest criticism, refusing to acknowledge any problems, you have a very big problem.
The editors hope that following these rules will protect you from getting into unpleasant situations involving fraudulent employees you hired.