New Forms of Fraud in the Field of Digital Financial Assets: Psychological Coercion, Fake Infrastructure, the Role of Messenger Networks and the Limits of the Return of Stolen Funds
This publication examines emerging forms of fraud involving digital financial assets and analyzes the mechanisms used to draw individuals into sophisticated multi-stage criminal schemes. The study explores psychological influence techniques designed to establish trust, weaken critical thinking, and gradually involve victims in activities that ultimately result in financial losses.
Particular attention is devoted to the creation of fake digital infrastructure, including fraudulent investment platforms, fictitious exchanges, counterfeit user accounts, and other tools that imitate legitimate financial services. The publication also examines the role of messenger networks and closed online communities as environments for the dissemination of fraudulent schemes, recruitment of new participants, and the development of long-term manipulative relationships.
The study highlights modern social engineering techniques, the activities of organized criminal groups operating in digital environments, and the practical limitations associated with recovering stolen funds. It provides recommendations for identifying warning signs, protecting potential victims, and strengthening preventive measures. The publication is intended for law enforcement agencies, state security authorities, cybersecurity professionals, researchers, and analysts engaged in combating digital financial crime.
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