Researchers Uncover Network of 570 Fake Document Sales Websites

Experts from FACCT have identified a network of 570 websites dedicated to selling fake educational documents and advertising such services. According to their findings, 141 of these sites are currently active, and a total of 479 domains were registered in 2024 alone, with 47 of them registered as recently as June.

The researchers told Izvestia that these sites offer a wide range of counterfeit documents, from diplomas to death certificates. “These websites offer diplomas for secondary or higher professional education, including foreign ones, as well as high school certificates and various other documents: marriage, divorce, birth, and even death certificates,” the analysts explained. They also noted that criminals forge documents for military enlistment offices and certificates from universities.

The average price for a diploma or certificate is about 18,000 rubles, while a certificate for the military enlistment office costs around 7,000 rubles.

It is noted that sellers of fake documents sometimes use unconventional methods to attract potential buyers. For example, researchers reported that scammers created an informational website about the activities of religious organizations and embedded links to diploma-selling sites within the articles.

According to research by Smart Engines, the number of cases involving fake documents in Russia increased by 43% between 2019 and 2022. Analysts also point out that with the development of AI, a new threat has emerged: fake documents can now be created using neural networks.

It is worth recalling that at the beginning of 2024, cybersecurity experts discovered the OnlyFake service, which claimed to use neural networks and AI to create fake IDs. However, at that time, researchers did not find convincing evidence of the use of generative AI tools.