The Dirty Money team of Transparency International Russia took part in an international OSINT workshop in Berlin. Our colleagues Vladislav Netyaev and Kristine Bagdasaryan joined partners from across the Transparency International movement to exchange practical approaches to identifying links in investigations — between companies, assets, and individuals.
For our team, OSINT is not an optional skill but a core method of work. In the Russian context, access to information is steadily shrinking: registries are being restricted, data is disappearing, and official sources are becoming less reliable. As a result, open-source research remains one of the few viable ways to gather and verify information.
At the same time, much of the relevant data has not vanished — it is still publicly available, but fragmented. It may be found in foreign corporate registries, web archives, older media reports, social media, or technical data such as domain records. The task is to bring these pieces together into a coherent picture.
The workshop focused on indicators that often signal potential misconduct. These include mass registration addresses, nominee directors, transactions with disproportionate values, and recurring links between the same individuals and entities.
Participants also examined case studies. In one example, industrial equipment was purchased at prices tens or even hundreds of times above market value — a scheme used to move funds under the guise of legitimate transactions.
Another point discussed was the variability of search results. Outputs can vary significantly depending on language, location, and user settings, making cross-checking across multiple sources essential.
International exchanges of this kind are particularly valuable. Teams operate under different constraints, but share similar challenges. Comparing approaches and methods helps strengthen investigations and adapt to increasingly restricted information environments.
