Do not start with a trial payment
A small first payment proves only that one transfer occurred. It does not confirm the source of profit, safety of principal or ability of all participants to withdraw. A balance screenshot shows an image, not necessarily an accessible asset. Reviews and a friend’s story do not replace a concrete counterparty’s obligations. Establish the promise and documents first; do not buy confidence with a trial transfer. If new payments are required to release promised funds, assess each demand separately and do not automatically increase the investment.
Break down the percentage and term
A fictional advertisement promises 30% for thirty days on 100,000 roubles. Promised income is 30,000 and the total is 130,000. This is not 30% per year. Simple proportional scaling under a 365-day year gives 365% per year, but does not prove repeatability. The example restores the scale of the promise, not a fraud threshold. No percentage alone establishes a legal classification.
Check who is actually obliged to pay
For a Russian participant, use the Bank of Russia’s official service, not a seller’s link or screenshot. As of the check on October 15, 2026, the service searches by name, INN, OGRN and other identifiers and shows activity types.[2](#source-savx-cbr-register) Match the legal entity in the contract to the record. A matching brand is not enough; the relevant permission must match the proposed service. This text does not assert the status of any real company or reproduce a list.
A valid record does not prove that the person contacting you represents that participant. Check contacts and documents independently. Absence from one warning list is not proof of safety, and permission held by one entity does not transfer to a similarly named company. If the activity is unclear, the check is incomplete; nor should an absent record turn an unknown company into a criminal accusation.
Check the economic mechanism
Ask what asset or work creates the cash flow, who bears losses, where obligations are recorded and what happens if new participants stop joining. “Secret technology” is not a verifiable income source. A famous market name does not prove real transactions. Separate confirmed documents, the seller’s statements and your own assumptions. An unexplained payment source is enough reason not to treat the promise as substantiated for your decision, even without a completed investigation or legal conclusion.
Keep a verifiable trail
Before deciding, save the contract, recipient details, dated promise, payment order and official-check information. Do not share access codes or install remote-control software to verify returns. If money has already been sent and doubts arise, collect factual evidence and use official channels of the service provider and competent authorities; recovery depends on the circumstances. This article does not promise reimbursement. Its result is checking discipline, not certainty or an unverified accusation.
Checking must not become an urgent decision
An offer available only until the end of the conversation reduces time for independent checking but adds no evidence. Record the terms and return after studying the documents. If the seller will not let you establish the counterparty, details or income mechanism, acknowledge insufficient data rather than justify a transfer. Do not send extra personal documents to an unknown recipient merely to verify a license. Independent identifier search and sending your own data to the seller are different actions with different risks. See [issuer and security identifiers](/guides/issuer-and-security-identifiers/) and [document records](/guides/tax-records-basics/); preserving documents does not guarantee recovery.