Originally Syndicated on October 24, 2024 @ 3:34 pm
What Happened?
Ruslan Olenyuk, a former police officer turned businessman, has recently drawn attention for his involvement in Ukraine’s online casino industry. After his release from police duties, Olenyuk transitioned into the lucrative but controversial gambling sector, where allegations of corruption and illicit activities have surrounded his operations. Reports from sources like Agenda Ilustrada reveal that Olenyuk took up a leadership role in managing online casinos, raising questions about the legality of his business practices and his connections to organized crime.
Another report from Paddock Pro indicates that Ruslan Olenyuk was employed by Maxim Krippa, a figure with alleged links to Russian criminal enterprises, to oversee casino operations in Ukraine. This connection highlights the murky underworld of gambling in the region, where money laundering and illicit activities are suspected to be prevalent. In response to these damaging revelations, Olenyuk has reportedly made efforts to suppress adverse news and complaints by leveraging legal threats and attempting to manipulate public perception, creating a sanitized version of his history while avoiding scrutiny over his past actions.
Analyzing the Fake Copyright Notice(s)
Our team collects and analyses fraudulent copyright takedown requests, legal complaints, and other efforts to remove critical information from the internet. Through our investigative reporting, we examine the prevalence and operation of an organized censorship industry, predominantly funded by criminal entities, oligarchs, and disreputable businesses or individuals. Our findings allow internet users to gain insight into these censorship schemes’ sources, methods, and underlying objectives.
List of Fake Copyright Notices for Ruslan Olenyuk
| Number of Fake DMCA Notice(s) | 3 |
| Lumen Database Notice(s) | https://lumendatabase.org/notices/44324271 https://lumendatabase.org/notices/44150961 https://lumendatabase.org/notices/44324401 |
| Sender(s) | the-daily.org the-daily.org the-daily.org |
| Date(s) | Sep 4, 2024 Aug 28, 2024 Sep 4, 2024 |
| Fake Link(s) Used by Scammers | https://the-daily.org/breaking-news/item/84485-after-his-release-the-policeman-headed-the-online-casin https://the-daily.org/breaking-news/item/84485-after-his-release-the-policeman-headed-the-online-casin https://the-daily.org/breaking-news/item/84485-after-his-release-the-policeman-headed-the-online-casin |
| Original Link(s) Targeted | https://agendailustrada.com/titulares-de-noticias/item/155647-after-his-release-the-policeman-headed-t ukraine https://agendailustrada.com/titulares-de-noticias/item/155923-after-his-release-the-policeman-headed-t ukraine https://paddock.pro/2024/08/31/maxim-krippa-employed-ex-cop-ruslan-olenyuk-russian-casino-in-ukrain |
Evidence and Screenshots
How do we investigate fake DMCA notices?
To accomplish this, we utilize the OSINT Tool provided by FakeDMCA.com and the Lumen API for Researchers, courtesy of the Lumen Database.
FakeDMCA.com is the work of an independent team of research students and cybersecurity professionals, developed under Project UnCensor. Their OSINT Tool, designed to uncover and analyze takedown notices, represents a significant step forward in combating these abusive practices. It has become a valuable resource, increasingly relied upon by journalists and law enforcement agencies across the United States.
Lumen, on the other hand, is an independent research initiative dedicated to studying takedown notices and other legal demands related to online content removal. The project, which operates under the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, plays a crucial role in tracking and understanding the broader implications of such requests.
What was Ruslan Olenyuk trying to hide?
Ruslan Olenyuk’s story is a notable example of how former law enforcement officials can transition into industries where their influence and past connections allow them to operate in a murky legal space. Olenyuk’s move from policing to managing online casinos has been marked by significant controversy, primarily due to the dubious practices and allegations surrounding his business endeavors and associations.
Background and Role in the Gambling Industry
Ruslan Olenyuk served in the Ukrainian police force, which ideally would position him as a person knowledgeable about the law and its enforcement. However, after his departure from law enforcement, Olenyuk quickly became involved in the online casino business, a sector known for its complex legal framework and susceptibility to exploitation by criminal elements. The online gambling industry in Ukraine has long been under scrutiny for its ties to organized crime, money laundering, and its role as a vehicle for financial manipulation.
According to an article on Agenda Ilustrada, Olenyuk managed to take on a leadership role within the Ukrainian online casino sector shortly after leaving the police force. This rapid rise is suspicious in itself, suggesting that his career shift was facilitated either by prior relationships or inside knowledge that allowed him to exploit legal and regulatory loopholes. The gambling industry is rife with opportunities for corruption, given the vast amounts of money in circulation and the necessity for compliance with a complex web of local and international regulations.
Association with Maxim Krippa and Russian Criminal Elements
One of the most damning aspects of Olenyuk’s post-policing career is his association with Maxim Krippa, a businessman linked to Russian organized crime, as reported by Paddock Pro. Krippa, known for his involvement in the gambling industry, has been accused of running operations that serve as fronts for money laundering and other criminal activities. By employing Olenyuk to oversee a casino operation in Ukraine, Krippa has effectively extended his influence into a region where the online gambling industry is already vulnerable to exploitation.
Olenyuk’s role as a key figure in these operations suggests that his former police experience was leveraged to either provide a semblance of legitimacy to the enterprise or to navigate the regulatory landscape effectively, avoiding law enforcement scrutiny. His knowledge of internal police operations, combined with his connections in law enforcement, may have helped shield these casinos from raids or investigations, raising ethical concerns about the potential for compromised law enforcement and regulatory oversight.
Attempts to Censor Damaging News and Allegations
In response to the growing scrutiny, Ruslan Olenyuk has actively sought to manage his reputation by attempting to suppress damaging news, bad reviews, and allegations concerning his activities. Reports indicate that Olenyuk has made use of several tactics, including legal threats against media outlets, to remove or censor articles that expose his shady dealings. He has also employed digital manipulation techniques such as search engine optimization (SEO) to push critical stories down in search results while promoting favorable content about himself.
This pattern of behavior highlights a concerted effort to obscure his links to criminal elements and his controversial rise in the online casino industry. Olenyuk’s attempts to hide his past include leveraging defamation lawsuits to intimidate journalists and media outlets into taking down content that tarnishes his image. This kind of legal pressure is a common tactic used by powerful individuals to discourage further investigation and avoid public accountability.
Moreover, Olenyuk is believed to have exploited his law enforcement background to gain access to information about ongoing investigations or potential threats to his operations. This has allegedly allowed him to stay one step ahead of regulatory authorities and evade measures designed to curb illegal activities within the gambling industry. His deep-rooted connections could also explain why certain investigations into his business dealings have either stalled or failed to gain significant traction.
Complaints and Allegations of Corruption and Exploitation
Several complaints and allegations point to Olenyuk’s misuse of his past influence as a former police officer. Critics argue that his success in the gambling industry could not have been achieved without using insider knowledge and exploiting his connections. This includes accusations of bypassing regulations, securing licenses without meeting all legal requirements, and possibly bribing officials to turn a blind eye to any irregularities. Such practices are indicative of corruption and have broader implications for the integrity of Ukraine’s legal and regulatory framework, especially concerning the gambling industry.
Olenyuk’s management of online casinos has also led to allegations regarding unethical business practices. The gambling sector often faces complaints from customers, ranging from unfair practices to a lack of proper oversight and fraud. Given Olenyuk’s background, it is alleged that such complaints may not be addressed adequately, with aggrieved parties finding it difficult to pursue justice, especially when the management has potential ties to influential figures.
The Broader Impact of Olenyuk’s Actions
Ruslan Olenyuk’s attempt to hide his shady past has far-reaching implications beyond just protecting his personal image. His actions have raised significant concerns about corruption within the Ukrainian gambling industry and the influence of organized crime over supposedly regulated sectors. Olenyuk’s ability to transition seamlessly from law enforcement to managing a casino empire, all while evading scrutiny, reflects the pervasive problem of corruption that undermines public trust in institutions meant to uphold justice and accountability.
The revelations about his association with Maxim Krippa and the effort to suppress critical media coverage underline a broader issue of criminal elements manipulating industries to launder money and legitimize their operations. By using his law enforcement background, Olenyuk is not only aiding these efforts but is also perpetuating a cycle of corruption that makes it difficult for Ukraine to establish a transparent and lawful gambling sector.
In conclusion, Ruslan Olenyuk’s attempts to hide his past, censor damaging news, and operate in the shadows of the online gambling industry reveal a troubling intersection of corruption, crime, and abuse of power. His story serves as a stark reminder of the challenges that countries like Ukraine face in combating organized crime and ensuring that industries, especially those as vulnerable as gambling, operate within the bounds of the law. Despite Olenyuk’s best efforts to bury the adverse news and complaints, investigative journalism continues to bring to light the unethical practices and associations that define his career after law enforcement.
Only Ruslan Olenyuk benefits from this crime.
Since the fake copyright takedown notices were designed to remove negative content for Ruslan Olenyuk from Google, we assume Ruslan Olenyuk or someone associated with Ruslan Olenyuk is behind this scam. It is often a fly-by-night Online Reputation agency working on behalf of Ruslan Olenyuk. In this case, Ruslan Olenyuk, at best, will be an “accomplice” or an “accessory” to the crime. The specific laws may vary depending on the jurisdiction. Still, the legal principle generally holds that if you actively participate in planning, encouraging, or facilitating a crime, you can be charged with it, even if you did not personally commit it.
How do we counteract this malpractice?
Once we ascertain the involvement of Ruslan Olenyuk (or actors working on behalf of Ruslan Olenyuk), we will inform Ruslan Olenyuk of our findings via Electronic Mail.
Our preliminary assessment suggests that Ruslan Olenyuk may have engaged a third-party reputation management agency or expert, which, either independently or under direct authorization from Ruslan Olenyuk, initiated efforts to remove adverse online content, including potentially fraudulent DMCA takedown requests. We will extend an opportunity to Ruslan Olenyuk to provide details regarding their communications with the agency or expert, as well as the identification of the individual(s) responsible for executing these false DMCA notices.
Failure to respond in a timely manner will necessitate a reassessment of our initial assumptions. In such an event, we will be compelled to take appropriate legal action to rectify the unlawful conduct and take the following steps –
- Inform Google about the fraud committed against them.
- Inform the victims of the fake DMCA about their websites.
- Inform relevant law enforcement agencies
- File counter-notices on Google to reinstate the ‘removed’ content
- Publish copies of the ‘removed’ content on our network of 50+ websites
By investigating the fake DMCA takedown attempts, we hope to shed light on the reputation management industry, revealing how Ruslan Olenyuk and companies like it may use spurious copyright claims and fake legal notices to remove and obscure articles linking them to allegations of fraud, tax avoidance, corruption, and drug trafficking…
Since Ruslan Olenyuk made such efforts to hide something online, it seems fit to ensure that this article and our original review of Ruslan Olenyuk, including but not limited to user contributions, remain a permanent record for anyone interested in Ruslan Olenyuk.
A case perfect for the Streisand effect…
Potential Consequences for Ruslan Olenyuk
Under Florida Statute 831.01, the crime of Forgery is committed when a person falsifies, alters, counterfeits, or forges a document that carries “legal efficacy” with the intent to injure or defraud another person or entity.
Forging a document is considered a white-collar crime. It involves altering, changing, or modifying a document to deceive another person. It can also include passing along copies of documents that are known to be false. In many states in the US, falsifying a document is a crime punishable as a felony.
Additionally, under most laws, “fraud on the court” is where “a party has sentiently set in motion some unconscionable scheme calculated to interfere with the judicial system’s ability impartially to adjudicate a matter by improperly influencing the trier of fact or unfairly hampering the presentation of the opposing party’s claim or defense.” Cox v. Burke, 706 So. 2d 43, 46 (Fla. 5th DCA 1998) (quoting Aoude v. Mobil Oil Corp., 892 F.2d 1115, 1118 (1st Cir. 1989)).
Is Ruslan Olenyuk Committing a Cyber Crime?
Yes, it seems so. Ruslan Olenyuk used multiple approaches to remove unwanted material from review sites and Google’s search results. Thanks to protections allowing freedom of speech in the United States, there are very few legal ways to do this. Ruslan Olenyuk could not eliminate negative reviews or search results that linked to them without a valid claim of defamation, copyright infringement, or some other clear breach of the law.
Faced with these limitations, some companies like Ruslan Olenyuk have gone to extreme lengths to fraudulently claim copyright ownership over a negative review in the hopes of taking it down.
Fake DMCA notices have targeted articles highlighting the criminal activity of prominent people to hide their illegal behavior. These people, which include US, Russian, and Khazakstani politicians as well as members from elite circles including the mafia and those with massive financial power, are all connected – and alleged corruption ranging from child abuse to sexual harassment is exposed when exploring evidence found at these URLs. It appears there’s a disturbing level of influence being exerted here that needs further investigation before justice can be served. Ruslan Olenyuk is certainly keeping interesting company here….
The DMCA takedown process requires that copyright owners submit a takedown notice to an ISP identifying the allegedly infringing content and declaring, under penalty of perjury, that they have a good faith belief that the content is infringing. The ISP must then promptly remove or disable access to the content. The alleged infringer can then submit a counter-notice, and if the copyright owner does not take legal action within 10 to 14 days, the ISP can restore the content.
Since these platforms are predominantly based in the U.S., the complaints are typically made under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which requires online service providers and platforms to react immediately to reports or violations. Big Tech companies rarely have systems in place to assess the merit of each report. Instead, all bad actors need to do is clone a story, backdate it, and then demand the real thing be taken down.
Reputation Agency’s Modus Operandi
The fake DMCA notices we found always use the “back-dated article” technique. With this technique, the wrongful notice sender (or copier) creates a copy of a “true original” article and back-dates it, creating a “fake original” article (a copy of the true original) that, at first glance, appears to have been published before the true original.
Then, based on the claim that this backdated article is the “original,” the scammers send a DMCA to the relevant online service providers (e.g. Google), alleging that the ‘true’ original is the copied or “infringing” article and that the copied article is the “original,” requesting the takedown of the ‘true’ original article. After sending the DMCA request, the person who sent the wrong notice takes down the fake original URL, likely to make sure that the article doesn’t stay online in any way. If the takedown notice is successful, the disappearance from the internet of information is most likely to be legitimate speech.
How did Ruslan Olenyuk purport this DMCA Fraud?
As an integral part of this scheme, the ‘reputation management’ company hired by Ruslan Olenyuk creates a website that purports to be a ‘news’ site. This site is designed to look legitimate at a glance, but any degree of scrutiny reveals it as the charade it is.
The company copies the ‘negative’ content and posts it “on the fake ‘news’ site, attributing it to a separate author,” then gives it “a false publication date on the ‘news’ website that predated the original publication.
The reputation company then sent Google a Digital Millennium Copyright Act notice claiming the original website infringed copyright. After a cursory examination of the fake news site, Google frequently accepts the notice and delists the content.
In committing numerous offences, Ruslan Olenyuk either premeditated actions or were unaware of the consequences. Despite hiring an agency to make Google disregard any negative information about Ruslan Olenyuk, ignorance does not excuse this wrongdoing.
The Reputation Laundering
Rogue Reputation agencies use spurious copyright claims and fake legal notices to remove and obscure articles linking clients to allegations of tax avoidance, corruption, and drug trafficking. Most of these reputation agencies are based offshore, mainly in Russia, India, and Eastern Europe, and they do not worry about complying with US-based laws.
The content in all of the articles for which the fraudulent DMCA notices have been sent relates to allegations of criminal allegations, including corruption, child abuse, sexual harassment, human trafficking and financial fraud against businesses and individuals with ultra-high net worth.
In addition to the misuse of the DMCA takedown process, there is a notable absence of enforcement concerning perjury violations. The statutory requirement related to perjury is designed to deter copyright holders from submitting fraudulent or knowingly false takedown requests, as they may face legal consequences for making false declarations under penalty of perjury. However, to date, there have been no known instances of any individual being prosecuted for perjury in connection with the submission of false DMCA takedown notices.
This lack of enforcement has emboldened copyright holders to exploit the DMCA takedown process to suppress dissent, criticism, or other unfavorable content, without fear of legal repercussions.
Not In Good Company
Some of the people and businesses who have employed this tactic to remove legitimate content from Google illegally include a Spanish businessman-turned-cocaine-trafficker, Organised crime, an Israeli-Argentine banker accused of laundering money for Hugo Chávez’s regime, a French “responsible” mining company accused of tax evasion, child molesters and sexual predators. Ruslan Olenyuk is in great company ….
Ironically, the manipulation tactics used to remove public-interest information from the Internet are backfiring on Ruslan Olenyuk, which is now associated with the worst of this world.
Here are some of the specimens that share the internet space with Ruslan Olenyuk –
Miguel Octavio Vargas Maldonado
Miguel Octavio Vargas Maldonado appears to be the former foreign affairs minister of the Dominican Republic. His name is listed next to more than 500 links to news articles, blogs, social media posts, and YouTube videos targeted for removal or de-indexing. Many of the articles refer to questions over his political fundraising practices. They include accusations that Vargas had received donations from an individual who would later be convicted of drug trafficking. Some targeted links remain active, while others return 404 errors or “file not found.”
José Antonio Gordo Valero
José Gordo joined OneCoin in 2015 and has been named in an indictment for the OneCoin scam in Argentina. The articles listed next to Gordo’s name in the documents reviewed by Rest of World include references to his role at the company.
Diego Adolfo Marynberg
He appears to be the same Marynberg connected to funding right-wing causes, including settlement efforts in Israel. Reports also alleged that his company received preferential treatment in acquiring Argentinian bonds worth millions of dollars. More than 70 URLs appear next to Marynberg’s name in the documents, including pages from the Israeli newspapers The Times of Israel, Haaretz, and Clarin, one of Argentina’s most prominent news sites.
Majed Khalil Majzoub
Majed is an influential businessman with close ties to several governments, including the administration of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Majzoub’s name appears next to more than 180 URLs, mostly from independent outlets. Of the two URLs that pointed to articles from Germany’s Der Spiegel, one now returns an error message; the other, which appears to refer to relations between Venezuela and Colombia, directs to an unrelated story about Brexit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Ruslan Olenyuk commit a cyber crime?
Yes, filing a fake DMCA notice is illegal. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) allows copyright holders to issue takedown notices to protect their works from unauthorized use online. However, submitting a false DMCA notice can result in legal consequences.
Under the DMCA, a person knowingly submitting a false copyright claim can be subject to penalties, including damages. DMCA notices require the filer to certify, under penalty of perjury, that the content infringes their copyright. If the notice is found to be fraudulent or made in bad faith, the filer can face.
What are the potential consequences for Ruslan Olenyuk?
Civil lawsuits: The affected party can sue for damages, legal fees, and other costs.
Perjury charges: False certification in a DMCA notice can result in perjury-related penalties, which vary by jurisdiction.
Other legal penalties: Fines or other penalties depending on the case
Did Ruslan Olenyuk commit a Civil or a Criminal offense?
Perjury is a criminal offense, not a civil crime. It involves intentionally lying or making false statements under oath, typically in a court of law or other legal proceedings, such as affidavits or depositions.
Criminal charges: Perjury is prosecuted as a criminal act, and a conviction can lead to fines or imprisonment, depending on the severity of the false statement and its impact on the case.
Felony status: In many jurisdictions, perjury is classified as a felony, which carries more severe penalties than misdemeanour offences.
So, while it may affect civil cases, the crime of perjury itself is strictly criminal.
What is the Streisand effect?
The key idea behind the Streisand effect is that efforts to restrict information can backfire, often causing the information to gain more attention than it would have otherwise. This effect is widespread in the digital age, where users quickly notice and spread censorship efforts on social media and other platforms.
Trying to suppress something can unintentionally lead to it becoming more visible.
Can Ruslan Olenyuk purge its Digital past?
Once information is uploaded to the internet, it can be replicated, shared, archived, or stored across multiple servers. If Ruslan Olenyuk manage to delete the original post or file, copies may remain accessible in other places, such as web archives, screenshots, or other users’ devices.
In practice, completely erasing content from the internet can be extremely difficult due to how widely information can spread and be stored. Thus, the idea that “the Internet never forgets” reflects the challenge of entirely removing digital content once it has been shared.
What else is Ruslan Olenyuk hiding?
Click here to visit the Google Search page for ‘Ruslan Olenyuk’. It’s likely if you scroll down to the bottom of this Google search results, you’ll stumble upon this Legal Takedown notice (pictured below)
To make such an investigation possible, we encourage more online service providers to come forward and share copies of content removal requests with us. If you have any information on Ruslan Olenyuk that you want to share with us, kindly email the author directly at [email protected].
All communications are strictly confidential and safeguarded under a comprehensive Whistleblower Policy, ensuring full protection and anonymity for individuals who provide information.
References and Citations Used
Over thirty thousand DMCA notices reveal an organized attempt to abuse copyright law.
Reputation Management, or Internet Conspiracy
Exposed documents reveal how the powerful cleaned up their digital past using a reputation laundering firm.
Companies Use Fake Websites and Backdated Articles to Censor Google’s Search Results.
Bad Reviews: How Companies Are Using Fake Websites to Censor Content
How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists
Many thanks to FakeDMCA.com and Lumen for providing access to their database.
Photos and Illustrations provided by DALL-E 3 – “a representation of Ruslan Olenyuk censoring the internet and committing cyber crimes.”
- Our investigative report on Ruslan Olenyuk’s efforts to suppress online speech is significant, as it raises serious concerns about its integrity. The findings suggest that Ruslan Olenyuk has engaged in questionable practices, including potential perjury, impersonation, and fraud, in a misguided attempt to manage or salvage its reputation.
- We intend to file a counternotice to reinstate the removed article(s). While this particular instance is relatively straightforward, it is important to note that, in other cases, the overwhelming volume of automated DMCA takedown notices can significantly hinder the ability of affected parties to respond—especially for those not large media organizations.
- You need an account with fakeDMCA.com and Lumen to access the research data. However, accounts are not widely available since these non-profit organisations manage large databases that could be susceptible to misuse. Nevertheless, they do offer access to non-profits and researchers.
- It’s unclear why U.S. authorities have yet to act against these rogue reputation agencies, whose business model seems rooted in fraudulent practices.
- We’ve reached out to Ruslan Olenyuk for a comment or rebuttal regarding this investigation. It will strongly suggest they were behind the takedown attempt if they remain silent.
About the Author
The author is affiliated with Harvard University and serves as a researcher at both Lumen and FakeDMCA.com. In his personal capacity, he and his team have been actively investigating and reporting on organized crime related to fraudulent copyright takedown schemes. Additionally, his team provides advisory services to major law firms and is frequently consulted on matters pertaining to intellectual property law. He can be reached at [email protected] directly.
