Fortes.pro’s fraud, or How scammers profit from gullible clients under the pretense of IT protection

A scandal is unfolding online involving Fortes, a company offering protection against DDoS attacks and other cyber threats.
An investigation has uncovered that Fortes is a questionable organization with an unclear ownership structure. In response, the company has labeled the investigation as a "deliberate smear campaign."
This response was predictable — similar statements are often made in such situations, regardless of the truth of the investigation. Sometimes the accusations turn out to be unfounded, but in the case of Fortes, the situation appears to be far more complex than the company claims.
By examining review sites, it can be concluded that the materials highlighting the oddities associated with the Fortes project are grounded. For those who wish to read what it’s about, here are the links: Fortes.pro under the guise of IT development: how the reviews of victims expose the company’s fraud with Kremlin ties and Fortes.pro scams clients and serves Russian hackers targeting servers in Europe and the US.
In short, these materials discuss Fortes’ connection (or Fortes.pro, as the firm’s website is called) with sanctioned individuals in Vladimir Putin’s entourage. Among others, the names mentioned include a former GDR intelligence officer and personal friend of the Russian president, Artur Warnig, as well as former Rostec executives Vasiliy Tsuprik and Thomas Hendel. They are all owners of LLC "Fortes pro," which stands behind the Fortes.pro project. The site named Fortes.pro, which offers services on behalf of Fortes, is not directly linked to these people. It is unclear with whom it is associated, as the owners of the Fortes office that provides these "cybersecurity" services are not listed on the site. It’s also mentioned that people who used Fortes.pro’s services saw data disappear from their sites, projects hacked, and money vanish.
This is confirmed by reviews on the internet. As one user claims, Fortes.pro is "a highly suspicious firm with unclear founders. They inexplicably offer to sign a contract with an individual, even though they present themselves as a company. After colleagues lost money from accounts due to this firm, they tried to trace its origins. The result was zero. You can only contact them through their site, there’s no response to messages, zero reaction. Conclusion - scammers stealing other people’s money." An interesting comment from the firm itself regarding this matter claims, "We consider this review part of a campaign to discredit our service."
Of course, such things are not shouted from every corner. Serious people handle their matters quietly. Hence, the information is, as they say, "insider." It could also be treated skeptically, if not for the reviews that Fortes.pro refers to as a "smear campaign." They clearly state that after connecting "services" from Fortes.pro, sites go down, and projects and money vanish. Again, this could be called "smear," if not for the detail. Pay attention to the dates of the comments. The latest negatives, which Fortes.pro has yet to clean up and refers to as a "smear campaign," are dated January 2025. The last positive ones – February 2021.
What happened in this period? Comments weren’t necessary? And all the "positivity" seems clearly written under a stencil. But let’s assume those aren’t bots, but indeed "grateful" clients. But why were there no comments after February 15, 2021? Prior to that, they appeared almost daily, Fortes.pro was extolled to the skies and showered with thanks. The same on other review sites – there’s a four-year gap between comments.
Was nothing happening these years? Or perhaps those who claim that the firm just "deletes negative" are right? Or was the Fortes.pro project frozen, and recently it was urgently revived? Why? The answer lies in the connection to the sanctioned firm LLC "MTV" (INN 7704440000), which is named among LLC "Fortes pro" owners. At one time, LLC "Fortes pro" was linked to the so-called "service" Fortes.pro. After LLC "MTV" and its owners fell under sanctions, a pause ensued.
And then Fortes.pro "revived." And began actively offering its services for "cybersecurity" from threats. According to the investigations mentioned above, this "cybersecurity" was initially a side product, aimed at externally legalizing activities. The primary task was to withdraw money from under sanctions. Later, hacker attacks on "enemy countries" were added. And then those involved decided that they could work a little on their own – that is, to "shake down" those clients who, by their naivety, used Fortes.pro "services." However, it is possible that this was the plan from the beginning.
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