A shadowy academic cheating network, fueled by Google Ads and generating nearly $25 million, has emerged with disturbing ties to a Kremlin-connected oligarch whose Russian university is reportedly involved in building drones for Russia’s war against Ukraine. The improbable connection between essay mills and military hardware is illuminated by the evolving tactics of these illicit operations, which have rebranded as AI companies to maintain relevance in an era where students can easily leverage artificial intelligence for assignments. This strategy is the latest iteration in a series of rebrands that link the cheating service to Russia’s largest private university.

Students searching for academic assistance, using terms like "help with exam online" or "term paper online," are likely to encounter websites branded with "nerd" or "geek," such as thenerdify[.]com and geekly-hub[.]com. These platforms offer quick SMS-based assistance for assignments, but their advertised "honor code," which claims to forbid academic dishonesty and only offer support, is often disregarded. An investigation by This Isn’t Fine, a Substack blog focused on contract cheating, revealed that within minutes of a price quote request, a full three-page, plagiarism- and AI-free argumentative essay could be purchased for $141. Despite Google’s prohibition of ads promoting dishonest behavior, this global network of essay and homework cheating services has infiltrated top Google search results, accumulating substantial revenue through shell companies in Cyprus, Malta, and Hong Kong, all while advertising "tutoring" that delivers finished academic work.

When a Google Ads account associated with the "Nerdy" brands is shut down, the operators reportedly create a new entity, often fronted by a young Ukrainian woman, establish a new ads account and website, and resume advertising the same keywords. UK companies linked to this operation that have faced Google Ads shutdowns since January 2025 include Proglobal Solutions LTD (advertising nerdifyit[.]com), AW Tech Limited (advertising thenerdify[.]com), and Geekly Solutions Ltd (advertising geekly-hub[.]com). Currently active Google Ads accounts for these brands include OK Marketing LTD (advertising geekly-hub[.]net©), registered under Olha Karpenko, a young Ukrainian woman, and Two Sigma Solutions LTD (advertising litero[.]ai), registered under Olekszij (Alexey) Pokatilo.

Alexey Pokatilo has been involved in the essay-writing business since at least 2009, co-founding Livingston Research, a paper mill that outsourced writing tasks to low-cost workers in various countries. Pokatilo later moved to the UK and co-founded Awesome Technologies with Filip Perkon, a Swedish entrepreneur living in London. Perkon and Pokatilo were classmates at the London School of Economics, where they co-founded a student group called Russian Business Week. Investigative journalist Christo Grozev noted that Perkon’s birth certificate was issued by the Soviet Embassy in Sweden.

Around the same time as Awesome Technologies’ launch, Perkon was developing the "Russian Diplomatic Online Club," a social media propaganda tool designed to amplify Russian messaging online. The club’s newsletter encouraged subscribers to use a third-party app called Tweetsquad to retweet Kremlin messaging on Twitter. The Russian Embassy in London praised Perkon’s efforts, particularly its use during the Brexit vote to auto-retweet the Russian ambassador’s posts. Neither Perkon nor Pokatilo responded to requests for comment.

Business research services indicate that Filip Perkon has held director positions in UK subsidiaries of Synergy University, Russia’s largest private educational institution, which boasts over 35,000 students and sells merchandise with patriotic slogans like "Crimea is Ours." Synergy University’s president, Vadim Lobov, is a Kremlin insider, and his university’s headquarters features a prominent portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Lobov and Perkon also co-produced "Russian Film Week," a cross-cultural event in the UK. Lobov was reportedly hand-picked by convicted Russian spy Marina Butina to attend the 2017 National Prayer Breakfast.

Despite Synergy University’s claims of being a leading educational institution, numerous international students report being victims of its alleged predatory practices. Students from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and other nations have described paying thousands in advance fees for promised study visas to Russia, only to have their applications denied with no refunds. Online reviews echo these complaints, with students detailing a pattern of attractive marketing, visa promises, upfront payments, and subsequent silence after visa denials. Reddit discussions and Russian television investigations have labeled Synergy University a "diploma mill" that allegedly sells exams.

The "About Us" page on the Nerdify website lists Alexey Pokatilo and an American named Brian Mellor as co-founders. However, no evidence of Mellor’s involvement has been found, suggesting the identity may be fabricated. It appears that Awesome Technologies, co-founded by Pokatilo and Perkon, dissolved shortly after its inception, and Nerdify adopted the practice of accepting assignment requests via text message and outsourcing them to freelance writers. An archived version of Nerdify’s "About Us" page shows Filip Perkon, wearing a Nerdify T-shirt, seated at a table with other individuals, suggesting his active role in the company’s early days.

Currently, Alexey Pokatilo is running Litero.Ai, an AI-based essay writing service that recently received $800,000 in pre-seed funding. Filip Perkon is reportedly involved in opening "Duck World" stores selling toy rubber ducks in Miami and the UK. Vadim Lobov recently accompanied Putin’s entourage on a visit to India. While Synergy University promotes itself as an educational institution, its corporate footprint, as analyzed through DNS records, indicates involvement in developing combat drones for the Russian forces and evading international sanctions, as evidenced by the website bpla.synergy[.]bot.

In response to inquiries, Pokatilo stated he has no connection to Synergy or Lobov and that his business relationship with Perkon ended with the dissolution of Awesome Technologies. Pokatilo emphasized that Litero.ai does not provide contract cheating services and aims to enhance academic integrity. He also expressed offense at any suggestion of his company’s connection to Russia’s war efforts, highlighting his Ukrainian heritage and the presence of Ukrainian team members.

Filip Perkon responded that the photograph of him in a Nerdify T-shirt was taken after a startup event where he volunteered as a photo model. He denied any business or other relations with Nerdify or similar ventures. Perkon clarified his past involvement with Synergy University’s venture capital arm and a UK business school project that did not materialize, leading to the company’s dormancy. He also mentioned Synergy’s sponsorship of his "Russian Film Week" event until its closure in 2022 due to the Ukraine war. Perkon stated he has had no business dealings with Vadim Lobov since 2021 and does not track his endeavors. Regarding Alexey Pokatilo, Perkon described them as university friends whose business relationship concluded years ago with the failure of Awesome Technologies.