July 17, 2008
Filipinas, Scams & Philippines Investigators

An overview of the potential brides and pitfalls













The Philippines continues to be a major exporter of foreign brides and relationship scams. Many Filipinas are honest, beautiful women simply looking for a better life, an opportunity to escape the poverty. Others are honestly looking for true love. Other Filipinas, and increasingly so, are looking to cash in on the profitable industry of relationship and dating scams.

Websites catering to foreigners searching for a Philippine bride are numerous, some more respected than others. It should be noted, however, that no dating or marriage website is immune from fraud and scammers, no matter what they claim. Sorting the good from the bad then is critical in the search for love. The following outlines some of the warning signs.

When searching for the perfect Filipina, watch for the following warning signs. A Filipina who 1) proclaims her love too soon, or 2) requests money often or early in the relationship, or 3) claims she's in financial trouble and desperately needs help, or 4) makes sudden claims of emergencies, or 5) claims she needs assistance for a visa, passport or flight. None of these should automatically disqualify a Filipina, but each should be treated as a red flag for the potential of being a scammer, someone who is dishonest, or someone who is simply after your money.

If all is going well and there has been no sign of any major red flags, we strongly recommend having a professional background check on the girlfriend, fiancee or wife if necessary. Consider the service as an insurance policy to verify if the Filipina is who she claims to be. These services typicallly take about 7 days to complete, and if done by a professional, the subject will never learn of the investigation. The most trusted Philippines private investigators in the Philippines continues to be Philippine PI, a subsidiary of the U.S. based Wymoo International.

Are all of these risks really worth the reward? Many happily married men say yes. Others who have been scammed and left in financial ruin say no. The fact is, sometimes the perfect Filipina is worth searching for despite the risk.. but be careful!!

All the Best,

Simon Birch
© 2006-2009 S. Birch
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July 14, 2008
Choosing a Philippines Private Investigator

Knowing the prices and services available

The private investigation industry in the Philippines is booming. Mainly, it is the developing status of the Philippines and its high level of corruption that creates the need to have both individuals and businesses checked out. Aside from the economic factor of fraud in the Philippines, the nation is also known for its large exportation of brides, relationship scams and business fraud. Contracting a competent investigator is often essential in the Philippines. Finding a good one, however, is not so easy.

The businesses operating in the Philippines, on average, offer a lower quality of service that is offered by most Western firms. There are exceptions, but this is simply the reality of a poor, under-developed nation. When searching for a professional private investigation company, we strongly recommend choosing one that is based and managed by U.S., Canadian or European ownership. The difference is often more qualified investigators, better customer service and reliable reporting.












Be wary of any investigator in the Philippines who does not have a professional website, requests payment via Western Union or similar cash transfer, is unable to write professional emails, or one that cannot speak and write proper English. If there are no references available, or no positive mention of the person or company can be found on the internet, buyer beware!

Look for a professional investigator that is Western owned, responds promptly with professional, well written emails, is available for a phone conversation, charges reaonable rates and accepts credit cards via a secure internet connection, can provide at least one positive reference in the form of a former client, has a professional website, and has positive references about the firm on the internet. Our favorites and the leader in the Philippines for professional investigation continues to be Philippine PI, with Philippines private detectives throughout the country.

Finally, when seeking a PI in the Philippines, beware of very low prices. These low price offers can be tempting, but more often than not, it is money lost to a local criminal or person portraying himself to be a professional. If something seems too good to be true, well, it probably is. The focus should be finding the most qualified service at a fair price. It's worth it.

All the Best,

Simon Birch
© 2006-2009 S. Birch
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