June 15, 2013

















It’s been years since the topic has been in the headlines of most notable newspapers and blogs over the internet, and yet people keep falling for romance scams. Today the trend goes beyond dating websites and social networking.  The truth is, if you're connected to the internet, you can be a victim of romance scam.  Internet criminals now use sophisticated tactics to approach and scam their victims. International investigators  report that even law enforcement officials and lawyers have been victim.  Anyone can be a victim, so it's important to be skeptical online.

Sites like Match.com and eHarmony are major online dating sites with millions of users.  But, this is just the tip of the iceberg.  There are thousands of online dating and match-making sites, and social networks like Facebook now connect millions of people via the internet.  Don't be fooled.  No site on the website is 100% immune from fraud and scams.  If you're meeting people or chatting with people or sharing on the internet, you are a target!  Dating scams don't have to start on a dating site.  Criminals know how to "connect" with you and "share" and then gain your trust.

Some rush and claim to have fallen in love so quickly, but the more experienced internet criminals take their time and make sure their victim trusts them enough to avoid suspicion. But in the end, the goal is always to steal your information, your money or even blackmail you.

International private investigators are receiving more and more requests to verify  online relationships, with good reason.  United States and U.K. officials report that losses are staggering, with online crime statistics getting worse rather than better.  The FBI sponsored website, IC3.gov has shown that the crime threat is not getting better despite increased awareness.

Dating background checks from reputable private investigation companies are highly effective in minimizing your risk online.   Companies like Wymoo® International and PhilippinePI™ offer free quote pages where customers can have an investigator review your situation, and tell you how much it would cost to verify the individual and all known information.

All the best,

S. Birch 
© 2013 S. Birch

Different Themes
Posted by the Investigators

This copyrighted article was written and published by the editor and site author, S. Birch, or other guest private investigator, expert or contributor as stated.

0 comments