Showing posts with label dating background checks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dating background checks. Show all posts
September 30, 2013
The Dating Scam Evolution in the Philippines














Philippines has been listed in the past few years as a high risk country when it comes to internet fraud, including dating scams. A reliable Philippines detective can tell you that the number of fraud cases is very high compared to most countries. Although this scheme is nothing new and many are aware of the risk, the number of victims continues to climb. The fact is, that most victims don't realized how important it is to be well informed about their romantic partner and to perform dating background checks that can help avoid serious financial losses and heartache. Investigators say there is no foreseeable future of this crime coming to an end. Several reasons support this.

The first reason is that new technologies are constantly emerging and making things easier for all of us, but this also means that scammers get it easier too. The Philippines is a country that stands out for having a tech-savvy population. More than 33 million Filipinos, mainly in the big cities like Manila, are very poor, speak English, and have access to the internet and there is an exponential rise on mobile usage as well. With technology and internet penetration comes increasing risk. Con artists have easy access to devices and many tools available on the web to hide their real locations, to steal information from their victims’ computers, to forge documentation and to develop very complex plots that make it harder for you to figure out who is real and who is not.

The second reason is that as our society evolves, we are getting more familiar with being connected online. In developed countries like the United States, Australia or the United Kingdom, people are used to, and more importantly, are very comfortable with having an active online life. What this implies is that we not always know the boundaries, and we say too much about our lives on the web. Nearly all victims have a false sense of security and don't understand how they can be a victim until it is too late. Many victims say, "the subject never asked me for money", and don't understand how they lost money and/or had their identity stolen. Investigators and privacy experts agree the more you share online the greater at risk you are for fraud and scams.

The fact is that online scamming isn´t about anonymous spam emails anymore. Internet criminals are learning faster than the media and law enforcement can warn about the new risks.

Many Filipina scams involve a scammer who wants to get married to a "wealthy" foreigner in order to get a visa and to attain a higher standard of living. She wants to leave the country no matter what, with whoever she can. In the meantime, she is willing to lie, scam and cheat to increase her income and support her family. In most cases, the families are actively involved and even husbands pretend to be cousins when a foreigner and scam victims comes to visit.

Although the Philippines is not the only country which is an active participant in this phenomenon, it continues to receive a large number of the reports of online dating scams. The discussion on the cultural and economic background of this situation is long and complicated. The impact of romance scams is clear. Private investigators in the Philippines say there are many clean cases and that there are many good people in the Philippines. With the high risk, however, it pays to be safe and skeptical, and verify any new contacts in the country, especially those met online.

S. Birch
© 2013 S. Birch

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August 6, 2013
Military Scams Targeting Dating Sites












Men and women of uniform, traditionally, have been those we can trust.  Those who put their lives on the line to protect our freedom.  There are many military men and women who use online dating sites and social networks such as Match.com, eCupid.com or Facebook to find love and new friends.  Many women subscribers are often approached by men claiming to be in the U.S. or U.K. military.  They often claimed to be stationed in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, or even in Africa. Profiles show names, military ranks and photos stolen from real soldiers, some of them while still on duty, some of them who even died in service. Because internet criminals have had much success in the scam, the number of these cases are on the rise, and the risk is growing.

Dating background checks  have been a great solution for those who wish to verify their online contacts from online dating and social networking.  Scammers take advantage of the good will and naive nature of their victims. Many of these techniques would fail if internet users understood the risk and knew the warning signs.  Unfortunately, some scammers are so good that it can be nearly impossible to determine who is real and who is not.  In a growing number of cases, there is simply no way to know the truth without hiring a reputable private investigation company.

Military scams can be especially difficult for victims to detect and accept.  Many victims want to help the soldier and support their country, and in doing so end up losing thousands of dollars, or have their identity stolen.  Learning about military ranks and what different soldiers do can help educate those not from the military, and also is a great help in avoiding fake soldiers.

Hiring an international investigator can be a great option for those who have met someone they want to know better, or who think they may have met someone special, but that person happens to be a soldier who was met online.  Fraud experts and law enforcement agree that it's important to verify early in the relationship to avoid the dangers and damage from internet fraud.

There’s a special kind of magic to see those uniformed men, giving their lives to protect us.  Investigators say to remain skeptical online and remember any profile and photo can very easily be false, and in fact nearly half of all online profiles on the internet today are false!

Be safe online and watch out for the warning signs.  If you meet Mr. Perfect on the web, and you're thinking of starting a relationship with this person.  Be safe.  Get a background check.

S. Birch
© 2013 S. Birch
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June 15, 2013
Dating Scams a Clear Reason for Dating Background Checks

















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

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February 18, 2013
Romania Romance Scams Booming, Say Investigators












Romance scams have become a global phenomenon that began in Nigeria but have since spread worldwide, with criminals based in nearly every developed country as well as the developing world.  
If you’re meeting people online, whether it’s an online dating site like Match.com or a social network like Facebook, you’re at risk.  Private investigators and privacy experts say no site is 100% immune from fraud, so it’s up to internet users to stay skeptical.  International investigators say Romania scams are one of the fastest growing countries internet fraud and romance scams. 

As the economy and employment situation remains grim in Europe, internet users are at an increased risk from one industry that is booming – romance scams and dating fraud.  Criminals based in Romania are more active than ever.  Online scammers target internet users on match making sites, online dating sites, and major social networks.  Their goal is to slowly gain your trust,  and law enforcement agencies are receiving more complaints than ever before.  Law enforcement agencies often have jurisdictional problems, and are overwhelmed with requests, so the bottom line is that many scam victims have limited options.  Once the damage is done, it is often too late. Investigators emphasize the important of dating background checks early.

Most of the scams coming from the Baltic Region and Eastern Europe have the same modus operandi, and Romania is no exception.  Someone, usually a woman sends you an unrequested email (spam) to your personal account and says she’s seen your photo or profile on Facebook.  Or, it may be even someone you’ve contacted on cams or adult chatting website.  Scammers also work to scam victims on major social networking site or online dating site.  One way or another, the criminals will contact you or quickly respond to you online, pursuing a serious relationship.  They hope to gain your trust and personal data, and then, of course, your money.

Scammers gain your trust and your feelings. If you think you’re too smart or careful to be a victim, don’t be too sure.  Many experienced scammers in Romania may not even ask you for your money or personal data. Some instead may choose to send you an attachment or file to install a virus on your computer, then accessing your passwords and personal data to steal your identity.

Investigators advise that whenever you begin an internet relationship, or are communicating with someone online you don’t know, you cannot rely on what you read over the internet, and cannot just Google the contact information to find out the truth.  Verifying a person abroad requires a skilled investigator in the country or city where you need them, who is properly trained and has the resources to verify a person, and all their information.  It is the only way to be safe.

All the best,

S. Birch
© 2013 S. Birch

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September 11, 2012
Dating Background Checks Take On Romance Scams

  • 9/11/2012
  • 1














The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has claimed in recent days that the economy in Europe is looking worse for 2013, with growth estimates lowered down 1.2%, because of companies letting go employees in an attempt to remain in business. Germany, the strongest economy in Europe will remain as it is now, stable but not growing in the coming year.  With unemployment and economies struggling to recover, many internet scammers are doing well, and targeting victims when they least expect it, and when they can least afford it.  More are seeking a way to avoid the risk.

Year after year the world of romance scams is getting stronger.  Internet criminals no longer only operate from developing nations like Russia, Ghana, Nigeria and the Philippines.  Today’s more sophisticated romance scammers may operate from right down the street, in the UK, Canada, Australia or the U.S.  No country is immune from the fraud, although the above countries tend to have the highest concentration of internet criminals conducting internet scams.

It is not only in dating sites that people can find friendship, love or deception.  Facebook in the past couple of years has become a leading source to connect people around the world.  In fact, there are some sites offering applications in the network to connect with possible sweethearts. Whether Match.com or Facebook, the risk of meeting a con artist is a real and present threat.

Experts recommend people looking for love online to stay skeptical and avoid revealing much personal data or private information to anyone they’ve never met in person.  Watch out for red flags and listen to your instinct.  Stay on the sites and communicate there, rather than via your personal email.  If you decide to meet in public, do so in a very public place.  Be skeptical of anyone working or traveling or living overseas, and remember it’s easy to fake a profile or identity online.

Romance scams can be devastating and leave victims in financial and emotional ruin.  For some, the nightmare extends to real life with financial loss, identity theft and more. International private investigators solving internet fraud cases claim that in the past few years, the risk of abducting victims has become part of the modus operandi in West Africa and the Baltic Region. Experts urge all online dating and social networking users to never travel abroad to meet your online partner without first having the subject verified via a professional dating background check.
 
Intuition plays an important part when relating over the internet. If you feel attracted to someone and feel you can meet, do not do so immediately. Give it some considerable time before the first encounter is scheduled. Use an alternative email, Facebook offers email accounts to their users, try it and avoid compromising your personal email. Do not provide strangers with your phone or mobile number. You can try setting up an anonymous Skype account to protect your privacy and make free internet calls to anyone you meet online.  When in doubt, consult a professional.

All the best,

S. Birch
© 2012 S. Birch




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