Showing posts with label ghana private investigator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ghana private investigator. Show all posts
July 26, 2011
South Africa Background Checks Reveal Fraud in Africa



The South African economy is still struggling like most other economies, but private investigators say their business is actually doing quite well. One of the factors supporting the PI business in South Africa is the demand for background checks on individuals and businesses. A closer look at the demand for background checks reveals another problem growing in the nation.

Phishing attacks and email spam is up, and more and more of it is coming from South Africa, according to officials familiar with the investigations in Johannesburg. This doesn’t mean that South Africa is alone. In fact the FBI and Interpol both report that scams and internet fraud and phishing emails and spam is a problem in every country, and continue to be a threat to internet users. Stopping these criminals is a high priority with no easy solution, so far.

South African consumers are exposed to more phishing attacks because it is the only Sub Saharan country with a developed online banking service. Other countries do not offer full online banking services and most of the population lacks bank accounts in many countries in Africa. Criminals in East Africa have used mobile phone-based tricks in which subscribers receive fake messages informing them that they have won money and are asked to transfer a certain amount via the phone as a "processing fee." South Africa has become the target as well as the creator of many online scams types. As a result, South Africans themselves are no demanding background checks, as well having background checks done on them, like no other African nation.

South Africa background checks conducted by professional private investigators can be highly effective. In Nigeria, the scams started with the infamous "419", promising millions left behind by people, or scams involving lucrative oil contracts and inheritance. With the access of mobile devices to internet, criminals take advantage of this new element as their connections are very difficult to trace. Most of them use phone numbers from other parts of the region close to South Africa and make it nearly impossible for the authorities to be traced. Demand for background checks has shown just how serious the problem as gotten, as private investigators report nearly a 100% growth in background check demand in the past two years. Investigation companies say most of the demand is coming from online dating as well as business due diligence. What is clear, however, is that increasingly South Africans and foreigners are now aware of the risk.

Nigeria scams are one of the culprits targeting South African residents, say investigators in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the crime has evolved just as fast as its birth rate. Law enforcement and courts are corrupt here, and one of the problems is the inability of most GSM operators to create unique profiles for their users. Most of the GSM customers are prepaid and unidentifiable, and it’s the perfect place to conduct fraud and scams from, with little risk of being identified. Criminals from neighboring West Africa countries agree and share similar advantages. Education about the risks is key to prevention.

In the meantime, contact a South Africa private investigator to verify relationships, whether personal or business, to minimize your risk in Africa. Know the facts and be informed.

All the best,

S. Birch
© 2011 S. Birch


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July 15, 2011
Ghana Private Investigators Face Evolving Internet Scams



There is no doubt that Ghana and Nigeria are the top countries for online fraud and scams, and even though most people know about the risk, scammers are far from going out of business. Criminal operations in West Africa are actually growing, and scam victims are increasing in number as well. Ghana private investigators say most people really don’t understand how sophisticated this crime has become, and it no longer takes a fool to be victim of the crime.

Online criminals have evolved and understand that victims no longer fall for the old time stories about someone dying in a plane crash leaving millions of dollars, or a major inheritance has luckily fallen in your hands. These scams are for amateurs. The new face of Ghana and Nigeria scams is rapidly changing, and scammers have reinvented themselves to avoid detection from would be victims. Even major global companies like Coca Cola or and government offices like the FBI have to be on the lookout. The reach of internet scammers conducting fraud online is worldwide, and the risk is real. Criminals are now using domains and email addresses that appear to be from business or government addresses, and authentic looking documentation and passports are being used to gain the victim’s trust. Furthermore, scammers in West Africa may even have a phone number in New York or London, where they make and receive calls, appearing to be in that countries. They talk the talk and know the industry lingo. They’ve done their homework, and are quickly learning what it takes to steal your money. It’s becoming harder to screen for fraud and to verify the facts, and often times individuals and business turn to a professional investigator.

Criminals rarely ask for money or payment for service or shipment until trust has been established. Surprisingly, this trust building process can last up to a year or even more, until they are certain that their victim is ready. This is when a contract, business deal, or investment will be agreed upon, and the Ghana criminal will ask for initial payment. Or, if it’s a personal relationship, an emergency will suddenly strike, or the scammer will ask for money to help with travel expenses to visit the client. The list goes on and on, as scammers earn a living through their creativity. A West Africa scammer might have a London address, London phone number, and British accent, and ask for funds to be sent to London, and he or she will provide the goods or services next week, they say. How could this possibly be a Nigerian or Ghana scam case? Simple. Internet criminals now have accomplices throughout the developed world, and such criminals are often in the U.S. or U.K. as illegal, undocumented immigrants. These are criminal organizations with global reach.

Con artists are professionals and they can falsify all kinds of documents: passports, visas, letters from the migration service or international revenue service or any police department or gold export permits, etc. The truth is that most of these documents have been stolen or even created using false or stolen credentials. In other words, a falsified birth certificate and personal data can be used to create a real government issued passport. It gets complicated? How can you be sure you know who you’re dealing with, and that the identity of the person truly matches the documentation and that all facts are verified? In most cases, it takes a professional Ghana background check service to verify the individual and details, and screen for fraud.

Ghana is a growing and developing economy and will soon become a middle income nation. It welcomes international commerce and investment, and the country is rich in natural resources, precious metals and gold. With gold prices approaching $1600 USD per ounce, Ghana gold scammers are working overtime. With online dating more popular than ever, scammers are quickly setting up profiles on major match-making sites. Be safe. Verify first.

All the best,

S. Birch
© 2011 S. Birch

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September 30, 2009
Ghana Private Investigators & Scams

  • 9/30/2009
Accra, Ghana Detectives Work Over-Time










Accra, Ghana detectives are busier than ever chasing criminals of fraud and scam. Like neighboring Nigeria, Ghana has experienced a sharp rise in internet fraud, relationship scams and business fraud cases. With the downturn in the global economy, many criminals have escalated their fraud and scam operations. The crime is now taking a major toll on Ghana's reputation.

Reputable Ghana private investigators are increasingly finding new ways to track down and prevent internet scams rings and business fraud operations. However, the scammers are also increasing their level of sophistication when targeting and convincing their victims. Indeed, Ghana-based fraud and scams can effect anyone, and reach all corners of the globe.

Police and government agencies in Ghana, despite a recognized effort to combat such crime, remain corrupt and inefficient. This is the nature of West Africa. Accra, Ghana clearly maintains a strong foundation of international business and foreign investment. And there is no shortage of honest and hard working people here. The risk for fraud, on the other hand, is very high and consumers are strongly urged to have a Ghana background check prior to engaging in any business or personal relationship which involves any party from Ghana or Nigeria.

Both businesses and individuals should be very skeptical of any advance fee, whether it be a business or personal loan, or an advance payment for a shipment of goods or service. Such a situation is very risky in West Africa and should be avoided whenever possible. Due to the developing legal system, financial losses from scams may be unrecoverable in Ghana.

Should the world avoid West Africa and Ghana completely? Obviously not. There are many opportunities for investment, as well as many genuine business and personal relationships here. Is the risk really that great? Yes. Get a background check or due diligence check by a professional U.S. firm such as Wymoo International to verify business and personal relationships.

All the Best,

S. Birch
© 2006-2009 S. Birch
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