Showing posts with label private investigators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label private investigators. Show all posts
March 14, 2013
Turkey Background Checks Prevent Romance Scams













A close friend of mine met someone over a dating website last year. The relationship started great and lasted for almost a year. They wrote back and forth to each other, used Skype and IM to keep contact, and every now and they they’d exchange photographs. They even talked on web cam. My friend, a divorced woman in her early 40’s, was so enthusiastic about her new long distance romance from Turkey, that she made plans to go and visit him in Istanbul, where they had plans to travel around Eastern Europe and get to know each other better.  But, just before the planned trip, unexpected things started to happen.  She got suspicious.  She contacted Wymoo®.

After investigators conduct a background check investigation on the subject, my friend could hardly believe the results.  Fraud?  But, how?  She had talked to this person for almost a year, he didn’t fit the profile, or so she thought.  She never gave him money, but now that she thought about it, she did provide a lot of her personal data.  Once confronted with evidence of fraud, she soon learned that she had been a victim of identity theft.  And, the criminal was now blackmailing her and demanded money.  It was a nightmare situation, and she was at least thankful to learn the truth, so she could cancel her planned trip, and start taking control of her life again.

Turkey romance scams are a growing problem and international investigators say it is perhaps one of the fastest growing countries in the world for fraud, ranking with Malaysia and the UAE. Law enforcement and private investigators say it is essencial to use extra caution when communicating with people in these countries, and understand there is an increase risk online.

All friends had warned her about romance scams, internet fraud and the risks in online dating.  How could this happen to her?  She was smart and skeptical, and careful.  Private investigators say anyone can be a victim.  Victims range from all walks of life, including lawyers, doctors and even police officers.  Internet criminals are good at what they do.  They gain your trust, and then steal your information and/or money.  Victims know the damage can be devastating. 

Romance scams in Turkey are on the rise due to the bad economy and the opportunity that criminals find from making money by scamming victims around the world on the internet.  Also, Turkey doesn’t have the bad reputation that other countries like the Philippines, Nigeria and Ghana have, so alarm bells don’t go off when internet users hear their friend is in Turkey.

When online dating, be safe and contact a professional.  Verify, and then decide. 

All the best,

S. Birch
© 2013 S. Birch
 



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February 21, 2013
Malaysia Internet Scams on the Rise, Say Private Investigators

  • 2/21/2013
  • 1













Last year a total of $1.3 billion U.S. dollars were lost from diverse schemes over the internet from Malaysia, according to estimates compiled from different law enforcement and government agencies.  These statistics certainly put Malaysia on the fraud map, and it is another sign that Malaysia scams now threaten internet users in more ways than one. Malaysia private investigators warn the trend is likely to continue, as criminals and scams are growing in numbers.

Malaysia scams and fraud operations range from online dating and social networking schemes to fake companies, false IPOs and fraudulent companies and stocks.  Investment scams appear to be the most profitable in Malaysia and are a booming business.  Many criminals operating in the country have ties to China, and often have accomplices in one or multiple countries.

Skeptical and cautious internet users ignore the risk and say it could never happen to them.  Don’t be so sure, say privacy experts and international investigators. According to the SEC and the Federal Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (FCCID) in Malaysia, the Kuala Lumpur police received over 97,000 claims of fraud during 2012, and figures are still going up!

According to investigators, it can be very difficult for those based outside of Malaysia to verify individuals and organizations.  It’s essential to have a skilled team on the ground.   When you’re on the other side of the world and speak a different language, it can be nearly impossible to verify if a person is who he or she claims to be, or if a business is truly reputable, and not just registered on paper.  Trained investigators can help verify employment, education, address, passport, reputation and more, and also check for criminal and court records.  In short, a proper background check is an excellent tool when applied early, rather than when it is too late and the damage is done.

International detectives recommend being very cautious and never to reveal your private data on the internet to anyone you haven’t met in person.  To minimize your risk, consider a reputable private investigation to conduct a dating background check, due diligence investigation, or other verification service to be sure the person or company you’re dealing with is legitimate.

In Malaysia, investment schemes top the list of nine categories, according to an officer at the FCCID.  In 2012, investment scams alone brought losses of over $30 million USD, and scams most often target developed nations such as the U.S., U.K. and Canada and Australia.  Don’t become another statistic.  Be safe and verify today with a professional background check.

All the best,

S. Birch
© 2013 S. Birch

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February 12, 2013
Private Investigators Helping to Locate Loved Ones















Private investigators around the world are specializing in much more than your basic cheating case or background check.  Today’s private investigation firms are not always involved in the bad things in life, like investigating fraud, criminal activity, or working to identify and locate scammers.  These days, reputable international investigators are making the world a better place, one case at a time.  One service that is especially helpful to family members, individuals and loved ones is the missing person investigation.  More individuals around the world are relying on a professional to help find, reunite and locate missing loved ones, or simply old friends from our past.

The internet has helped us make relationships with new friends and business persons worldwide, with the click of a mouse.  Globalization has connected people around the world like never before.  People are moving abroad and families and friends are now commonly spread out across countries and even continents.  Staying in touch and connected can be difficult, and the internet is the main tool for keeping in touch.  Even with the ease email and Skype, losing touch is common.  Years go by and people drop out of our lives.  Often clients want to reconnect with an old friend or flame.  In other cases, there may be a runway or even a kidnapping.  Individuals increasingly rely on a private investigation company to help find loved ones or one friends from our past.

Searching the internet is usually the starting point for most of those searching for a certain someone locally or even in a foreign country.  However, when language barriers and internet trails lead to a dead end, the trail goes cold.  In many cases, the internet can offer good clues, but rarely leads to an exact location of a loved one or old friend.  Experience private investigation firms can help clients locate missing persons and loved ones like never before.  Companies like Wymoo® International have investigators on the ground in over 100 countries and can access local records, public and government databases to uncover evidence that most individuals can’t.  The result in a missing person investigation can be impressive, and often leads to happy endings.

Clients often search for a missing person or lose contact with loved ones through divorce, adoption, relocation, death, marriage, travel, illness or even kidnapping.  When the trail runs cold, clients contact international private investigators  who have investigators in the country or countries where the missing person may have been last seen or perhaps where clues indicate he or she might be.  From there, investigators can utilize their skills and follow up on any leads.  When a missing person is found, such as an uncle in Ghana, a grandmother in the Philippines, a son in Colombia or a business partner in India, the job is rewarding for both investigator and client.

All the best,

S. Birch
© 2013 S. Birch
 


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March 9, 2010
Best International Private Investigators

  • 3/09/2010
Choosing an International Private Investigator






The market for international private investigators remains very limited. Some websites and companies do claim to offer both international private investigations and international background checks, although their services hardly qualify as an actual investigation. There are some companies which offer record searches in multiple countries for civil, marriage and criminal history, but the options for real professional international private investigation is truly quite limited. The truth is, records in most developing nations are not yet archived on computerized systems, which makes searching databases of little value.

There are some ways to sort through the mess of determining who offers real investigations and who does not. When shopping for an international private investigator or investigation company, it's important to know if the company has field investigators in country where you need the records searched or investigation conducted. A local field investigator means the company is able to speak the local language, and likely is capable of obtaining the evidence or information you require. This also means the private investigator can view the subject of the investigation, which can mean valuable evidence such as photographs and testimony from informants. Such are the fruits of real investigation.

One company that has established a reputation as a leader in the international private investigation industry is U.S. based Wymoo® International. As many companies have focused less on client service and more on generic database searches, Wymoo® has focused on hiring the best field investigators in over 100 countries. The firm assigns a professional investigator for each case, and also utilizes national and international databases. The firm's gain in market share indicates clients are taking notice.

Before choosing an international private investigator or international background check company for an investigation, ask the website or company if they have field investigators in the country where you need the evidence. If they do not, you should ask how they can acquire the evidence you are seeking. Even today, competent investigators are hard to replace.

All the Best,

S. Birch
© 2010 S. Birch
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