Military Scams: A New Risk in Online Dating

The major match-making sites like Match.com and eHarmony offer valuable services, and are effective at bringing people together. Social networking sites like Facebook also are connecting people via the internet and friendship and even love is often found online. Not to mention the countless other online dating and social networking sites. But, this new online meeting platform of the internet has risks, and the risks are growing. Romance scams are actually growing as criminals find new and creative ways to fool their victims. Among the fastest growing among them, are scams involving members of the military.

International private investigators and law enforcement agencies have seen plenty of stories of divorced or single people searching for Mr. or Ms. Perfect online, and then to be scammed for thousands of dollars, ending in emotional and financial ruin. Criminals and reported cases of persons claiming to be servicemean or women in the U.S. or U.K. military is increasingly common. Scammers claim to be in the U.S. or British Army stationed in Iraq or Afganistan fighting for their country. They gain their victims trust by telling them about his or her family, talking about the hardships of being away from home, being in battle, and more. Eventually, a romance is formed and the criminal has gained your trust. Soon, the "soldier" will send you photos of him serving in the military and will talk to you about coming home soon. Within this tangled web of lies will be some requests for your personal information to steal your identity, or he or she will attempt to get you to send money or valuables for a hardship or complication while serving abroad.

Photographs used are often taken randomly from the internet, where there are over 1 billion available for scammers choosing! Dating sites and social networking sites are easy places for criminals to get all the photos he or she needs. Criminals may also search public records to assume a real identity of someone in the U.S. or the U.K., and so the scammer has a real photo, a real name and address, and a very convincing story. Yet, buried in the details is the truth. Because of the increasing skill level and complicated scam techniques being used by criminals, consumers often contract a professional investigation firm to conduct an international background check to verify if the person is who they claim to be. A reputable investigation company can verify the subject's identity, and confirm if he is indeed serving in the military.

Who's behind this growing type of fraud and scams? Law enforcement officials like the Metropolitan Police Service in London and Interpol say that criminals are often based or have connections to organized criminal operations in West Africa in Nigeria or Ghana, but also in Spain, the U.K., Russia and the Ukraine and Spain. China is also seeing a sharp rise in criminals taking advantage of the internet for easy money. In short, no country is immune, and criminals often operate behind proxy servers or internet cafes to hide their true identity. The FBI receives thousands of complaints a year from people who have been scammed by unscrupulous people they have met online. The message is clear. There is a real risk in internet scams, and online dating and social network subscribers should be skeptical. When in doubt, contact a professional international investigation firm to verify with a background check or verification service.

Best of luck,

A Hathaway

© 2011 A Hathaway

About the Author

A. Hathaway has 20+ years of experience in fraud prevention, foreign markets, international investigations and background checks. He has served as lead investigator for cases in over 20 countries in 5 continents. Hathaway works as a consultant for international private investigators and maintains his own private investigator blog.

Nigerian Scams Live On, Say Private Investigators

Nigeria is a high fraud risk nation, it is the country where 419 scams originated and a large group of internet criminals continue to manipulate and defraud millions from victims around the world, every single day.  Although most people think Nigeria's scamming days are over, and everyone knows about their scams, private investigators completely disagree.  The Nigeria private investigator business is booming, and law enforcement agencies say it's the growth in criminal activity which is driving the trend.  Commercially speaking, Nigeria was put back on track in the early 2000's, and oil production is a main attraction for international investors- mainly from the United States, Brazil and India.  The mixed economy relies mostly on manufacturing and producing goods for other West African consumers.  Corruption and crime and inefficiency are part of daily life here.  But, with a serious overpopulation problem (estimated at 160,000,000 for 2011), there is a real economic force in the country, in numbers alone.  Combine this with the natural gas and crude oil industry and pipelines, and criminals operating freely (not to mention the threat from Muslim terrorists), Nigeria is a complex land full of opportunity and risks. 

For those businesses in the natural resources market seeking an entrance to West Africa or continental Africa, Nigeria is often the choice.  With its exploding population, and buying power of its people, Nigeria is a place for investment for those that can tolerate high risk.  And that is where Lagos private investigators come into play.  According to the International Monetary Fund, corruption is hard to avoid and is a serious risk to individuals and businesses.  Criminal activity and romance scams are widespread, as is business fraud and 419 or advance fee fraud.  Because of the high risk, all personal and business relationships should be verified.  Any new business contact or potential investor or supplier, or unknown entity or organization should be screened for fraud.  Small businesses, individuals and corporations around the world are now relying on Nigeria background checks and Nigeria due diligence services to minimize the risk in the country.  Lagos based private investigators report significant growth, despite the poor economy, and say because of the problem with fraud and scams, business in the private investigation industry is growing at a fast pace. Of course, not all Nigerians are criminals.  Many businesses and individuals operating from Lagos are shining examples of the future Nigeria, where efficiency and transparency is cherished and counted on. 

As in any investment, the risk-reward relationship is often true, and Nigeria is no exception to the rule. Internet scams and business fraud is no joke.  Billions are lost each year from Nigeria based scams alone, each year.  Many crimes go unreported, and those that do get reported, rarely get investigated.  This is the Wild West and law and order has yet to arrive.  Until the situation improves, be safe and verify.

Best of luck,

A Hathaway

© 2011 A Hathaway

About the Author

A. Hathaway has 20+ years of experience in fraud prevention, foreign markets, international investigations and background checks. He has served as lead investigator for cases in over 20 countries in 5 continents. Hathaway works as a consultant for international private investigators and maintains his own private investigator blog.

South Africa Scams Have Investigators Working Overtime

South Africa based private investigators and law enforcement agencies in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria recently announced a disturbing trend in Africa's most advanced and developed nation. The great country of South Africa is suffering from a re-emergence of scam and fraud activity via the internet, and government officials and South Africa based businesses are concerned this could be a sign of worse times ahead. The developing and seemingly modern economy of South Africa had a serious problem with criminal operations conducting internet fraud in the past, but law enforcement and government agencies were aware of the damage being done to the country's image, and criminal activity conducting internet fraud and scams were essentially shut down. South Africa private investigators say many of the new case of internet crime are actually being conducted by immigrants, which are often undocumented aliens from Nigeria or refugees from other crime ridden nations of Africa. The county hopes to stop the trend before it's too late.

When a country gains international attention for its crime and scams via the internet, such as Nigeria of the Philippines, for example, there are serious economic repercussions. The damage done to a country's image from internet fraud activity can be costly to both businesses and residents. If people associate a country with internet scams and fraud, tourism decreases. Foreign investment drops. People around the world begin to think poorly of the nation's citizens, which is truly unfair. Such criminal operations are often worked as small gangs using internet cafes or proxy servers from a fixed location, and they typically represent a very small part of the national population. Government agencies, being directed from the offices of President Jacob Zuma himself, have been instructed to tackle this growing problem before it's too late. Time will tell if law enforcement and private investigators are able to deal with the problem effectively.

The high risk levels for internet scams and fraud in South Africa have a surprising and global ripple effect. How could this affect you? After all, you might reside in the United States, the U.K., Canada or Australia, and you've never even been to South Africa. The truth is, if you're an internet user, South Africa scams can impact you. The more criminal operations conducting romance scams, advance fee fraud, investment scams, gold scams, and identity theft on the internet means the internet itself becomes more risky. South Africa criminals can target online dating and social networking sites, and assume identities from someone in the U.S. or U.K. or Canada. Their goal is to gain your trust, win your heart or friendship, and then steal your money and/or identity. Professional criminals care little about the damage they do.

The objective of scammers is your money. Experts recommend a South Africa background check to verify new relationships pertaining to South Africa, especially those relationships begun via the internet. Online relations are especially susceptible to fraud and scam, so investigators advise to remain skeptical, be cautious about revealing personal data, and when in doubt, consider a background check or due diligence investigation to verify your contact's identity and background in South Africa.

All the best,

S. Birch

© 2011 S. Birch

About the Author

Mr. Birch is a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania and has over 20 years of experience in private investigation services and surveillance. Mr. Birch has served as an advisor for international private investigators including Wymoo International and maintains his own private investigation blog.  He has directed investigations in over 25 countries and is widely considered an expert.