Showing posts with label hiring a private investigator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hiring a private investigator. Show all posts
Saturday, June 11, 2011
International Background Screening: A Priority for Online Dating









Romance scams are growing risk for online dating subscribers and social networking sites. Sites like Match.com and Facebook offer a lot of benefits, but the risks should not be ignored. Many scams are originating from countries like Ghana, Nigeria, the Ukraine, Russia, the Philippines, Malaysia, the U.K. and even China. Law enforcement agencies like the FBI are receiving daily complaints and reports of victims across the United States, and Canada and Australia law enforcement agencies report a similar and alarming increase in online fraud and scams. The global economic problems are fueling the problem, as criminals seem to be coming out of the word work. Since the internet began, access to global markets and the global economy has increased beyond all estimates. Criminals too, unfortunately, now have access to individuals around the globe and are taking full advantage. International background checks are advised for relationships that are initiated online and when the person on the other end resides in a foreign country, or is traveling in a foreign country. Experts say verify first.

 No county is immune from fraud. Even the U.S. is now forming internet criminal organizations and private investigators and law enforcement agencies are struggling to keep up with the rising crime. Wymoo® International, a full service private investigation firm based in Florida, United States, reports that internet fraud and romance scams are rising faster than most consumers realize. A company spokesperson said that subscribers to social networking sites and online dating sites have a false sense of security when they publish their information on Facebook or Match.com or similar sites, and even the most skeptical consumers can be a victim. Law enforcement agencies agree. Internet users should use caution when publishing details about their personal life on the internet, such as date of birth and address. These details can be used to steal your identity. In addition, a seemingly harmless relationship online can be more dangerous than you might think. Only a professional international private investigator can verify the story behind the profile. Especially in cases involving a foreign country, it can take an expert to verify if your internet flame is who he or she claims to be, and if the photos really match the identity.

Most of the time, online crime organizations are run by men; but this is an equal opportunity world, and women are now starting their own scam operations. The potential monetary reward is significant, so men and women in many developing countries and even countries like the United States are being enticed to commit these types of crime. One of the famous is based out of Chicago.

“The Sweethearts” is a group of women in their 20s to 40s targeting men in their 60s. They go after men who are vulnerable and lonely, and strike on their ego, making them feel that they are back on their game again. Once they make contact, the women work hard to gain the victim’s trust. It can take a week, a month or even a year. Once the trust is establish, the bait and trap is set to request the money, which can come in the form of an emergency or otherwise dire situation, such as a medical condition or accident or economic problems. One of the known victims reportedly lost $400,000 USD in a week! This criminal
organization operates nearly in the open, and Chicago Police Department officers say that many victims don’t press charges against these women, because victims willingly send money.

Under the Obama Administration, the U.S. is in a period of decline, economically and from a cultural standpoint. All superpowers and great nations fall, and the U.S. is no different from Rome, Spain or England. As conditions worsen, criminal activity will rise.

A Hathaway
© 2011 A. Hathaway
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Saturday, May 14, 2011
Due Diligence to Avoid Chinese Stock Market Scams



China recently surpassed Japan to become the second largest economy in the world, after the United States, and is a global leader in exporting goods and manufacturing. In 2008, the country became stronger by launching an economic stimulus to deal with the global financial crisis, focusing on increasing affordable housing, easing credit restrictions for mortgages, lowering taxes and pumping public investment into infrastructure developments. Last year, China was ready to develop an internal market with rapidly growing wages and has been rapidly increasing its standard of living.

The eyes of the world are focused on this growing market, and there continues to be a major influx of foreign investment. Scams and fraud are also on the rise, and many criminals are taking advantage of the situation, and international due diligence is more important than ever when dealing with China.

The majority of foreign investment comes from the developed nations, such as Australia, Canada, the U.K. and the United States, as citizens in those countries face their own problems at home, and investment opportunities remain limited. China, on the other hand, continues to boom so many investors and companies are pouring money into China without doing their due diligence and verifying potential investments, business partners, unknown business, and contact persons. The result can be a disaster, and in some cases, lead a company or individual into financial ruin. Scammers are busy on the internet trying to find victims to invest in fictitious companies and ideas, and the problem is growing.

Many of the internet based fraud and scams is targeting those looking to enter into the Chinese stock market, or the next big idea which will be emerging from China. Scammers and criminals are now a real threat when entering the investment world of the People’s Republic of China. Experts say it’s wise to consider a mutual fund or hedge fund to enter into the Chinese stock market. For direct investments, there’s only one way to be safe. Do your due diligence with an international background check.

One example of a popular scam is when a small company in Beijing or Shanghai starts some offices, pays for advertisement on buses around the city to gain reputation. Once they become a known entity, they look for foreign investors by accessing capital through a back door, or what’s known as a reverse merger. A private company buys enough shares of a public firm to essentially become publicly traded. That allows the company to pay a much lower fee to be listed than it would with an initial public offering. This type of scam has cost investors some $34billion in the last five years and has taken the NYSE and Nasdaq completely by surprise. Chinese companies enter the stock market in the U.S. but remain located in China, which makes it hard to verify their legitimacy, and harder to get justice. The Asian company will vanish and emerge again as a new small company looking for foreign partners and investors, and the story repeats itself. This is one scam among hundreds that are now common.

Out of the 600 global companies that enter the stock market, 189 come from China. And it’s true, most of the companies are legitimate. China needs investors, and the NYSE needs stronger rules when it comes to foreign companies. In the end, it’s up to the investors to be prudent and skeptical.

International due diligence conducted by a professional investigation firm or international background check company can minimize the risk and uncover potential red flags. This type of investigation can verify company ownership, legal registration, reputation, physical address, representatives and most importantly, reliability. Be safe. Verify with due diligence, and then decide.

Best of luck,

A. Hathaway
© 2011 A. Hathaway.

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Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Background checks for Russian Brides



Men in the western world seem to be getting more aware of the risks involved in online dating due to the increasing amount of information available online, where victims and Russia private investigators have played a leading role in letting people know about the rising risk of romance scams.

Russia, the Ukraine, the U.K. and Spain are the among the European countries that have seen a significant increase in internet based crime, romance scams, marriage fraud and other forms of advance fee fraud. These cases affect individuals around the world, primarily in countries such as Canada, the U.S. and Australia, and the scams usually target English speakers. This growing type of fraud and crime takes in millions of dollars every year, and law enforcement agencies such as Interpol and the FBI have yet to develop an adequate system or technique to prevent and identify these online criminals.

According to an investigation conducted by Forrester Research Inc., a technology and market research company, online dating is now the third largest producer of revenue among all paid content sites, generating more than 950 million USD every year, a figure that they point out will increase 10% by 2013. Romance scams has been around for centuries, but the internet has helped such con artists to gain easy access to false identities, aliases and stolen profiles from public records and online dating and social networking websites, such as Match.com and Facebook. These people are professional criminals that know the emotional strings to pull to make you fall for them, and their one target is your money.

How to tell when are you at risk? Of course following your gut instinct is vital. If you detect information that seems false, or if the situation seems too good to be true, it’s a major red flag. Be very skeptical of requests for money, accidents, inheritances, emergencies, international romances that require some form of assistance with a visa or passport, request for assistance with airfare or education, etc. Scammers will often claim to be in an accident or in a desperate situation involving themselves or family. The key is to never provide payment or personal data to anyone via the internet who has not been verified. If you feel there is a potential for a real relationship, and your partner is overseas, consider contacting a professional private investigator to verify the individual, to make sure you know who you’re dealing with.

Russians are known for their beauty, but often times there is a criminal behind the beautiful photos. Some criminal operations are run by men, and may be connected to organized crime in Moscow. Russia background checks are advised and strongly advised given the high degree of risk in Eastern Europe. When dating online or using social networking sites, be skeptical. When in doubt, contact a reputable private investigation firm or international background check company. Such confidential services can lower the risk for fraud, give you peace of mind, and let you focus on the relationship.

Best of luck,

A. Hathaway
© 2011 A. Hathaway.

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