Saturday, May 14, 2011
Philippines Private Investigators and Social Media Scams



In the Philippines, the access to social networks and the internet has reached nearly all corners of the 4,000 inhabited islands that make up the Philippines. Philippines private investigators warn that the risk coming from the Philippines is significant, and Southeast Asia based criminals are using social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace and Twitter to target victims, where scammers make friends with online social partners, and then gain their trust, later to steal their identity and money. It is a frustrating tread, and investigators and law enforcement advise caution. Cyber criminals use these sites to gather personal data and information for cyber attacks, romance scams, and criminal identity theft techniques.

Users should avoid clicking suspicious links in emails, especially in links to shortened URLs in posted social networks or they could regret being victims of phishing scams and dangerous software which can be downloaded into their computer or device, and later provide the criminal or scammer everything he or she needs to steal funds from the victim, or gather sufficient data for identity theft. When dealing with someone in the Philippines, due to the increased risk, a Philippines background check is advised.

Shorten URL links really hide long rather complicated web addresses. These links are posted in social networks supposedly related to current topics that spark curiosity, and users click on them and the link is spread throughout all their contacts that, at the same time, target others by clicking on them and so on. This is another way scammers can access valuable personal information from social network users and also infect their mobile devices and computers with malicious viruses and malware.

The attacks originating from the Philippines, and worldwide, are up sharply. Smart phones such as Blackberrys and iPhones are now being used on the move, and consumers often use such devices for online banking and other sensitive financial transactions. This has been a profitable trend for criminal conducting internet fraud, say Philippines private investigators, as most users on a mobile device operate with less security than a home computer. The key is awareness and prevention. Law enforcement agencies recommend never to share your personal data on the internet with someone who is unknown or unverified, and be very careful regarding unknown emails or links in social media posts.

Philippines private detectives say the risk will remain, as cyber crime evolves with the changes in the internet, as well as with the education level of consumers. As soon as consumers recognize one scam technique, the criminals will find a new way to access your computer, steal your identity and your hard earned money. With millions of social network users, avoiding scams just got more difficult.

Best of luck,

A. Hathaway
© 2011 A. Hathaway

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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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