Being scammed is usually something that makes people feel extremely bad, not necessarily because of the financial losses, but because it is an emotional shock. Victims of romance scams often feel betrayed, and even humiliated. Someone has outsmarted them in a very mean and costly way.

When it comes to love or just having fun online, most people think of it in a pretty naïve way. What is the worst that could happen? “I am only exploring new possibilities”. The truth is that we barely imagine the real impact of such a deceit, even though we see it in the news every day.

This year, Valentine´s day was plagued with news and alerts everywhere letting people know about the warning signs and creating awareness about the amounts of money lost to dating scams recently. However, people continue to ignore this information and fail to see the red flags.

When online scamming started to become a good business, criminals had targeted the United States. Today it´s like an epidemic that has spread throughout Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and other developed countries. Scammers basically focus on places where there is a good chance to find people who have a decent financial status, maybe some savings and hopefully own a home or something valuable enough to use as a guarantee for a big loan. And yes, people get loans to help their “soul mates” out of trouble because they think the money will be paid back soon.

Russia private investigators say people are never too smart to be a scam victim. It is known that online scammers pick their victims very well. With so much information that can be easily found on social media networks or even on dating site profiles, victims themselves are providing just the right data for scammers. When a fraudster begins contact with someone, he already knows enough information and the next step is to confirm the financial status, and start establishing trust. The process keeps going for months or even years. The crook reinforces his/her intentions of marriage and the situation escalates to a point where the victim will do anything to help.  It is a grim outlook for victims.

Russian investigators are now suggesting that scammers are actually targeting people who have been already scammed. Why would they take that chance? The basic principle of deceit is that the victim has to be someone who can easily trust people, and those who have gone through this situation have proved to do so.   Victims want their money back and the perpetrators behind bars, scammers know who has been a victim. So a new contact is made but the pitch changes.

The devastating effects of a scam cannot be underestimated.  Victims go through denial and then rage. At that exact time someone jumps into the picture offering justice and the cycle begins again.

Russia detectives in Moscow recommend the following:

1. If you met someone online, provide as little personal information as you can. If you happen to really like the person you met, then get a dating background check. Investigations are prevention tools, but people think of using them when it´s far too late.
2. Never send money to strangers, or accept money from strangers. Receiving money can be more dangerous than sending because you could be involved with some kind of nasty drug trafficking network or other types of money laundering. And just to clarify, yes, people you meet online are strangers no matter how long you´ve been chatting or emailing.
3. If you have already been a victim, you have to be aware that someone will try to scam you again. Look for a lawyer or investigation firm that can be verified by an authority (like a Bar Association) or entities like the Better Business Bureau. Don´t trust an individual you can’t verify or haven’t met in person.  Be skeptical and do your research at all times.

The best way to be safe from a Russian scammer or any scammer or criminal for that matter is to protect your private information, share less online, and be skeptical.  The less information you share online and offline, the safer you and your family members are.  When in doubt, consult a reputable private investigator for confidential advice on how to verify the facts.

C. Wright
© 2014 Russia PI™

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