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PART IV: ONLINE DATING SCAMS

11/29/2021

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Colorado Springs Dating App Investigator
In part IV of our series on scams, today we're going to go over Online Dating Scams. To date we've worked hundreds of these cases with that number growing each week. It's easy to understand why these have become so prolific, almost prolific as the number of new dating sites that seem to be popping up overnight, as they can be easy pickings for a con man, or con woman, yes, we've worked cases on both types. 

Some of the sites we've actively worked Online Dating Scam cases on include, but are not limited to: Bumble; Zoosk; Plenty of Fish; Tinder; Grindr (yes, there's even cons on there), to name just a few. Most of these sites, if not all, require some type of limited verification but these are easily bypassed. We have accounts on all of them under a variety of aliases and have passed all verification that has ever been presented, so please don't get a false sense of security that the person with all of those great looking photos is who they claim to be.

Some of the clues we look for in determining if a profile on ANY dating site is legitimate are the following:

1. Do the photos just look TOO GOOD??? You know what we mean. Most, legitimate, profiles don't have professional looking photographs, they just don't. We use techniques that can determine if a photo has been used on multiple dating sites or if it's ever been used anywhere else other than for one particular profile. I can't tell you how many times we've found a supermodel's photograph being used on a fake profile. Or the photo of  the CEO of Coca-Cola Europe being used by "Stan" who lives in Northern California. Yep, discovered that in one of our cases. 

2. Is this really great guy/girl you've been chatting with for two weeks now just too busy to meet in person? Are they an engineer on an offshore oil platform and travel all the time? Yes, that was one such profession that was in vogue, and still is, by the scammers who frequent many of the online dating sites, particularly Plenty of Fish for whatever reason. The quickest way to cut to the chase, and which we advise all of our clients, to see if an individual matches the photos on their profile is to demand they video chat with you if they won't meet in person. (Side note: Never have the first in-person meeting at night. Only agree to meet during the day at a very public place with plenty of other people around) If they come up with an excuse, the computer is broken, the computer's camera is broken, the computer doesn't have a camera, then you have your answer.

3. How soon does the person ask for money or start sending you small gifts? The really accomplished cons don't push it too early as they're going for the big score and will usually have 8 - 10 women/men on the hook at any given time. They normally don't come out and ask for money for themselves, but to help a grandchild, friend, dog, you name it. We've seen it it all. Sometimes their bank accounts get mysteriously locked for a day or two and they just need a little to get them unlocked. Just when we think we've seen it all a con will come up with a new reason why they need money. They are constantly evolving.

4. Last, is the person you've been chatting with for the last week and a half totally head over heels in love with you after such a short period of time?? I know it's flattering, but they are looking for something and, 99% of the time, it isn't love. Listen to those spidey senses telling you they're too good to be true because they are. Too good to be true.

If you suspect that someone you're chatting with through an online dating site/app may not be telling you the whole truth, or you just want to make sure you vet them before going much further, give us a call. We work these types of cases all the time and would be happy to help you achieve peace of mind.

Lee Walters
President
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
Serving all of Colorado and beyond
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PART III: POSHMARK SCAMS

11/17/2021

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Colorado Springs Private Investigator investigating Poshmark scams
Here's a link to an excellent article regarding Poshmark SCAMS:

https://www.beenverified.com/safety/poshmark-scams/

Our Colorado Springs Private Investigators regularly investigate all types of social media scams. Please give one of them a call if you've been a victim of a scam.

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PART II: BANK IMPOSTER SCAMS

11/15/2021

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Bank Scam Private Investigator in Colorado Springs
The bank employee imposter scam has been around for awhile, but it continues to be used by criminals for one very good reason. It works!!! This is how it usually plays out. A criminal, having obtained your sign on information through a data breach or other means, impersonates an employee from your bank. The criminal will usually call or text you claiming that suspicious activity has been detected on your account, saying he, or she, will send you an access code that you can text back or repeat over the phone to verify your identity.
The criminal then uses your information to sign on to online banking and prompts the access code to be sent to your mobile device. If you provide the code, you may enable the criminal to access your account and perform fraudulent transactions, including sending money.
​
What you need to be aware of
  • Don't assume that just because a number pops up on your caller ID or a text reads "Chase Bank", "Wells Fargo", or any other bank, big or small, that it's actually someone calling from that bank. It's so, so easy to spoof a phone number, we in the private investigator world do it all the time, and criminals are well familiar with the technique. 
  • Know that all banks will only send you a code when prompted by an action that you’ve initiated, such as signing on to online banking, sending money, or when you call them directly. They are never going to initiate it without first having some type of interaction with you. If you're suspicious at all tell them you'll call them back, then look up the number online and call it directly. 
  • Remember, if it seems suspicious or out of the ordinary, it's probably a criminal trying to separate you from some of your hard-earned money.

Have you been a victim of a Bank Imposter scam or a potential Bank Imposter scam? Call one of our Colorado Springs Private Investigator to discuss what you can do about it.

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PART I: TECH SUPPORT SCAMS

11/13/2021

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Tech Support Scams Colorado Springs Professional Investigators
Today we'd like to talk to you about some of the Tech, or Computer, Support Scams we've seen recently, particularly targeting senior citizens. 

You're surfing along on the internet because, after all, it's not going to surf itself, and you receive an unexpected telephone call or pop-up message on your computer warning of an issue, such as a virus or other malware. The caller or pop-up claims to be from tech support and asks for access to your computer to fix the issue. Typically, the scammer will ask you to type a specific command to enable this access. Once they have control of your computer, they may require payment for technical assistance, install malicious software, change settings to leave your computer vulnerable, or ask you to log on to your bank account to steal your financial information.

What you can do
  1. Never give control of your computer to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly.
  2. If you get an unexpected or urgent call from someone who claims to be tech support, hang up. It’s not a real call. We've actually had callers claiming they were from Microsoft Windows technical support unaware that we use a Mac.
  3. Don’t rely on caller ID. Scammers can spoof the name of a company to make the call seem legitimate. Spoofing of telephone numbers is widespread as anyone can do it through numerous online telephone number spoofing websites.
  4. If you get a pop-up message warning you about a computer problem or telling you to call tech support, ignore it. There's no legitimate virus software that's going to give you a pop-up message telling you to call tech support.
  5. If you’re concerned about your computer, call your security software company directly using the number on the company’s website.

There's plenty of cybersecurity experts that can help you if you've already fallen for this scam. Please feel free to give one of our Colorado Springs Private Investigators a call and we'll be happy to put you in touch with one we recommend.
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