Romance scam nests typically target individuals who have previously fallen victim to a romance scam. If the victim does not cancel the email address or phone number they used to communicate with the original fraudster, they leave themselves open to the possibility of being contacted again by fraudsters and being re-victimized, as the fraudsters now know that it worked before.
“It is a fairly sophisticated fraud where Faker Makers are hired to craft a very plausible scenario for victims to fall for,” explained Detective Linda Herczeg. “So many people are involved to create this nest of lies, but it’s their money making business. They have no issues with taking as much money and information they can convince you to give.”
“Faker Makers” are integral to selling the lies that the fraudsters tell the victims. A Faker Maker is somebody who facilitates online fraud for business purposes. Typically the Faker Maker may belong to one scam syndicate, or the Faker Maker may be servicing various syndicates. The boss of the syndicate creates the fake entities for a scammer to use, i.e. fake profiles like lawyers, people looking for love, IRS or CRA agents, and banks. The Faker Maker then creates fraudulent, but authentic-looking internet sites and other internet facilities for the syndicate’s boss.
The Scam:
Victims who have been previously defrauded of money are given an opportunity by the scammer to help deal with the financial loss by consolidating their debt, for a fee. Or alternatively, through a romance/inheritance scam: their online “loved one” says they will transfer their inheritance to the victim…for a fee.
The victim is then connected with a lawyer who sets up the transfer of the inheritance and provides the victim with: an alleged Certificate of Ownership for the inheritance; a Certificate of Deposit for the money with association to either the CRA or the IRS; as well as documentation to indicate that a bank account has been established in the victim’s name and the inheritance has been deposited into their alleged account. There are fees for all of the processing work, as well as tax payments to either the CRA or the IRS.
Scammers create an intricate and detailed illusion, which is why victims believe it is real – it is extremely well done.
Common pieces of a Romance Scam Nest:
- Fake banks (nation-wide as well) with a fake banking system to show the victim the millions of dollars. The victim will receive a login for their non-existent account. The fraudulent banks are supported by websites that have been created by the fraudsters for an authentic look. Bank names may be a derivative name of an actual financial institution or fictitious bank names. Bank names that have been linked to this fraud are:
- Exxton International Bank
- Fidelity Capital – Bank
- Fidelity Capital Plus
- Global Commonwealt
- Fake investment companies.
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Fake couriers to be used for fake shipments that the victim needs to pay for.
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Fake hospitals. Who can resist helping thei new partner whose child is in hospital and needs financial assistance?
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Fake travel agency to arrange visas, passports, property companies, and aviation companies.
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Fake companies. Either the fake partner works for it or owns it. At a crucial stage while he/she can't bank (due to working off-shore) or because he/she is awaiting their funds, a crisis arises and the victim is asked to help with a loan.
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If a fraudster is in Ghana, there will be gold and property involved in some way. For example, the fraudster needs to export/move their gold, or they are trying to sell it and the victim needs to help. And since there is gold involved, a security company needs to be hired to safe keep the gold. Of course, the fraudster has a security company for the victim to use and all the victim needs to do is pay for an administrative or storage fee.
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Jewellery. The victim’s new lady love will fall in love with something online for the victim to order and pay for. She will allegedly receive it, then thank and profess her undying love for the victim.
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There is always the apparent taxman demanding money from the victim; typically an attorney or two, as well.
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A clue to look for is a handsome guy/woman whose image has been used before, typically found on dating sites and possibly on anti-scam websites.
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Ghanaian scammers typically use porn star pictures, as it opens the door to some picture exchanges and extortion.
Preventative measures:
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Research. Confirm that these organizations exist – the investment company, hospital, bank, courier company, travel agency, etc. Search for as much information as possible to prove their legitimate existence before sending any money or giving any personal information.
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Reverse image search any images an online partner sends you.
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If you or someone you know has fallen victim to a scam before, please tell them to change their phone number and/or email address so that fraudsters cannot contact them again.
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If it is too good to be true, it probably is. If you are not sure, talk in person with someone you trust to get their feedback.
You can find more information on online scams and online dating safety tips on our website.
The EPS reminds citizens that fraud prevention is continuous – we need to recognize it through continual education, report it, and stop it. We ask that you share this information with those in your life who may be a target for romance scams.
If you are a victim of any fraud, please contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile device.
from Media Releases https://ift.tt/2U6bOWu
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