We were contacted by a family in extreme distress due to an investment scam. This is how we helped them.
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What happened in our investment scam case?
An online trading scammer had wheedled their way into the family and proceeded to rip them off for a significant amount. Usually, we work with scam cases involving $50k and up so this gives some idea of the magnitude and how devastating the blow can be when ripped off by a scam. These guys are smooth talkers. They know what they are doing and they do it very well. For this reason, you should never feel too ashamed to reach out for help. As soon as you feel you have been scammed give us a call. It is important to tell us everything for us to better serve you.
Our example was a long term scam. After about 4-5 months the family transferred a large amount of money to be a part of this fake trading opportunity. But they lost it all. This can happen to anyone. And, it does, every day.
Suddenly the scammer was avoiding them and wasn’t paying them back. He couldn’t be located.
The family was devastated. They lost everything they had “invested”. But, why would someone that had that sort of money to invest not look at the platform better? How could they not have seen that coming?
What is an online investment scam?
There are several types of investment scams out there. These can come in all different ways such as email, social media and or a phone call. They can even come in personal ways such as a person you know introducing you to someone else they know. And the scam can be an investment that does not exist. This is a great opportunity that they present to you and sounds amazing. However, it is non-existent. They will take your money and not invest in anything.
This leads us to the next common scam, this is a scam where there is a great opportunity but as soon as they have your money, they do not invest it properly. The offer is actually there this time, but your money was mishandled. This is a very common tactic as well as the scammer representing themselves as someone that works for a well-known investment firm. So, before you make any investments, but sure to do your homework and check out what they are telling you, ask questions, ensure it is true.
In this case, it was specifically an online trading scam. However, there are all kinds of ways that people try to scam you. And, they are getting better and better at it. These improved tactics can get even the most educated person. That is why hiring a private investigator could help you get some or all of your money back. Remember, if the scam happened outside of Australia, there is little that the government can do to help. This information is talked about on that website, which is an official Australian government website.
Online trading scams
With the trading market being more and more open to online trading, it is getting easier for the scammers to hit. One example is cryptocurrency. There are trading platforms that allow you to trade in real-time. But many of those coins do not allow you to trace where the money came from and went. It is a market that should be entered with caution. This is a very unstable market that shouldn’t be messed with by an amateur that cannot afford to lose some cash.
But, when the investment is a scam, it makes it even trickier. Here is an example of a person tricked by an online trading scam. In that particular case there was nothing anyone could do. It was not done on Australian soil. This is how they are getting away with it. And they are not going to stop, so it is up to us to educate.
Why do people fall for trading scams?
The scammer spent a lot of time working with the client to build up a good relationship. They keep showing figures on how much money they could make through online trading. The people doing the investment scam work very hard in building up trust. They have communication skills and sales skills that are on a greater level than most. They fine-tune these skills to better serve their needs. Investment scams sound like an opportunity too good to miss. Usually, there is a sense of urgency put in there to get you to think quickly and not give you a lot of time.
And, for some investors, they are real, there is an urgency and this is a great opportunity, but these are few and far between. Do your research, even if they say you have little time, do the research and determine if this is really an actual investment, to save yourself later.
Online ads fishing for scam victims
There are many ways that these scammers can enter your world. One way is through ads.
Something that many people do not realize or just plain don’t understand is social media ads and ads found on the search engines. These can be set to target people that have been on websites about certain things. So, the trading scammer could target an audience that has been reading up on crypto. This means that they can relate to you, even offer you some unsolicited advice, but in a manner that you trust more. After all, this ad is on the top of the search engines and must be safe.
But, the folks running the search engines and social media do not check the offers out. They simply ensure that the offers ad does not violate any of their terms and conditions. This makes it a great place for investment scammers to pick up some new clients. As the trust is a bit there from their ad coming up about something they have shown interest in.
However, if you have found our website, you probably have already fallen for the bad guys “opportunity” and do not know what to do. Give us a call and be very open and honest with us on every detail. Private investigators are very detail-driven, which is why every little detail is important. If you have a way to communicate with your scammer, do not let on that you think they are scamming you. We will be happy to even communicate for you, if possible. Melbourne Investigations will not close a case until the questions have answers. We are determined and dedicated to our clients.
How Melbourne Investigations found this investment scammer
We were engaged to locate (skip trace) the scammer’s address. The family was deeply upset and we really wanted to help them. This would mean that we would need to find who was behind the scam and where they were located. This, oftentimes, is not easy, as the trading scammers do their best to cover their tracks.
Using special information sources, our investigator discovered the person was registered at several past addresses. It took a lot of digging, but we finally found their current address right at the end of the 2-week investigation case.
Continual checking back
But after the job had finished we decided to run another check. Sometimes we check back on closed case to see if further information has come to light that we can pass on to our clients. To our surprise, a brand new address had cropped up ever since we closed the case. We were able to successfully locate this investment scammer and present both recent addresses to the family. This is a service that we offer to our clients.
We can come back to the case should we feel there may be a reason or there may be hope. Sometimes it just takes a little time and the person running the trading scam is going to trip up. They may start to get lax in their ways. This leaves holes and clues to how to find them. They get more confident and bold but get sloppy in protecting themselves. This is our time to take advantage of that.
What was outcome of this scam investigation?
Now that they know where this scammer lives, the family is able to present this case in court. They are taking the scammer to court to get paid back for their lost money. This was case is so similar to many invest scam cases that we see. A trading scam can occur without warning. Always proceed with caution as this is not always the outcome of the case. If the scammer was not located or located in another country they could have gotten away with it. Trading Scams happen all the time and the best battle against it is to do your homework and ensure this is a real company.
Our investigator is a female and will act on any tips or clues on where to find the scammer. We will leave nothing unanswered and are like bloodhounds on a scent. We seek out all the answers that can be used in court to get your results.
Skip tracing for investment scams
If you feel that your case should be looked at, give us a call. Maybe some time has gone by and you have been contacted by the investment scamming company again. Or, maybe you see their ad showing up again on your social media, this is a great time for us to take a second look. This tells us that they are moving on to another victim. We need to protect that next victim by stopping them from running their trading scam.
We do this skip tracing for anyone, this is not just for attorneys. There are many reasons someone wants to locate someone and we can help. We even work with old adoption cases for example of a mother looking for a child that she adopted out many years ago. This could be for personal reasons or for medical reasons.
Dedicated private investigators
Many people find females more approachable and certainly easier to scam, which gives Melbourne Investigations a certain edge on the scammer. We are confident in finding the appropriate answers for our clients, answers that could save their investment. It is rare to find a female private eye, as many are men, however, we have one that is willing to work for you.
If you have been scammed and need help, please pick up the phone. We want to help as many people as we can that have been a victim to a scam. These scams will continue as long as they are getting clients. It is getting easier and easier as they fine-tune their selling skills. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you have fallen for their tactics. This is quite more common than many people think.
Melbourne Investigations is confident in our skills. We have located many online investment scamming operations. Although, this is a bit of a challenging task, we enjoy helping our clients in any way we can. The trading scam is some of the worst feelings. When someone has gained your trust then violates it in such a way that is devastating leave you feeling extremely emotional, for good reason.
These people fine-tune their investment scam skills and they are very good at what they do. That is why you will need a professional. You will need someone that sees through their skill and sees who they really are. We are professionals and have tracked down many people that were running a trading scam. If you find yourself needing a private detective to take a look at your case, we are here to help.
Do not be embarrassed. Ask for help. Ask the professional and tell us everything, we are good at what we do and we may be able to get you your investment back. There is hope, but the longer you wait the easier it is for them to getaway. Should you have any questions, ask! We understand that you are going to probably be a little cautious and wary about things. It is very common, however, do some looking around online about us, and we are sure you will see we are the real deal, we are scam investigators.
