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I received a call from a woman who told me: “I suspect my partner is being unfaithful to me, he is no longer acting the same with me, his attitude has changed toward me and he is spending many hours away from home without a good explanation. I just want to know the truth to make my own decision, especially now that we are waiting to receive a credit line.”
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Infidelity is a very common type of case that we receive in our offices every day, but these are often accompanied by certain ingredients that make them very special and dangerous, financially speaking.
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“I was widowed several years ago and with the sweat of my forehead I ended up paying my house and my car. Two years ago I met Jose (name changed) my current partner, although after the loss of my husband I had no interest in a new relationship, the time, the expenses and the solitude made me change my mind. Since we began to live together, Jose helps me with the expenses of the house and the trips that we made together. About two months ago his attitude towards me changed, he no longer wanted to visit my relatives, nor go to church with me like we did before and he was coming to the house too late; I asked him on several occasions why his change and finally he replied that it was because economically he did not feel at ease, that he needed to change his lifestyle and live better, Then he suggested that we get a loan on my house to have more money available, make improvements to the property and be able to vacation more. I have never been in favor of living on credit but I agreed. He found the real estate agent to begin with the loan process and we are waiting for the line of credit. His attitude changed again, returned to be more affective with me, but he is still arriving late to the house and I am worry that he has another woman, if so; I would cancel the loan and end my relationship with him. “
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During the following days we kept Jose under surveillance to determine what he did during his free time, what places he visited and who his friends were. In my experience, infidelity comes afloat in a few days; we just need to be patient. During his spare time, Jose visited friends, certainly not so reputed bars and the real estate agent’s office. While visiting these bars, he was very flirtatious with the female bartenders, but there was no indication that he was having a relationship with any of them. Obviously, my client would not be pleased to know that his partner frequented these bars, this was not the Jose she knew.
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Based on some of the results we obtained and to the analysis we made of the case we began to see that perhaps Jose’s attitude was not due to another woman but rather to a macabre fraud in progress. I asked my client to see the copies of the loan process but it was not possible because she did not have copies of any of those documents. She being the owner of the house signed all documents but did not get copies of them. I also asked her if she could read in English, and her response was also negative. This smelled bad! From the beginning, it seemed very rare for a real estate agent to be the right person to process a bank loan. I contacted an old colleague of mine who besides being a private detective he was also a real estate agent with many years of experience in that field. We plan a strategy with my client and the result was a success.
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Few days later, and by appointment, my client received in his house the real estate agent along with Jose, to sign the some of the loan documents, but since everything was already planned, my colleague and I walked into the house minutes later and my client gave us the documents she was about to sign at that time. My colleague reviewed the documents and told my client aloud “These are not documents to request a loan but documents to transfer your property to another person, whose name has not been written yet.” Jose and his agent panicked, his “theatrical” had fallen and the fraud had become evident. The real estate agent burst into tears because she knew the legal consequences she could face and asked my client for forgiveness at the same time as she described in detail Jose’s plan to keep the property and the money she was paying her to carry out that process. That was the moment of opportunity to inform the crime to the authorities, but my client made the decision not to proceed against any of them if Jose picks up his belongings at that very moment and disappeared from her life forever. There is no need to say that my client never saw Jose again.
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For your own sake, always be suspicious; never sign blank documents or documents that you cannot understand, either because they are written in another language or in a very technical language. Always consult with a lawyer or a professional to avoid becoming a victim of a fraud like this one.
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Beware of fraud, but if you need help, call us at 888-224-1245 or visit us at www.drakonx.com
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April 11, 2016
By Private Detective Fernando Álvarez
DIARIO LAS AMERICAS
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Drakonx Investigations offers Private Investigator and Detective Services in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Fernando, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Van Nuys, Torrance, Pomona, San Gabriel, Whittier, Orange, Costa Mesa, Huntington Park, Huntington Beach, Culver City, North Hollywood, Burbank, Thousand Oaks, Tustin, El Monte, West Covina, San Dimas, Riverside, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Corona, Fullerton, Miami, Hialeah, Miami Lakes, Aventura, Miami Beach, Homestead, Kendall, Coral Gables, Doral, Miami Springs, Miami Gardens, North Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Hollywood, Miramar, Cutler Bay, Hialeah Gardens, The Hammocks, Sunny Isle, Bal Harbour, Cuba, Havana, Matanzas, Varadero, Camaguey, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Ciego de Avila, Isla de la Juventud, Guantanamo, Bayamo, Granma.
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A woman contacted me one day with the following case:
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My husband and I do not have legal documentation in the United States; a relative of us, who also is undocumented, referred us to Alberto (name changed), an immigration officer who would fix our immigration status for the payment of $10,000 per person or $15,000 per couple. Our relative is already in the process and my husband and I also started ours with an initial down payment of $5,000. At first I was convinced that this was the solution to obtain the residence, but now I doubt and fear that it is a scam. Alberto was introduced to us by our relative at the exit of the immigration building because he works there as an officer. We met him in a nearby Cafe and there we were explained the process, the cost and the documents that we had to deliver. We paid him that same day. As to date we have received two letters from immigration, one in the name of my husband and another in my name. Everything is in the process but now Alberto says that due to the increase in prices by immigration, the cost for us will also go up. I just want to be sure this is not another trap.
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Fraud can have a thousand faces, but it is still the same. Particularly in the field of immigration in the United States where there is a combination of the need of undocumented immigrants, their life savings and the shamelessness of some scammers, who based on gadgets, steal the dream and money from the most desperate people.
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Once we were hired our first step was to identify Alberto, we used the data that our client had provided but every result was negative, the name was false. The phone number was pre-paid and registered to no one. Other than that, our client had no more information. Due to this situation, we needed to make personal contact with Alberto but we had a problem, although our client suspected of a possible scam, her husband was convinced that Alberto was a real immigration official and that investigating him would only upset him and obstruct the process.
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However we had an ace up our sleeve and we managed to achieve a referral. A few days later Alberto was already communicating with one of our undercover agents who were posing as an undocumented. Alberto could not meet with our agent in those days because he was in training in Washington but would notify him upon his return. Patience despairs many people eager to know the truth, but detectives most have a lot of patience to achieve our goals.
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Finally the phone rang; it was Alberto confirming that he was back and ready to meet with his new “undocumented client.” The appointment would be the next day outside the building of migrations. Indeed, Alberto went out the front door, Dress suit and tie and with the immigration employee’s credential. Who could distrust, if he spoke the English language very well, had knowledge of immigration and was very educated. After explaining to the undercover agent the process and the cost, which were still $10,000 per person and $15,000 per couple, when his prices had supposedly gone up, Alberto then returned inside the building. Interestingly when approaching the door he hid his credential and after entering the building he went straight to the public bathroom from where he left several minutes later much changed, and then he left the building and headed to a nearby street where he boarded his vehicle. Although it was already obvious that Alberto was a crook, and that he was also impersonating a federal agent, our investigation was still in its infancy.
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We followed Alberto very cautiously and after a few hours and several stops we located his home and the next day his true identity. He had no criminal record but many debts caused by various civil lawsuits and of course he was not an immigration official as he claimed. But what about the letters our client had received? After a few verifications we confirmed that they were false, so were envelopes without postmarks, the case number was real but it did not belong to our client or her husband. The fraud was confirmed. My client sighed in anger and sadness, her husband was very angry because no one likes to be a victim of fraud. They did not want to sue, nor did it make much sense, but I was authorized to give the results of the investigation to the government for a potential prosecution of this crook. Maybe today Alberto is in federal prison or a fugitive, I do not know, will not be the first or the last. Maybe my clients still believe they lost $5,000, but from my point of view, I consider that they paid $5,000 to learn not to trust even in their own shadow.
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Beware of Immigration Fraud; do not believe that it is so easy to bribe the system of immigration in the United States, do not rely on magic promises or the professional look of people. Investigate, verify and be sure to consult an immigration attorney or a specialist with a real office. Avoid meetings on the street, avoid paying cash.
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Beware of fraud, but if you need help, call us at 888-224-1245 or visit us at http://www.drakonx.com/
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April 18, 2016
By Private Detective Fernando Alvarez
DIARIO LAS AMERICAS
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Drakonx Investigations offers Private Investigator and Detective Services in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Fernando, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Van Nuys, Torrance, Pomona, San Gabriel, Whittier, Orange, Costa Mesa, Huntington Park, Huntington Beach, Culver City, North Hollywood, Burbank, Thousand Oaks, Tustin, El Monte, West Covina, San Dimas, Riverside, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Corona, Fullerton, Miami, Hialeah, Miami Lakes, Aventura, Miami Beach, Homestead, Kendall, Coral Gables, Doral, Miami Springs, Miami Gardens, North Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Hollywood, Miramar, Cutler Bay, Hialeah Gardens, The Hammocks, Sunny Isle, Bal Harbour, Cuba, Havana, Matanzas, Varadero, Camaguey, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Ciego de Avila, Isla de la Juventud, Guantanamo, Bayamo, Granma.
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Scammers have no respect or shame, but they have much creativity to confuse their victims. This case demonstrates why anyone should not be trusted and much less when one is in the middle of a desperate situation.
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An old customer called me and told me the following: “A friend of mine and I bought a business a while ago and we are trying to improve it but we have certain serious problems where we need the help of a lawyer to solve them and we have to move fast. My friend met Antonio (name changed), a lawyer, in a social event of entrepreneurs, those where business cards are exchanged. My friend explained the situation we need to resolve and Antonio explained the steps he needed to take and the cost of his help, $5,000. My friend thought it was a very good idea and when he mentioned it to me we agreed to hire Antonio’s services, since his fees were cheaper than other lawyers. The next day we called him to have an appointment in his office, conveniently located near the court, but he was on his way to our area and invited us to meet in a well known restaurant. During the meeting he did not give me a good feeling, I do not know, but I just could not trust Antonio. I think he realized my distrust and that’s why he reduced his fees to $4,000. My friend, desperate to solve the problems of the business, accepted the offer and made the payment by check. I just want to know if this man is a serious lawyer, if he specializes in business law and if he does not have any complaint against his license. “
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Today the internet offers a high range of online services, free and paid, which allow you to verify certain information about people and companies. Most of these sites have outdated information or information about other people and companies with the similar names. It is always advisable to use these sites, but we must be sure that we are investigating the correct person; you have to look beyond appearances and look at the small details. Private detectives use databases, contacts and more developed strategies to reach the bottom of each case, each situation and of course of each fraud.
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My client’s request was not difficult, because it was basically a question of verifying the reputation and background of a professional. We started by verifying his lawyer’s license and it was active and without penalties in the bar association. We also checked his civil and criminal background, and it was clean. The only thing that caught our attention was the office address where our clients were going to meet Antonio did not match the address of the office registered in the bar association nor in the web site of that lawyer, neither the telephone number was the same. I know that many lawyers have more than one office and more than one phone number but normally they have that information updated on their web pages. These kinds of information conflicts create doubts and require more inquiries.
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We proceeded to verify and to obtain photos of the lawyer that appeared in the records of the bar association and also of the person with whom my clients hired, and it turned out that they were not the same person. We send a photo of the real lawyer to the client and a few minutes later he called and told me “No, that’s not Antonio; you are investigating the wrong person.” While we were talking on the phone I sent the photograph of the other person and he replied: “yes, this is Antonio”. I told him “Bingo, case solved! Let me explain to you, the first picture is the real lawyer; the second is of a thief who is posing as a lawyer and unfortunately, you fell into his trap. This afternoon you will have the results.” The client sighed deeply, his suspicions were true, but it was a bit late.
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The crook, posing as a lawyer, had the same name and surname as the real lawyer. The leasing office was formerly used by another lawyer and was still listed on the internet as a law firm, thus giving more confidence to the victims of this con artist. The crook did not deposit the check but cashed it on the bank of my client and of course, his driver’s license was registered. The background of this subject confirmed that he had several cases of fraud in the past and that he had been arrested for armed robbery. Apparently during his stay in prison he learned a lot about legal issues and also how to speak as a lawyer. Although this swindler was still on parole, he did not mind cheating and wreaking havoc. My client reported him to the police, the bar and the lawyer. A few days later this subject was arrested again because there were several complaints against him for similar scams. Although justice was done in this case, my clients were unable to recover their $4,000 and they still needed a lawyer to solve their legal problems.
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For your own sake, always be suspicious. Never hire a lawyer or any professional without first checking their credentials. Meet them in their office and be sure to sign a contract. Never make decisions under pressure, because despair is blind and does not let you think clearly. Use the internet to inquire and verify the professionals you are going to hire; protect your money and avoid unpleasant surprises.
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Beware of fraud, but if you need help, call me at 1-866-224-1245 or visit me at www.drakonx.com
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April 5, 2016
By Private Detective Fernando Alvarez
DIARIO LAS AMERICAS
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“Bankrupt business for sale. Beware of fraud”
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Many immigrant families move to the United States every year looking for, among other reasons, political stability, economic and security that this great country offers. What many of these people do not imagine is that the scam has no flag or shame and that it may be their own compatriots who are waiting to give them an economic “stab” in the back. So one of my clients wrote to me:
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“My husband, my children and I moved to the United States just two months ago because of the difficult economic situation in our country. As we have always had our own business, we decided to buy here an established business to have a source of work and income while revalidating our professional degrees. Through friends and acquaintances we received offers of some businesses for sale, among them the sale of a restaurant of typical food of our country. We were interested in the last one and we called the owner, Joaquin (name changed), who summoned us to go to lunch the next day, to meet at the restaurant and so talk about the business. We asked him if he could see us that day but he said he could only come the next day. We attended, my husband and I, at lunch and Joaquin behaved very kindly with us, and showed us the location, the kitchen and the employees, who had no problem in continuing to work under our administration. We were fascinated, everything looked great, very clean and there were many customers, especially young people. The price was also very attractive $150,000. We asked to see a copy of the fiscal records from last year, but at the time he did not have them with him. He told us that reported numbers were very low, because they did not report everything they entered to avoid paying more taxes. We told him we would think about it, although we were already determined to buy it, and that we would meet the next day to sign the contract of sale and proceed to pay by bank transfer. We left the restaurant and as we walked towards our vehicle, a young man passed by me and said “do not buy it, it’s a fraud” and left quickly, almost running. I told my husband and now we are in doubt. Maybe that young man lied but if he said the truth we want to know. We asked Joaquin to give us a few more days to make the decision; In fact we changed the appointment to sign the contract of purchase for the following week, however he called us every so often to pressure us that there were other people interested in buying it. This has us stressed, because on one hand we want to buy it and on the other hand we do not want to get into a problem. How could you help us? “
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“Investigating, ma’am, investigating, finding the truth, that’s what we can do for you, because that’s what we know how to do.” So simple was my answer. She accepted and we immediately began the investigation.
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The research strategy would be to check the background of the business and its owners, as well as some undercover operations developed in the location itself to obtain more information. The truth soon came to light. To start Joaquin was not the real owner, but his father; nevertheless it was Joaquin who administered it. Interestingly the restaurant had no registered employees since all the employees that our client had known the day of his visit were relatives of Joaquin and they would leave as soon as the sale and transfer took place. Joaquin and his father bought the restaurant at $200,000 and were now selling it at $150,000. No one sells a good deal at a lower price than they paid for it originally. While the business itself had no debts, Joaquin and his father had acquired several debts on a personal level since they bought the restaurant. Undercover investigations confirmed that the business did not leave profits from the beginning and that he changed owner almost every year. Because of the bad business decision, Joaquin and his father did not get along. Joaquin was forced to sell the restaurant urgently and try to recover as much money as possible. His selling strategy was easy, when someone was interested in buying the restaurant, Joaquin invited him or her for lunch on a specific day and then called several friends and his sister’s schoolmates to “act” as clients, in order to sell the image of a prosperous business, but as soon as the potential buyers left, everything returned to the harsh reality of a failed business. The restaurant could not be worth more than $70,000, as we could estimate, but that was very little for Joaquin, who went from preparing meals to preparing a fraud, “bait-and-switch”.
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My clients were satisfied, especially since they did not lose $150,000. Then I asked them: What would have happened if that young man had not notified them in the parking lot that day and we had not done the research? Their answer was clear and concise: “Today we would be the owners of a bankrupt business.”
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When it comes to investing, remember the golden rule that says: always be wary. It is here precisely when due diligence, proper investigation is recommended.
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Beware of fraud, but if you need help, call us at 866-224-1245 or visit us at www.drakonx.com
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May 2, 2016
By Private Detective Fernando Alvarez
DIARIO LAS AMERICAS
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Drakonx Investigations offers Private Investigator and Detective Services in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Fernando, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Van Nuys, Torrance, Pomona, San Gabriel, Whittier, Orange, Costa Mesa, Huntington Park, Huntington Beach, Culver City, North Hollywood, Burbank, Thousand Oaks, Tustin, El Monte, West Covina, San Dimas, Riverside, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Corona, Fullerton, Miami, Hialeah, Miami Lakes, Aventura, Miami Beach, Homestead, Kendall, Coral Gables, Doral, Miami Springs, Miami Gardens, North Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Hollywood, Miramar, Cutler Bay, Hialeah Gardens, The Hammocks, Sunny Isle, Bal Harbour, Cuba, Havana, Matanzas, Varadero, Camaguey, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Ciego de Avila, Isla de la Juventud, Guantanamo, Bayamo, Granma.
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Although I have already investigated and provided evidence in countless cases of scams and I have managed to prevent many frauds, I am still impressed by the level of devious and disrespect of many scammers. They do not care about anything; they do not even seem to be afraid of jail. Some of them conduct their frauds in broad daylight and leave their personal information at every step.
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By reference of an old client I was contacted by a couple from another state with the following case: “For some years now we have wanted to sell the property we have in another city, whose current value is very high and then buy several commercial and residential properties in this city to be able to rent them out and dedicate us full time to the real estate business. Four months ago we visited a property for sale at a very good price, although we were not interested in buying it, the owners put us in touch with a court appointed real estate auction agent, who processed the sale of property foreclosed by the court with very good prices. We immediately contacted the agent and agreed to an appointment that same day at one of the properties. Benjamin (name changed) was dressed in uniform, judicial plaque on his belt and identification of the judicial system. That day we visited 3 properties, two apartments and a house. The process, he explained, was simple, the properties were repossessed and their titles transferred to a lawyer authorized by the court, we should make a payment of $20,000 for each property and continue the mortgage payments. To close the deal, Benjamin and the lawyer presented us with the properties’ documents confirming that these properties were under the name of the lawyer. Because the properties were repossessed for lack of payments, the court only allowed payment in cash or by bank transfer. We sign the required contract in the lawyer’s office and the following week we proceeded with the transfer of $60,000 to the account of Agent Benjamin. We have been waiting for a month and a half to receive the transfer document so that we can take possession of the properties and start with the needed renovations, but Benjamin is still postponing us. Although at first everything seemed very correct, now we have begun to suspect that things are not as we believed. We need you to help us clarify this situation.”
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Making a deal signed by a lawyer and a judicial agent, both authorized by the court, does not sound like fraud, but I do not think it is right that my clients had to make a transfer to the personal account of the judicial agent. We must investigate this, I responded to my desperate clients.
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Although I thought that in a few days we would clarify the situation and give good news to my clients to stop worrying, all I could do was uncover a Pandora’s Box. Benjamin was not a judicial agent of the court, but a convicted felon who had paid time for imprisonment for various crimes of fraud including charges for “criminal organization to commit fraud”, “Falsification of signatures of legal documents”, “false presentation as a judicial agent” and several civil claims for debts. The alleged lawyer was just another fraudster who had been committing misdemeanors for some years, some of them with Benjamin. Apart from Benjamin and the fake lawyer, we identified three other individuals who were part of this new “criminal organization to commit fraud” led by Benjamin. The fraud process was simple, Benjamin and companion identified properties whose owners did not occupy and/or were failing their mortgage payments, then began a process called “Quitclaim Deed”, in which they falsified the signatures of the legitimate owners to generate a transfer in the name of the alleged lawyer. In many of these frauds the real owners never learned of this deceptive process until very late. Once with the new property documents in their hands, they gained access to the property and sought bargain buyers, almost always “novice investors” who were asked for an attractive figure and occasionally proceeded to perform another “Quitclaim Deed” in favor of the new buyers. When the real owners were informed, they opened court cases against Benjamin and his false lawyer and the new buyers were left without property and without money. By that time Benjamin and company had withdrawn the money and had vanished. This type of fraud affected two victims, real owners and bargain shoppers. The disrespect of these criminals was so big that they did not mind being identify; even knowing that these types of crimes are paid with jail time.
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For your own safety always check the licenses of the alleged professionals. Distrust everyone until proven otherwise. If you are going to make a deal with a company or with the courts, be sure to pay that entity and not the personal account of an employee. Do not believe that you are immune to fraud; because fraudsters know very well how to sell bait and switch.
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Beware of fraud, but if you need help, call us at 866-224-1245 or visit us at www.drakonx.com
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June 7, 2016
By Private Detective Fernando Alvarez
DIARIO LAS AMERICAS
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Drakonx Investigations offers Private Investigator and Detective Services in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Fernando, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Van Nuys, Torrance, Pomona, San Gabriel, Whittier, Orange, Costa Mesa, Huntington Park, Huntington Beach, Culver City, North Hollywood, Burbank, Thousand Oaks, Tustin, El Monte, West Covina, San Dimas, Riverside, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Corona, Fullerton, Miami, Hialeah, Miami Lakes, Aventura, Miami Beach, Homestead, Kendall, Coral Gables, Doral, Miami Springs, Miami Gardens, North Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Hollywood, Miramar, Cutler Bay, Hialeah Gardens, The Hammocks, Sunny Isle, Bal Harbour, Cuba, Havana, Matanzas, Varadero, Camaguey, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Ciego de Avila, Isla de la Juventud, Guantanamo, Bayamo, Granma.
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You really never know where the fraud is going to come from or what you’re going to lose after the damage. I do not know if the scammers are delinquents or artists, or maybe both, the truth is that they develop the power of conviction very well in order to enter our lives, our businesses and our homes.
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One day, I received a call from a customer who had been robbed from his business and wanted to see how I could help him. He explained, “I have a business that has been established for some years and I am also the owner of the building that occupies my business. For strategic needs I need to move my business to a more central area of the city and I have told some real estate agents about that. I was called by one of these agents five days ago and explained that Gerardo [name has been changed] a potential buyer, had received a $15 million inheritance, and it was his intention to invest it in the business. Gerardo was delighted with the building and agreed to purchase it. This would be the fifth property in which Gerardo would sign a purchase and sale agreement for. Two days later, Gerardo appeared alone in my business, which was almost about to close, and explained to the receptionist that he needed to make some measurements inside the building and that his real estate agent was not available. Gerardo made his measurements and then left. The next day when I enter the office I realize that there are some small things missing among them a picture of the Republic that has a lot of historical value. When I checked the security cameras I noticed that it was Gerardo who took them. I do not understand why a millionaire investor needs to steal. Now he does not respond to the real estate agent or me. What can be done?”.
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“First of all, we must report the facts to the police in order to set a precedent and second we need to investigate this matter a bit in order to understand it,” I replied.
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As part of the investigation, we reviewed the recordings of the security cameras and indeed, Gerardo had taken the picture, his way of acting was typical of an experienced delinquent. The vehicle that Gerardo used had fake plates. But although Gerardo was very clever to deceive people with his polite language and good presence, he was not smart enough to change his name or use fake documents to do his misdeeds. Based on these details, we established the true identity of Gerardo, a man with more than 20 years of criminal activity. Among those, we found charges of petty theft, vehicle theft, check fraud, illegal access to private property, credit card fraud, Misrepresentation, identity theft, and violation of parole. Gerardo had spent almost 8 years imprisoned for this type of crime, but apparently all that time in jail did not serve him for his rehabilitation. Anything but a millionaire, this man had nowhere to call home. Maybe he would have a better life in prison where he was given free food and a bed.
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In less than 72 hours from initiating the investigation, I found three new victims. The first was a family that was selling their house and was presented to Gerardo who was introduced as a millionaire investor. Mysteriously, several gold jewelry items belonging to the family went missing during the tour of the house. The second victim was a real estate agent who after presenting Gerardo to several properties of his interest, all very expensive; he realized that his credit cards had disappeared mysteriously from his wallet on the desk. The third victim also owned expensive jewels and watches that mysteriously went missing after a visit from Gerardo, the false investor, in his house.
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Gerardo’s method of operation was simple. He showed up at real estate agents’ offices as the $15 million heirs willing to invest in expensive properties. The agents dazzled with this client began immediately to show properties for sale, yet, he just wanted to see properties that were inhabited and working. Once Gerardo entered such properties then magic would occur and things of value would disappear. The fault here was unfortunately committed by the real estate agents who did not verify the background or request records of the investor’s bank funds. This error not only caused damage to the home owners, but also to the reputation of the real estate agents. Once faced with all the police reports and investigations, I contacted the probation violation office so that they could proceed to arrest Gerardo. They are still looking for it.
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For your safety, take the time to verify the background and financial solvency of those people, be they millionaires or not, before giving them access to places where they can steal or find victims for their crime. Do not be fooled or taken advantage of.
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Beware of fraud, but if you need help, call us at 866-224-1245.
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June 20, 2016
By Private Detective Fernando Alvarez
DIARIO LAS AMERICAS
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Contact us today if you need more information about:
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Generally, in all types of businesses or professions, there is fraud and scam, but I have come to realize that many of the scam cases that I have investigated have been related to the investment business. Investments in which ordinary people deposit their savings and even money obtained from loans on the value of their houses, and then enjoy the interest earned. This is an easy way to make a living when you have money saved, although these investments have their own risks, I have found worse risk; false investment agents.
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A woman called my office and began to explain the following case: “A year ago, I invested $50,000 dollars in an oil extraction opportunity on a Pacific island with an investment firm from my city whose advertisement I saw on the internet. I am a single woman who has saved that money with years of hard work, savings and sacrifices and saw this investment as a short-term economic opportunity because I was promised 40% annual profits and no risks. I signed the investment contract, personally, and although the office was small, Julio [name has been changed], the financial adviser who attended me was very educated and explained in detail the investment plan, the profits, the absence of risks and his long history As a counselor and investment agent. Julio confirmed to me that many people were investing in this unique opportunity and that I did not want to lose it. Every month I communicated with Julio to know how everything was going with the investment, and according to his own words everything was going very well, two months went by that he did not respond, I went to his office but it was already closed. I kept trying until I was able to make contact again, he told me that he had moved out of the office and that he had been out of the country because of the oil extraction investments and that the news was not good. He informed me that the oil well had no oil and that all the money invested was lost. He proceeded to tell me that, legally, there was nothing that he or I could do. I thought that I should forget the money and I did not think to do anything legal against him. I am frustrated and desperate. I want to locate his new office and his assets to be able to sue and denounce it. “
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“Hands on,” I replied. I did not want to go into details because I understood the suffering my client was going through, but there were several details that caught my attention. My client invested based on an “Internet advertisement”, a typical place to announce investment scams. She was promised 40% of the profit which was too good to be true. “Zero investment risks” was a red flag since there are no risk-free investments. “Everybody is investing in this opportunity”, is a typical hook of the fraudulent investor. “Oil investment on a Pacific Island” is said so that the place is far away enough so that you cannot verify anything. This story was familiar to me and did not sit right.
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Not only did I plan the investigation in order to locate Julio and his precious assets, I also focused on possible fraud. To no surprise, Julio promoted his Internet investment agency but used different names and telephones in each advertisement. His company was registered as a corporation and on his behalf included the bombastic term “investments” although was not registered as an investment agency either at the state level or at the federal level. In other words, his agency was fake. Julio did not have properties to his name, ‘nor did his business have properties. The list of demands against him and his business was long. During the investigation, we found two more victims of Julio, one for $30,000 and the other for $25,000, the minimum amount to invest in this “safe oil opportunity.” Thanks to information provided by these victims and to our own investigative tools we were able to locate Julio’s new office strategically located in the financial zone of a city located more than 200 miles from the city where he had defrauded my client. It seems that Julio preferred to victims of women of a low academic level and undocumented in the US, in that way reduced the chances of being denounced. This time Julio shot back, with the testimony of my client and the two victims, plus the investigative report, we managed to file a complaint for fraud, a criminal organization to commit fraud, and business operating without a license. Julio had his days counted.
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For your own safety, always check the credentials and licenses of the professionals you are going to hire. Check their background to see if they have had criminal, civil, financial and administrative problems. Never invest in a type of business that you do not know thoroughly because if you do not know the business you will not know which promises are real and which are false. Educate yourself on how to identify fraud in a timely manner.
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Be aware of fraud, but if you need help, please call us at 866-224-1245.
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June 20, 2016
By Private Detective Fernando Alvarez
DIARIO LAS AMERICAS
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Fraud is defined as “the crime of obtaining money or property by deceiving people” and also the “action contrary to truth and righteousness, which harms the person against whom it is committed.” Fraud can be camouflaged in different ways but its essence is always the same, harming another person to achieve personal benefit. When I say person I do not only refer to individuals but also to entities, such as, organizations, government agencies and companies. Fraud affects us all directly or indirectly but in many cases we cannot identify it as such until a thorough investigation is carried out.
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One day a woman called my office with the following case: “I am the secretary of a small humanitarian organization whose task is to raise funds through of public activities and events to help needy families in certain poor areas of our country. Each member of the board has responsibilities in different events and one of those responsibilities is to keep the cash collected until their formal delivery to the treasurer. At the last meeting of the board, two of our directors were assaulted when they were in their way to the meeting to deliver the cash. The assailants, with their faces covered, broke the windows of the vehicle, and beat the two of them. The assailants fled with the money. We reported the incident to the police but we need your help to clarify if one of the assailants was a former member of the organization who was expelled by unfair behavior in the past. “
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As I continued to discover the details of the case, I was recalling one of those movies from the Far West where this type of “robbery” was a common thing, but in the 21st century, when money can be transferred through banks, cash looks like a movie thing. Nevertheless, it remains a possible crime, so accept to take the case classifying it originally as “assault with robbery”, but this classification changed a few days later.
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We began our investigation and as a courtesy, notified the police detective about our investigative work on this case. We took the time to interview each member in detail; no one can imagine how much information people know until you ask the right questions. We investigated the former member who had been expelled for unfair conduct and although he was still a suspect, there was not enough relevant evidence to involve him in the robbery. Interestingly, this individual already had a criminal background before being a member of the organization, which showed that the organization failed to check the records of its members. We interviewed the two assaulted directors, their testimonies matched to the letter, but the attitude of one of them did not give us a good feeling. We checked the vehicle and checked that the damage only occurred on the passenger window glass when the heist happened through the driver’s window. We checked the scene of the crime, a busy street, there were still some remains of the windows, we searched the neighbors and we found an eyewitness, a person who heard the glass breaking and looked out her window. According to the witness, the assailants did not have the face covered and also it looks like both assailants and robbers smiled and treated as if they had known each other from forever. This testimony confirmed, to a certain extent, the hypothesis that we had formulated based on previous testimony and the strange circumstances of the case. We requested the presence of both members, “victims of the assault” for a new, more detailed interview, but this time we also subjected them to a lie detector test. Both failed, one ended up telling the truth. The assault was a hoax, a premeditated fraud to justify not giving money to the organization, money they had spent on personal matters and that they no longer had. With the help of two friends they simulated the assault in a little-traveled area so that they could file a police report and justify the loss of money, leaving them as victims.
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The results were delivered to the organization that hired us in addition to the police detective who later proceeded to file charges against both members for “false police report” and “serious perjury”. The case was initiated in both the civil courts due to the economic damage, where the premeditated fraud was explained in detail and to the criminal court consequently. The arrest and prison order came shortly after.
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For your safety, always check the background of your employees, members of your organization or club, your new friends, tenants or roommates. As the well known saying goes, “Faces we see, hearts we don’t know”. Remember that trust is a double-edged sword.
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Be aware of fraud, but if you need our help, please call 866-224-1245.
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July 5, 2016
By Private Detective Fernando Alvarez
DIARIO LAS AMERICAS
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When you think you have seen it all, it is precisely when an even rarer case makes it way to you. It is true that swindlers are artists of the lie and are capable of everything because they do not feel remorse for the damages caused to their victims or to society. However, what strikes me most is that most victims do not care to verify before acting, believe only in words and do not take seriously the need to verify, they simply believe until it is too late.
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One morning, a desperate woman came to my office with an interesting case. She explained, “I am a single mother and I have had a prosperous business for several years and I try to do everything in my power to help my son succeed in life. My son has been interested in soccer for several years and I have made sure he has the best coaches and I have to admit that he is very good as an athlete. In one of the matches between my son’s team and the team from another city we were introduced to Gaspar [named has been changed], a talent agent who told us, “For two years, I had observed the performance of your son and considered that his athletic level should be in a sports contract with a professional team.” My son’s face lit up. His dream had come true. Gaspar invited us to lunch in a restaurant to discuss in detail about this contract. He told us that he could get a contract quickly with a recognized team located in a distant city but that because of my son’s age it was better to secure a contract with a local professional team so that he could continue to live with me. To get that contract, I had to make the payment of $15,000 and it would be achieved in less than 2 months. Gaspar indicated that normally he is the one who put the money because he would act as the manager of my son as he does with other young talents, but unfortunately he was going through a complicated divorce and did not have those funds. We agreed then that I would put $10,000 and Gaspar will pay the remaining $5,000. The next day I gave him $10,000 in cash and two days later he gave me a letter signed by the sport team manager confirming receipt of the $15,000 and the beginning of the process of recruiting my son. While we waited for the day to sign the contract, Gaspar was training my son on how the system worked in the professional level and the chances of achieving greater success. I did not know how to thank Gaspar for his help and dedication to my son even though the divorce had left him with anything. God has given me the luck to succeed in business and I thought it was my responsibility to help the person who was helping my son, so I bought a new truck and gave it to Gaspar along with a $25,000 extension of my credit card so he could support his travel expenses as a talent agent. Subsequently, I made some more cash loans to pay his divorce lawyer. Almost two months after I paid the $15,000 to get my son signed, we received the news that everything was ready to sign the contract; we confirmed a date and decided to do it in a restaurant where I could invite my family and friends to celebrate the achievement of my son together. Our joy was immense and we prepared the celebration with all the details. Gaspar promised to bring the press to cover the news. On that day we were more than 50 between family and friends, but neither Gaspar nor the manager of the team nor the press came or answered the phone. Do you think I was scammed?”
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“Yes, ma’am, everything indicates that you were scammed, but you have to investigate the magnitude of the scam so that your lawyer can determine the legal steps to take so that you can recover your money and potential compensation for the damages caused to you and your family.” I replied. Later, I asked her a series of questions to understand the case because I really did not understand how it is required to pay in advance for a “talent” to be hired, or how it is possible for a “talent agent” with several talents already hired to be in such a bad economic situation. Something was fishy.
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We performed a detailed investigation of Gaspar and it did not take long to confirm that he was a con man and a convicted felon. Gaspar was not registered as a “sports talent agent”, he was not representing any “talent”, he was not divorcing and his economic situation was always very bad due to his multiple debts, drug addiction, unpaid traffic tickets and lawsuits for scams to other families with the same story of the alleged sports contract. We made the relevant inquiry with the management of the sports team with which the contract would be made, the letter was false, the signature was false and Gaspar was not known by them, besides that they were not in search of talent at that time and that the recruitment procedure did not require any payments from the talents. The sport team management was interested in interviewing the victim in order to file a formal complaint with the prosecution against Gaspar. By this time, Gaspar had already spent the $25,000 of the credit card and his whereabouts were unknown. A few days later, we managed to locate him and recover the vehicle of my client; the damages that he had caused to the vehicle were numerous. If my client had hired my services before giving Gaspar money and vehicle, she would have saved $58,000 and that unpleasant experience for her and her son.
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For your own safety always check, inquire, investigate, and verify. Trusting people blindly is never a good idea. Do not become another victim of fraud, scam, and lies that can destroy your family, your business and your children’s dreams.
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Beware of fraud, but if you need help, call us at 866-224-1245.
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July 18, 2016
By Private Detective Fernando Alvarez
DIARIO LAS AMERICAS
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Many people think that the scammer comes, does their damaging work, and then leaves for fear of being caught, judged or gets locked up. The truth is that this is not always the case and I have had cases where the scammers committed their scams in an organized, successful manner and in broad daylight. Unfortunately, there are people who get carried away by their good image and advertising and therefore, do not consider it to be necessary to verify before investing their money and their dreams.
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The call came from a married couple with the following case: “Last year, following the recommendation of a family member, we decided to invest $60,000 dollars of our home equity loan with a very important investment company. We went to a monthly meeting of the company where there were more than 50 homeowners, and where we were told that our investment was safe because the investment was only made in real estate properties. We were promised 60% to 100% profit and the full return of our investment in 3 years. In addition, for each property owner that we presented, we were given an economic gift, a bonus, that’s why we invited friends and family members to join the investment network. Every month, we received a check with the promised profits, everything was going well but then we started to hear rumors that this is an organized scam. This month we did not receive the check and when we complained we were told of technical problems but that they would soon be fixed. The monthly investor meeting was also suspended. We do not believe that this is a scam because this company is advertised in all magazines, on the radio, on television by known artists. We have been in their offices, a luxury suite, with many employees, first-class customer service and meetings was always opened by a Christian preacher. It seems impossible for it to be a scam but we want to investigate what is happening.”
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As good as it all seems we need to investigate anyway, it is possible that they are only malicious rumors but that will be determined. I will need you to come to my office, I replied, but the couple informed me that this investigation was being requested in a group, a total of 42 people affected. With that many people, the meeting could not be conducted in my office but in a conference room. The stories of each of them were very similar, they had invested money from their property or their personal savings, the investment company promised them high interests of profits and guaranteed them that their investments were assured by the title of real estate property where they were investing in and also, the economic gifts which they offered in order to bring in new investors. These kinds of promises in investments are almost always indications of scam and fraud.
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We began an in-depth investigation to clarify this case. To begin, this “major investment company” did not hold an investment agency license, nor did its owners hold investor licenses. The business was almost two years old, and was already moving millions of dollars, but no investments. Their owners were a family that in a few months went from a normal life to a life of super luxuries with mansions, properties in other countries, luxurious offices, very expensive vehicles, vacations and a very public life. Apart from the family, we also identified the various partners in the company who were very skillful in words but already had some backgrounds that put their actions under fire. While this was sufficient to determine that it is a company engaging in an unlicensed and therefore illegal activity, this still might not convince all our reluctant clients to believe that it was a fraud. It just so happened that while we were conducting some interviews, we found witnesses who had already been interviewed by other investigators shortly before, the FBI was already investigating the case and subtly identifying potential victims. Shortly afterward, we confirmed that the federal prosecution was already preparing its attack. The management circle of this investment company was already very nervous, their stress was evident, and their empire was crumbling.
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We prepared a detailed report with all the information we obtained the identity and background of each director of the company, the history and assets of the company and a summary of how their illegal operations worked. After presenting the results to my many clients, it was evident that they had all fallen off their cloud; their hopes for a better future had been thrown away. One of them told me that that was not the kind of results they wanted to hear, that it was very embarrassing for them. I replied that they hired me to discover and report the truth even if it hurts. I provided each of them with the contact information of the federal investigators with whom they had to report immediately as victims to collaborate with justice and claim their money.
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A few weeks later, FBI agents arrested the owners of the company, took all their records, computers, vehicles and interrogated every secretary, assistant, accountant and bank representative related to the company. The fraud was made public, the fraudulent Ponzi-type structure managed to snatch money from more than 600 victims in less than 2 years, totaling over $30 million. Shortly afterward, the principal owner was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison, the rest received slightly lower sentences while one of the main implicated managed to escape and the authorities are still looking for him.
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For your own safety, do not believe everything of what you hear or see. Fraud exists everywhere and takes new victims every day. Investigate every time you go to invest, every time you go to deposit your trust, money, property and your life because you can lose everything in a blink of an eye. Be smart and investigate first.
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Be aware of fraud, but if you need help, please call us at 866-224-1245.
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August 2nd, 2016
By Private Detective Fernando Alvarez
DIARIO LAS AMERICAS
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Contact us today if you need more information about:
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