Philippines Private Detectives & Dating Scams

Online dating has boomed worldwide, and in the Philippines there is no exception. More and more women from the Philippines are seeking love and a new life abroad. To find their way out of poverty stricken Philippines, many women are opening accounts for online dating. It’s no surprise that the level of dating scams are on the rise, and private investigators are quite busy.

Experienced Philippines detectives are accustomed to foreign clients seeking private investigation advice for a Filipina. In recent years, the level of complaints involving Philippines based investigators has skyrocketed, suggesting that not only is there a problem with Philippine women scamming, but now there is a problem with investigators scamming foreign clients.

The rise in fraud and romance scam cases has made finding a respectable Filipina more difficult than ever. To complicate matters, selecting a private investigator is now more difficult than ever. How did this happen? As the demand for investigations rose, many ameaturs tried to supply the market. The reality is few investigators in the Philippines are properly trained and financed to conduct a professional private investigation.

For those seeking a romantic relationship in the Philippines, as well as foreigners seeking investigation or background check assistance in the Philippines, extra caution is advised. Be very skeptical of both women and investigators who request money via Western Union. When seeking an investigator, we recommend reading the Philippines Investigator Advisory.

The global recession has hit Manila, Makati and Cebu hard and employment is scarce in the Philippines. As more women seek a way out, more individuals and so-called investigators are sure to try to join the market. Consumers should be skeptical of any “investigator” with no references, no professional website, and no proven track record of investigation.

Best of luck,

A. Hathaway

© 2006-2009 A. Hathaway

Colombian Girls

An overview of the potential brides and pitfalls

The Philippines continues to be a major exporter of foreign brides and relationship scams. Many Filipinas are honest, beautiful women simply looking for a better life, an opportunity to escape the poverty. Others are honestly looking for true love. Other Filipinas, and increasingly so, are looking to cash in on the profitable industry of relationship and dating scams.  Philippines background checks are advised.

Websites catering to foreigners searching for a Philippine bride are numerous, some more respected than others. It should be noted, however, that no dating or marriage website is immune from fraud and scammers, no matter what they claim. Sorting the good from the bad then is critical in the search for love. The following outlines some of the warning signs.

When searching for the perfect Filipina, watch for the following warning signs. A Filipina who 1) proclaims her love too soon, or 2) requests money often or early in the relationship, or 3) claims she’s in financial trouble and desperately needs help, or 4) makes sudden claims of emergencies, or 5) claims she needs assistance for a visa, passport or flight. None of these should automatically disqualify a Filipina, but each should be treated as a red flag for the potential of being a scammer, someone who is dishonest, or someone who is simply after your money.

If all is going well and there has been no sign of any major red flags, we strongly recommend having a professional background check on the girlfriend, fiancee or wife if necessary. Consider the service as an insurance policy to verify if the Filipina is who she claims to be. These services typicallly take about 7 days to complete, and if done by a professional, the subject will never learn of the investigation. One of the more trusted Philippines private investigators continues to be Philippine PI, a subsidiary of the U.S. based Wymoo.

Are all of these risks really worth the reward? Many happily married men say yes. Others who have been scammed and left in financial ruin say no. The fact is, sometimes the perfect Filipina is worth searching for despite the risk.. but be careful!!

All the Best,

Simon Birch

© 2006-2009 S. Birch

Proceed With Caution

A word of caution about the growing popularity of dating websites and marriage match-making sites catering to the Philippines. During the past 10 years, with the rapid growth and increased access to the Internet, the websites have boomed in number, offering relationships and dating opportunities with beautiful women from the Philippines. The number of sites offering single Philippine women seeking marriage is in the 1000′s, with some of the most popular being those like Cherry Blossoms and many others. Please be aware that NO website, no matter its reputation or claim, is immune from relationship fraud or scams.

Relationship fraud can come in the form of advance fee fraud (need help with visa, family emergency, etc) and many others – with the underlying factor always being money in advance. There are many decent women in the Philippines who are honestly seeking a life change, an opportunity to marry a Western man and leave the Philippines. Others, however, are out purely for the monetary gain and recent estimates (U.S. losses alone) are well over $5M USD annual that is going directly to scammers in the Philippines. Many of these fraud operations are ran from Internet cafes and are often managed by men, or committed by men portraying themselves as women. With that said, finding a decent bride or meaningful relationship in the Philippines is certainly possible. However, a professional background check is not only a wise investment financially, but the information uncovered can often bring peace of mind, and save one from a whole lot of heartache. Get her checked out early whenever possible!

Some firms, such as Wymoo International, can bring criminal operations to justice in the event that fraud is uncovered. This cannot be overlooked, as many victims (between 80 and 90%) do not report these crimes to the appropriate authorities due to embarrassment or lack of know how to report the crime. Lastly, these scam operations are growing, so please use caution!! If she asks for money and falls in love fast, watch out!!

Best of luck as always,

A. Hathaway

Cheating Spouses

Where to go when you need Answers

The Philippines has been, and continues to be, a major exporter of brides. What drives this exportation of women is not exactly known, but clearly the corruption, poverty and limited amount of opportunity in the Philippines is a factor. The supply and demand continue to be strong, with the women choosing men in Western Europe, the United States, Australia and Canada. With this international match making, has come some problems.

International marriages and relationships begun on the Internet have contributed to a sharp rise in fraud cases and relationship scams. In addition to the unknown factor of getting to know a Filipina on the Internet, the fact is that the Philippine culture is one where many things are for sale, including love. That is to say in a poor country like the Philippines, opportunity and money talks. The problem for the Western men in the United States, Canada and Western Europe is how to know if it’s love or money talking. To be sure, in most cases, it pays to hire a PI.

Whether you’re looking for a background check to confirm her story, or if you suspect infidelity and require surveillance for clear evidence, we recommend hiring a reputable firm like Wymoo International. Wymoo and its subsidiary, Philippine PI, have offices in Manila and Cebu with years of experience assisting clients in uncovering the truth. You can view their commercial at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkopyZK3P1o. Depending on your specific needs, you might need surveillance on the subject or a comprehensive background check to verify claims of education, employment, marital status, address, etc.

Surveillance and professional investigations can be somewhat costly. However, not knowing the truth about a relationship in the Philippines can be even more expensive. Find out the truth by contacting a professional. In the Philippines, a land of fraud and scams, one cannot afford to simply hope for the best.

Best of luck,

A. Hathaway Copyright

© 2005-2007 Wymoo International, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Japanese wife