Recently, customer appeals to a private investigator in Kiev with problems related to the investigation of cases of marital fraud have become more frequent. A detailed analysis of each case is surprising even experienced private detectives, how diverse and sophisticated schemes are used by marriage scammers to lure money and other material values from their victims.

The beginning of the scenario for almost all fraudulent schemes is the same: the future victim gets acquainted with a marriage swindler via the Internet on a dating site. Next, communication begins through the dating site itself, mail, phone, Skype or other communication channels. In the course of this conversation, the fraudster carries out the psychological processing of his future victim: as a rule, the marriage speculator creates a halo of either almost a saint or a martyr. Thus, the victim creates a genuine desire to either idolize his chosen one, or to act as her patron and protector. And both of these options involve a generous waste of money in favor of a marriage speculator.

During the investigation of cases of marital fraud, there are particularly sophisticated scenarios of money laundering from a victim. About a year ago, a foreign client asked one of the Kiev detective agencies to find the missing Ukrainian bride. And she disappeared, according to the customer, in connection with the departure to the monastery! A preliminary investigation indicated that she flew abroad to Turkey, where her trail ended. But the Kiev private detective who conducted this investigation revealed a particularly sophisticated fraudulent scheme in which a valuable group of fraudulent actresses participated, where they played the role of potential brides. The so-called "uncle" and his wife managed this group. They coordinated all their actresses, were engaged in the sale of gifts and jewelry that fraudsters lured from their victims. Moreover, at the expense of the victims, they organized collective tourist trips to world resorts. During such trips, they all communicated with the victim, who received them in their country. In the course of communication, the victim was urged to “conquer” his chosen one, which implied a generous expenditure of financial resources. So one of the victims of marriage fraudsters collected loans to “conquer” her beloved for a total of more than 100 thousand euros.

But all this could have been avoided if the client, before spending the money, would have turned to a private investigation bureau in order to verify information about his chosen one. The cost of such a check is significantly lower than the costs that he will incur in case of contact with a real marriage fraud.

Be careful! Do not give scammers a chance to seize your funds!