Need Help Serious Issue!

[nicpal]

Hey Guys,

I know that most of you guys are more proficient about finding things on the web and anywhere else for that matter so that is why I am calling upon you guys for help. I can only do so much by myself.

Before I start the description of what has occurred, I know that some of you guys will get a laugh out of this or say that this person is stupid for falling for this....all of this I know, and the person in question was forewarned by myself and my wife. But it is a crushing blow both financially and to his ego so please refrain from making any stupid posts in response. I am only looking for help in this matter, as it has already p*ssed me off enough.

My brother in law had been conversing with what he believed to be a young lady he met through Yahoo Personals for the past 3 months and even had spoken to her several times racking up hundreds in phone bills to Russia. He thought that she was legitimate and gave her the benefit of the doubt that maybe she wasn't one of the hundreds of scams you read about all over the internet. When it came time for her to somehow get her over to the states to meet he sent her the airfare and some travelling money as she stated she did not have enough. That is just his trusting nature as he is a lonely 30 year old guy, who has a great job, no debt, but not enough time to meet anyone nice due to his work schedule. Hence he turned to the net.

You know that I was skeptical, so I called the consulates here and in Russia to see what the parameters were for travel to the US and everything seemed legit. I even called the airlines to make sure she was booked on the flight which they verified. Even further, I had him tell her to scan her visa and passport and send to him to verify this which she did.

Well after all of the waiting, he was left at the airport holding some flowers, absolutely crushed and embarassed that he had been scammed, wasted his time and had his hopes dashed. I am afraid that this will ruin his self esteem, but only time will tell. Hopefully he'll pull through OK but understandably he feels taken despite all my attempts at forewarning him.

He got an email yesterday morning from someone claiming to be a friend of the girl he was conversing with claiming that she had died in the cab on the way to the airport, which is the exact scam which is posted on many web sites regarding this type of situation.

He is contacting the local authorities, the FBI, western union, and the consulates in her hometown to see what if anything, they can do.

It is my hope that someone here can help me to track this scammer down and get some kind of lead on her. This is what I know of her:

Alleged Full Name: Ekaterina Valerievna Naumova
Goes By: Katya Naumova
Email Used: [email protected]
Town In Russia: Ekaterinburg (Also spelled Yekaterinburg)
DOB: 12/09/78
VISA Control Number: 20044000911302

He also has a phone number that I will have to get from him if anyone can help track it that way.

I have the scan of the passport and the visa that I can email anyone if they need it.

Hopefully someone can at least get a lead for us so that it can provide some sort of solace to him.

Feel free to PM me anything that you can or post whatevr links you may think might help. I know that some of you may have overseas resources that I do not have access to so anything can help. I thank you in advance for anything you can help with.

 

[Nodnarb]

Best I can say is talk him up. Everything he has to be appealing to a foreign chick is the same thing he has to offer the girl next door. The money is probably gone. But if he has the good job you mentioned, the financial loss shouldn't be "crushing."

Also, you shouldn't be dependent on another individual for self-worth, self-esteem, ego, happiness, etc. I don't care if you've been married 25 years, all of that stuff has to come from within. If you depend on someone else for anything from within, then the next let-down will always be right around the corner.

Your brother is everything that he convinced this thief he is. He just needs to believe those things about himself, and find someone he can enjoy his success with -- not someone who will steal it from him.

Probably all the cliche's you've already heard. Sorry I don't have any legal advice beyond the "cut your losses and move on" line...

 

[nicpal]

Thanks. I wish that it was that easy for him to do, but I don't think it will be. He is actually taking it better than I would be if I were in his shoes. She really got him good though. My main concern is just stopping her before she does it to someone again. It seems like this happens everyday to guys, but no one really takes the steps to pursue these crooks because of their egos, or whatever. I'm just trying to set a precedent here as we have the most powerful form of communication and resources in this network of people who use this forum. I might as well utilize it!

 

[seeker]

You say you have a visa control number, which I assume was given from the US Embassy in Russia correct?

If that is the case, 'tracking' her down, might be easy. Doing something about it, is not.
There could easily be a Russian mafia out there that forces hundreds of girls to do this, so in part, it may actually not be up to her. What I am saying is that your brother should not feel like he was conned from her, but from a professional mafia ring, that deals with hundred such cases.
I wouldnt be surprised that If he were to track her down, the mob would make her 'disapear' before anyone got to her.

talk to yuor brother and let him know that this happens even to extremely intelligent people that happen to also be pure hearted and have trust in others.

 

[nicpal]

You say you have a visa control number, which I assume was given from the US Embassy in Russia correct?

If that is the case, 'tracking' her down, might be easy. Doing something about it, is not.
There could easily be a Russian mafia out there that forces hundreds of girls to do this, so in part, it may actually not be up to her. What I am saying is that your brother should not feel like he was conned from her, but from a professional mafia ring, that deals with hundred such cases.
I wouldnt be surprised that If he were to track her down, the mob would make her 'disapear' before anyone got to her.

talk to yuor brother and let him know that this happens even to extremely intelligent people that happen to also be pure hearted and have trust in others.

Yeah I thought of that. I tried doing a search for the VISA Control Numbers, but can't pull up anything as to where they are or can be verified. The reason why I think it might be an independent scam is because the dates that she stated that she got her visa and passport all matched (I know this could easily be doctored) but the tickets were purchased under her name and you would need valid ID for entry to the US...no? Especially with the heightened terror alert.....

 

[seeker]

Most definately she would need a valid passport and visa and sponsor etc...etc...

I dont want to sound too naive...But, is there a possibility that she actually did have an accident???
She goes and actually gets a visa, she actually pays for the flight?
I dont know what to say anymore, the world is getting stranger each day.

 

[cyphix]

Why not try some of those online people finders? Many of them can be very good!

 

[nicpal]

Most definately she would need a valid passport and visa and sponsor etc...etc...

I dont want to sound too naive...But, is there a possibility that she actually did have an accident???
She goes and actually gets a visa, she actually pays for the flight?
I dont know what to say anymore, the world is getting stranger each day.

No she did not have the accident. That is the typical post scam follow-up reported from most of these Russian scam web sites. Here is the email she sent:

I Natasha. I friend. Katya be killed in car crash in way to airport.
I so sorry. I cry. She not live. She go to you to Moscow and car was crash
in truck. All killed. She and taksi driver die. They killed. Katya wanted go you,
she loved you. Mother in hospital. She feel bad. I sorry. I write and
speak bad English and I write with dictionary. I love Katya very much.
I will write you when they bury. Natasha.

They send you this in hopes that you may actually buy the scam and feel bad and won't try to investigate further. I am waiting for him to get the follow-up email where they will ask for more money to bury her.......

 

[theparrot]

I always thought the scammers did not get a real visa, that is not without its own costs, and is actually very hard for young ladies in these countries to get.

 

[nicpal]

I always thought the scammers did not get a real visa, that is not without its own costs, and is actually very hard for young ladies in these countries to get.

It was a really good scam. They talked for months and she dragged it on and on. She said she would pay for the Visa and Passport, that much she could afford. I did the research on the average Russian salary and it said they make around $100 per month. A Russian VISA would cost $65. So he agreed to pay for the flight. After she went to her interview and got the VISA and Passport he sent her money for the flight. She booked the flight and when she went to leave the country she claimed they detained her because she had no "travel money". She said that it looked suspicious because she was a young single girl leaving the country with no relatives in the US on a tourist VISA. Sounds like a feasible story. So she said that she could leave the country the following weekend if he could send her the "travel money" to produce upon exit.

This is what really got my wheels turning. So I called the Russian embassies in NY, DC, and Seattle. None could give me definite answer, but said that people call there everyday asking that same question because they could not give me an answer because the laws are changing there everyday. So I called to confirm that she did indeed book the flights which she did. I then sent out a mass email to every email related that I could find about the exit cash requirements. We did find that US citizens could not travel into Russia without a certain amount of cash on hand. Furthering the credibility to her story. Every email response I got back said they did not know the answer to the exit cash requirements. So I made him demand her scan the VISA and the Passport which she did and sent to us. All the dates matched as well as all the photos and names. So he sent her more cash. After she received the cash, they still spoke on the phone and she expressed her love and that she would be here shortly. But she was a no-show.

The thing that made it believable is that she could've gotten this cash a month ago but dragged everthing out. I guess she just held out for a much as should get.

Well, now she is on the hook for wire fraud and I'm sure a slew of other charges. We found some helpful links of people to email and a detective in Russia, but don't know how much it will help. I do see that they busted a few scammers who stole much less than this incident cost, so maybe it will hope to expedite the matter. I really want to make all responsible parties for this fry for this.

 

[Jernet]

Dude, that sucks.
Tell him to stick with chicks in the USA. If he's into Russian girls, I'm sure there are plenty around. At least he can track them down a little easier ;0)

Also, sounds like there is a benefit to all this...at least we hope. Maybe he has learned his lesson and won't be so gullable next time. Sometimes this stuff happens for a good reason.

He may find the girl of his dreams next week at the supermarket. Life is funny that way yo.

 

[Domainsource]

If the money was sent western union, there should be insurance involved, Western union also has secure features this person would have to actually prove who they are check with western union.

 

[cyphix]

Did you see my post nicpal? You posted shortly after me so not sure if you seen it.

Just making sure you seen it!

 

[nicpal]

Did you see my post nicpal? You posted shortly after me so not sure if you seen it.

Just making sure you seen it!

Hey Cyphix. Yeah I just caught your post.....Thanks. It seems that most people searches are US based though. The only ones I can find are PI's or Lawyers. I am trying to expedite this as much as can and was hoping for something that I could find right away. I already tried getting a listing of phone numbers for her last name in the town she lives in, but Verizon said they can only pull up business listings so this is a little harder than I thought. I just started emailing people with the same last name as her in Russia through http://whitepages.rin.ru but it only yielded a few results. The next step is to email all 1400 listings through this site that live in her home town hoping that someone will respond.

 

[nicpal]

Dude, that sucks.
Tell him to stick with chicks in the USA. If he's into Russian girls, I'm sure there are plenty around. At least he can track them down a little easier ;0)

Also, sounds like there is a benefit to all this...at least we hope. Maybe he has learned his lesson and won't be so gullable next time. Sometimes this stuff happens for a good reason.

He may find the girl of his dreams next week at the supermarket. Life is funny that way yo.

Yeah, I know. Everyone doesn't have it that easy though. He works alot and has no one to go out with as we are the only people he really knows down here besides a few guys he works with who are already married. So I can see where it gets a little difficult for him. He also isn't very outgoing which makes it hard as well. I'm sure his tikme will come, I just hope this situation doesn't disuade him from not trusting anyone again. This chick had him wrapped up thinking that she loved him and they were going to live happily ever after.....

 

[darrenl]

That sucks hope hes ok.

 

[Graham Easton]

Sorry to hear your story.

The longer the scam the further people get sucked in and I think it is a good thing that you now know its a scam. This may sound really dumb but people who are taken in this way often do so again, going out on a limb of hope (which also breaks causing further usually huge financial loss).

I work in fraud investigations for a very large Bank. I don't see so many lonely heart scams but deal with the fallout of the Nigerian 419 advanced fee frauds that everyone with an email will see from time to time (I'm the son of general Abacha and need your help getting $500m out of the country - help me and you can have 25%.....)

Russia is one of the worst places to get justice or recourse. You are correct that wire fraud has been committed but that is no use to you as US law is not extra-territorial. Even if you find her you won't be able to extradite on a wire fraud charge (in theory you can but in reality no Russian court would hear a case against a Russian and extradite them to the USA).

Based on what you've said I would guess this is Russian organised crime. I wouldn't assume that the passport/visa details that you have are the fraudster. One poster mentioned that Western Union will need the Know your customer materials. This is only true for the sender rather than the receipient. Russia is not all that great on identity documentation (as bad as the USA prior to 911 and the Patriot Act). You may be able to trace the bank account in Russia and with luck the bank may have identity docs but these are often false ID from identity theft. I've seen a lot of people conned out of their identity through fake job adverts on internet sites. These identities are used to obtain a bank account which is then used to receive the funds subsequently taken out in cash. End of paper trail. Often 2 victims, one being your brother and the other the person who's identity was stolen.

At the end of the day I feel sorry for your brother and countless others scammed in this and similar ways. Its one of the reasons I work in the Anti Money Laundering field. The one person I save from sending their money out to a scam makes up for the 10 I get to too late. Saved an 80 year old last week from sending $120,000 to the scum (now that is job satisfaction).

I'd say you have a 70% chance of this being Russian organised crime. As such I would advise against attempting recourse or detection. Nothing good is likely to come of it and loads of negative stuff may come your way. Remember you are in the USA, they know who you are, know where you live, can even order credit reports or reports from your neighbours to tell them if your a nice person or not. Freedom of Information Act may not all that positive for US citizens. Don't seek revenge (tempting though it is).

About the only thing you can do and should do is speak to Western Union, explain what happenned and ensure they file a Suspicious Transaction Report to FINCEN (US financial crimes enforcement network). I think they'll get nowhere also but at least it serves as a flag for others and if they get several scams of the same type they will attempt to act.

Good luck.

 

[GT Web]

wow...that is one of the best and most intelligent posts I have ever read. Thanks for the lengthy reply and taking the time to share your expertise...

 

[nicpal]

wow...that is one of the best and most intelligent posts I have ever read. Thanks for the lengthy reply and taking the time to share your expertise...

Yes it was very good advice and info. I do appreciate it. I have recognized that it may be Russian organized crime, but that won't deter me from trying to get all involved taken care of. It seems that there are sveral avenues to pursue as the Russian authorities have been working with both the US and Interpol to take care of this lately. As I stated before, he has filed the fraud complaint with the FBI and Western Union already. Today will be our local police department. He has contacted the consulate in her hometown, who will file the complaint with the local authorities as well put a ban on use of the VISA in question permantly. It looks like the Russian Interior of Internal Affairs handles these scam and cybercrime over there so he has also filed with them. We will also be filing with the "Russian Tax Police" who are supposedly more feared than any law organization over there. It says that upon making income, every Russian citizen is required to file and pay taxes on the income within 48 hours of receipt. Since there is a transaction record of the receipt of funds, she would be required to file and if she did not could be arrested. So we are pursuing all avenues.

If I it is Russian mafia and I am taking a risk, so be it. I am not going to be intimidated by someone and half a world away, just so they can keep on going and do this to several other guys who get taken by them. It's just not fair. I am sure that there are many men who are well-off that have been taken for alot more and have not reported this.

In addition, as a result of all this I will be developing one of my domains "ScamLaw.com". I will providing steps for consumers who have been scammed on what to do if they have fallen victim. This includes all internet scams, so I would appreciate any ideas, suggestions, or facts you may have such as those posted by Mr. Easton above. I will also be including a forum on the site for Q&A. Hopefully this situation will enable me to make more of a difference than I thought.

 

[Graham Easton]

Happy to help in anyway I can. I've probably dealt with 100 or so cases like yours in the last 3 years working for my bank. These range from the common email scams to the rediculous. Most absurd I've had was a person sitting in front of me blaming my bank for holding up his payment of $4bn which was due to arrive as his commission for the 'Ultimate Personal Security Device'. This was a product that he and 20 friends had paid $20,000 each for the patent to some alleged device he'd never seen. Needless to say he was rather depressed when I told him that $4bn equated to almost $1 for every man woman and child on the planet! I can certainly feed you with information for your website - raising public awareness is one of the most positive things you can do.

There are several good sites out there the best of which are:
www.fraudwatchinternational.com and the UK Metropolitan Police website http://www.met.police.uk/fraudalert/index.htm

What these sites tend not to do that yours could is concentrate on the ways of tracing persons or cash, and the ways of stopping them from reoccuring. In particular I've seen little in the way of tracing emails, looking behind websites (simple whois information to establish the legitimacy of websites to the wayback machine on www.archive.org which I'm sure all readers know provides the history of any and every website). Whenever I've hit back on a personal level to 419 scams and reported them to the ISP following an email trace using VisualRoute.com the crooks have got very annoyed and innundated me with viruses. At least I know I'm getting to them!

From a Banking perspective these scams represent a risk to our institutions because if you've sent more money than you have then you become our problem. The major banks share information on the scum through a system called www.world-check.com which is a private database used by every major bank in the western world. They pool data on crooks and they are then unable to open a bank account in any other western institution. The system is excellent and covers my Terrorism, Sanctioned Person and Scum risk. It is one of the main uses of KYC information, passports and the like, collected by banks. Client Confidentiality and Banking Secrecy do not extend to criminals.

Anyway I shouldn't ramble - I'd be more than happy to contribute to your website content. I can give you hundreds of real examples should you want them and a banking perspective on asset tracing, recovery, dealing with victims etc. Email me on [email protected] and I'll provide what I can. May be worth meeting in a chatroom as there is much to discuss.

Completely off topic, I need linking help getting my PR5 site the top of Google. I'm doing well with it but would appreciate any high PR site offers to link with me.

Kind Regards,