Written By: Kym Pasqualini, Feature Crime Writer for Lauth Investigations
Penetration testing, intrusion testing and red teaming are some of the terms used for ethical hacking.
The word “hacking” almost always has negative connotations. It seems the mention of Chinese hacking, Russian hacking, or DNC hacking receives constant mention in our 24-hour news cycle.
Ethical hacking is also referred to as penetration testing, intrusion testing and red teaming, coined by the government during the 1970’s when they first hired ethical hackers to break into the United States government’s computer systems to test for vulnerabilities.
It is estimated “hackers” cost the United States more than $445 billion annually.
In a Fortune article “Data Breaches Now Cost $4 Million on Average,” according to IBM’s security division, the cost of a breach per incident has risen to $4 million, up 29% since 2013. “We’re now in a mode where these attacks are going to happen even to people that are well prepared,” said Caleb Barlow, a vice president at IBM Security.
Hackers cost the US government and corporations billions annually.
According to Fortune, hackers and cybercriminals cause most breaches, and more than half of data exposures are caused by malicious attacks; the rest are caused by mistakes or glitches.
Ethical hacking is a growing profession utilized by the United States government, technology companies and other institutions.
In the field, experts refer to three major types of hackers:
White Hats: Security professionals or “ethical hackers” who use their expertise to strengthen a network and secure it from criminals.
Black Hats: Malicious hackers or “crackers” who use their skills for malevolent purposes. White hats work to protect computer structures from the Black Hats.
Gray Hats:Iindividuals who become white or black hats depending upon the circumstances and generally proclaim being an ethical hacker.
Many large corporations, such as IBM, employ teams of ethical hackers to keep their IT systems secure.
Why Ethical Hacking is Important
With every breach reported in the media, the need for more effective information security is becoming increasingly evident.
New technologies such as cloud computing, IT outsourcing, and enterprises must adjust their security practices and policies to combat the threat of malicious hacking. To combat threats, ethical hacking is rapidly gaining attention as an essential security practice to be performed on a regular basis.
“The increased sophistication and success rate for recent cyber-attacks is directly related to the shift in the attacker profile, indicating that nation-states and large criminal organizations are funding well organized, highly motivated, and well-trained teams of programmers,” said Chris Rodriguez, Analyst for Frost and Sullivan. “The elevated threat landscape therefor, urgently dictates the need for a comprehensive, real-world assessment of an organization’s security posture,” said Rodriguez.
Ethical hacking provides objective analysis of an organization’s security stance for organizations of any size. Ethical hacking has become a mainstream service, as companies of all sizes pursue expert, objective, third -party analysis.
What is an Ethical Hacker?
Ethical hacking is an ambiguous term used to describe hacking performed by an individual or organization to help penetrate or gain access to identifying potential threats on a computer or a network infrastructure. In short, ethical hackers are simply computer programmers who use their skills in a constructive manner.
Ethical hackers can attempt to bypass security systems to isolate weak points malicious hackers could exploit. In the effort to eliminate or reduce potential criminal hacks, the information gained by the ethical hacker is then used by the company to make improvements to security.
Some may say there is no such thing as an “ethical” hacker. Simply “hacking is hacking” but the most notable hackers are known publicly as cybercriminals or computer criminals because of the damage they inflict on companies and individuals nationwide.
A highly publicized hacking incident where personal information is compromised can damage a company or organization for years.
A cybersecurity professional can have a range of expertise, anywhere from maintenance, administration, architecture, forensic investigation of secure networked systems that are increasingly necessary for the sake of operation of businesses, nonprofits, governments and medical, and educational institutions.
Even training is offered by the International Council for E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council). The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) exam is made up of approximately 125 multiple choice questions and costs about $500 with additional IT certifications available. Training is entirely voluntary.
Ethics
For hacking to be ethical, a hacker must abide by the following informal rules:
Permission to access the network to identify potential security threats.
Respect individual’s right to privacy.
Treat all data, material, and findings as confidential.
Ethics play a vital role in hacking and differentiating innocent activities from computer crimes. Hacking is ethical if the skills are used to enhance a network system. But the issue of ethics can be very risky when one does not know a person’s motivations. With no formal code of ethics or code of honor, this void creates external forces to determine how to respond when ethical predicaments arise.
An ethical hacker will ensure the client’s IT system is properly evaluated for security issues and vulnerabilities, while protecting sensitive, personal and confidential or proprietary information. While accessing an organization’s system, the respected ethical hacker’s integrity will guide the actions of the ethical hacker.
Security Risks
While ethical hacking presents advantages to increase security to protect IT systems and assets, any organization implementing ethical hacking must consider any negative impacts that may arise from the practice.
An ethical hacker is typically contracted to hack the organization’s system. Hiring outside is usually preferred to start from scratch and simulate potential external hacks.
While there is an advantage of ethical hacking because it supports the organization’s efforts to gain more knowledge about the IT Security by identifying vulnerabilities, the main disadvantage is it presents risks of information disclosure. An outsider could intentionally or unintentionally disclose a company’s proprietary information to outside parties.
A dark side always is present where dishonest people will attempt to exploit others. Some risks of working with ethical hackers include:
The ethical hacker using their skills to conduct malicious hacking activities.
Massive security breaches.
Potential the ethical hacker will place malicious code, malware, viruses or other potentially damaging things on a computer system.
Allowing company’s financial, banking, or other proprietary information will be accessed.
Working with an Ethical Hacker
The benefits of working with an ethical hacker are obvious; however, many are overlooked, ranging from simply preventing malicious hacking to preventing national security breaches.
Before implementing any ethical hacking, an organization must ensure the ethical hacker understands the nature of the client’s business, computer or network system. This will help guide the ethical hacker in handling any sensitive confidential or proprietary information they may encounter.
The leadership in a company or organization must determine the sensitivity or confidentiality of the information involved. This will help ensure the ethical hacker does not violate laws, rules or regulations in handling sensitive personal, financial or proprietary information.
There are several guidelines to use when working with an ethical hacker:
An ethical hacker should create a plan including: identifying all networks and components they will test; detail testing intervals; detail testing process.
Require transparency while working with an ethical hacker, requiring all relevant information be reported while the system or network is being accessed. Transparency ensures the client to make immediate decisions and take necessary actions to maintain the security of the system or network.
Establish target areas with written work agreements requiring the ethical hacker not to work beyond those parameters to minimize exposure of sensitive information. The ethical hacker should not access other areas on the computer or networks not specified in the agreement.
Developing a non-disclosure agreement may be in order prior to contracting with an ethical hacker.
Legal Risks
There are legal risks to include lawsuits involving disclosure of personal and confidential information possibly leading to a legal battle involving the organization and the hacker if the work is not done properly. Also, if the hacker makes errors compromising the IT network or company security, it is possible to negatively impact the organization’s general operations and profitability.
With cyberspace growing exponentially over the last decade, complex legal issues have led to the birth of a highly specialized branch of law. Cyber Law or Internet Law pertains to Internet and computer technology related offenses, especially copyright infringement and fraud that involve computers, software, hardware, and information systems (IS).
The Information and Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) covers all types of cyber-crime, including hacking as provided under sections 43 and 66 which covers negligence and computer-related offenses.
Cyber Law prevents or reduces large-scale damage from cybercriminal activities by protecting information access, communications, privacy and intellectual property.
Ethical hacking is rapidly gaining attention as an essential business practice. Regardless of risks, companies large and small benefit from the work of ethical hackers by protecting a company’s most valuable data and protecting their bottom line.
Written By: Kym Pasqualini, Feature Crime Writer for Lauth Investigations
When we think of a spy, given the national news cycle, it may conjure up thoughts of Russians or the Chinese who have been long known for hacking and espionage. However, even more common, but much less talked about, is the business mole, and almost every business in America is susceptible.
Every business sector is vulnerable to Corporate Espionage costing businesses billions of dollars per year.
April 10, 2011, Joseph Muto was hired to work for the top-rated “O’Reilly Factor” but within 3 days, he was discovered by Fox employees to be anonymously writing for Gawker. In the span of 72 hours, Muto wrote a series of articles detailing the internal workings of the network, along with stealing and selling raw video clips. In 2013, he pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges and was dubbed the “Fox Mole.” He was fined $1000 and sentenced to over 200 hours community service. At sentencing, he said he wished he had never betrayed his former employer.
United States industries spend more on research and development of unique products and processes than any other country in the world. The key to success is having an “edge” in the business world. Whether a media company, software developing company or bakery, keeping an edge is key.
When someone steals those “trade secrets”, it is called economic espionage and costs American businesses billions annually. Damages can severely destabilize the victim company to include lost revenue, lost employment, lost investments, interruption in production, damaged reputation, and can even result in a company going out of business.
Corporate espionage conducted by spies or moles believe computers are irrelevant. It is about what data they want, what form they take, and how they can steal it.
The Company Man
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) states no business, large or small, is immune to the threat of moles and/or spies. Any proprietary process, product, or idea can be a target.
To raise awareness, the FBI in collaboration with the National Counterintelligence and Security Center has launched a nationwide campaign and released a short film called “The Company Man: Protecting America’s Secrets,” based on a true story. Mr. Moore is both unappreciated and unhappy with his career as an engineer at a glass insulation and fire-retardant firm. He is targeted on LinkedIn by a competitor who offers him a position in a rival firm. At first, Moore declines because he signed a non-compete. He is then offered $200,000 to obtain plans for equipment and formula for the glass insulation produced at his firm, RIS.
The FBI states many things drive a person to betray the company where they work.
Moore makes the decision to go to his current boss who then contacts the FBI who initiates a sting. A true story, there was an arrest in the case. However, this may not be the decision every employee would make – which makes every employee a liability in a 400 billion, in the dark. underbelly of America’s global economy.
Spotting Insider Threats
What drives a mole? The FBI states company moles are often “overwhelmed by life-crisis or career disappointment” driving them to leak information.
With email, cell phones, and jump drives, stealing information is far easier than in the past. Greed and financial need, unhappiness at work, the promise of a better job, drug or alcohol abuse, and/or vulnerability to blackmail, can all be contributors, says the FBI.
The FBI says employees who leak trade secrets, such as plans, customer databases, etc. will exhibit behaviors other employees can often identify to help prevent breaches.
Your employees may be the first line of protection when combatting the insider threat.
Potential Indicators:
Drastic changes in behavior, demeanor, or work habits.
Unexplained affluence.
Financial hardship.
Substance abuse.
Attempts to circumvent security procedures.
Long hours at the office without authorization.
Taking home proprietary information.
Unnecessarily copying materials.
Using an unauthorized USB drive.
Unusual use of cell phone during business hours.
Asking inappropriate questions.
Suspicious relationships with competitors.
Leaving traps to detect searches of their office.
Based on FBI’s studies, additionally, there are more subtle things to look for:
Someone hired to steal company information will be experienced in the operation of a business and will be able to identify the value of your company’s trade secrets.
Corporate spies are everyone’s friend. To gain access to a company in order to steal information, a mole will be socially adept with the ability to manipulate people to gain their trust.
Individuals who are frequently wandering or talking in locations they do not need to be to complete their job. Someone who reflects a pattern will always have a reasonable excuse as to why they are not in the correct area or talking to specific employees.
Employees who keep trying to re-open decisions already settled and question advisability of decisions.
They act envious.
Vulnerabilities – Getting Access
Once inside, a mole has a lot of ways to access sensitive information. Spies can even work in pairs, possibly one as a consultant and the other an employee. When you have valuable information, never underestimate the methods others will use to gain access to it.
Spying can be as easy as photocopying papers found on unattended desks or at printers. Walking into an empty meeting room with a laptop and pulling data off the network.
A common ploy is pretending to be an employee. Another ploy often used, posing as IT personnel because it enables the individual to look legitimate while accessing network access points and sitting at someone’s computer. In other cases, spies have posed as cleaning staff, gaining access after-hours.
Criminals capitalize on the common assumption if you are in the building, you must be okay. Investing in your company’s staff to raise awareness is the best investment a company can make.
According to InfoWorld, Peter Wood, Chief of Operations at First Base Technologies, a U.K. based consultant firm performing ethical hacking services, “Spies are interested in anything from financial data to intellectual property and customer data. They might steal information for blackmail purposes, but the most common motive for physical intrusion is industrial espionage.”
Wood says the most common way to intrude upon a company is posing as an employee or a visitor, even creating convincing costumes to pose as a legitimate visitor such as telephone, electrical or maintenance person, a burglar alarm inspector, even someone from the fire department.
Protecting Your Trade Secrets
The FBI lists several ways to protect your workplace from insider threats.
Recognize the threat.
Identify and value trade secrets.
Implement a definable plan for safeguarding trade secrets.
Secure physical trade secrets and limit access to trade secrets.
Provide ongoing security training to employees.
Use protective tools such as screensavers with password controls.
Classify information and store accordingly.
Secure the workplace so visitors do not have access without security screening.
Encrypt data and require strong passwords for employees with liberal access rights.
Develop an insider threat program.
Proactively report suspicious incidents to the FBI before your proprietary information is irreversibly compromised.
Ask the FBI or other security professionals for additional awareness training.
At times, companies are hesitant to report such activity for fear they will risk their trade secrets being disclosed in court or compromised in any way. The FBI will do all it can to minimize business disruption, safeguard data and privacy, and will seek protective orders to preserve business confidentiality and sensitive information. The Department of Justice also has a variety of protections in place to ensure information is protected during a criminal prosecution.
By: Kym Pasqualini, Feature Crime Writer for Lauth Investigations
The days of red and blue handkerchiefs, baggy pants, graffiti, rap-music, and drive-by shootings are no longer such a popular sub-culture. Believe it or not, the new kind of gangsters hold college degrees, work and hold jobs in offices, warehouses, even government positions and police departments. They are a more sophisticated criminal and have infiltrated corporate America.
No more baggy pants. Today, you are more apt to find a gang member wearing black patent leather shoes.
If you think this is not a possibility in your own company, think again. No industry or company is exempt. A University of Chicago study found gangs have increasingly adopted a clean-cut appearance while replicating techniques used by organized crime.
Described as “very sophisticated and well organized” by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), they estimate there are 33,000 violent street gangs with 1.4 million members nationwide. You can safely double that number if you count affiliates and wannabes. The number has risen steeply, up from 1996 where an estimated 400,000 gang members were accounted for in the University of Chicago study.If you think this is not a possibility in your own company, think again. No industry or company is exempt. A University of Chicago study found gangs have increasingly adopted a clean-cut appearance while replicating techniques used by organized crime.
Well-known companies, Chicago Police Department, the United States Post Office, major pharmaceutical companies, and even the Social Security Administration have found gang members within their ranks carrying out complex illegal operations netting millions annually.
According to the FBI 2015, National Gang Report (NGR), gangs have gained employment in the U.S. Military, law enforcement, corrections, and even judiciary.
From the Streets to a Global Crime Empire
Typically, gangs are known for drug trafficking, robbery, gun trafficking, intimidation rackets, prostitution, human trafficking, fraud and other crimes you may think would not infiltrate a common company. Now, they are. However gangs are concentrating their efforts on white-collar crime due to weaker sentencing guidelines and ease of making money.
The term “gang activity” involves identity theft, credit card fraud, prescription drug fraud, trafficking stolen goods, money laundering, mortgage fraud, Social Security Administration fraud, tax fraud, counterfeiting, and securities marketing manipulation. Where there is access, there will be individuals willing to participate in capitalizing and even selling their access to those interested in exploiting the system.
In New Jersey, the 111 Neighborhood Crips used a machine to make gift cards they distributed to grocery stores, pharmacies and other stores. Grand larceny accounts for 40% of all crime in the United States during 2014.
In 2015, the Outlaw Gangsta Crips in NYC made approximately $500,000 in a paycheck fraud scheme by obtaining a legitimate paycheck from an employee and using the information to create and cash counterfeit checks.
From 2004 through 2009, fraud investigations alone increased 33%, bringing losses associated with those schemes into the billions of dollars.
According to Fox Business, Gangs such as the Bloods, Crips and La Nuestra Familia are undertaking white-collar crime. They are recruiting members that possess the necessary skill-sets, according to the FBI.
When you think gangster, images of Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro, maybe even Snoop Dog, may come to mind, not the impeccably dressed executive working in a high finance position. Or, the nicely dressed woman at the bank who knows how much you deposit weekly or the amount of your company’s payroll.
In a Workforce Magazine article, “Have Gangs Invaded Your Workplace,” during 1995, California, Silicon Valley firms alone were hit with more than 50 armed robberies of microchips and electronic components with the average heist netting the robbers $400,000. “There’s a growing level of sophistication and opportunism,” says Keith Lowry, a detective in the High-Tech Crime Unit of the San Jose Police Department.
Gang members are becoming harder to weed out in the hiring process, much of the time because we commonly think of “gang members” as looking like street thugs, and these old stereotypes are costing companies billions annually.
Weeding out white-collar gang members has become increasingly difficult.
Any company can become a target or an opportunity to engage in illegal activities, like dealing drugs, theft of property or personal information, extortion. Gangs have learned they can make a lot more money by being well-dressed, educated, and articulate.
For instance, electronics firms are easy targets. A microchip or computer processor weighing less than an ounce can score several hundred dollars on the street. The sentence for being charged with a stolen microchip much less than selling an ounce of drugs.
Some gangs plant members within a company in specific department such as infiltrating dispatching, shipping or the financial departments. They can also pose as temporary workers or work for outside vendors to gain access to numerous companies.
In addition, the growing trend toward outsourcing can often lead to less control over merchandise, files, and information.
According to a Fox Business article “From the Streets to Cyberspace: U.S. Gangs Turn to White Collar Crime,” the FBI says, “Gangs are more adaptable, organized, sophisticated, and opportunistic, exploiting new and advanced technology as a means to recruit, communicate discreetly, target their rivals and perpetuate their criminal activity.”
Facebook has become the preferred method for gang members to communicate according to the FBI. “The proliferation of social networking websites has made gang activity more prevalent and lethal – moving gangs from the streets to cyberspace,” says the FBI.
Arming Your Human Resources Department
Much of the solution lies in ensuring Human Resources procedures are effective. Of course, background checks and screening procedures are vital but is there more to be done to detect a potential criminal trying to infiltrate your workforce? The first thing to keep in mind – you get what you pay for and being lax can cost you.
Local criminal checks are almost worthless; however, a full criminal screening can pay off. In addition, many applicants may have earned their GED in prison, with some digging, their history can be discovered.
Many companies cut corners and haphazardly follow procedures when screening applicants not realizing dealing with the aftermath can result in costing more when you compare it to properly vetting applicants the first time around.
Additionally, letting your applicants know you will be conducting a thorough background, previous employment, driving records, verifying degrees, criminal record check, and reference checks can also discourage many applicants from pursuing the position in the first place, which ultimately saves your company time and costs associated with the screening process.
What is important to consider is applying an effective screening procedure to contractors, consultants and temporary employees depending upon how much access they may be granted, as well as, the time they will be spending at your company.
Trusting a “temp agency” is conducting the appropriate background checks is a potential liability for your company.
Educating your employees on how to spot gang activity and how to handle it is crucial. Some companies have found having training sessions and employee meetings add to their success combatting gangs in the workplace.
Experts agree loyalty to gangs overrides loyalty to an employer. Even though they may try hard to blend in they may still slip occasionally and there are some recommendations or even subtle things to monitor.
Does your employee reside in a known gang area?
Is your employee responsible? Too much time on the phone or arrive late?
Does your employee go by a nickname and have nicknames for friends?
Do the clothes, colors or insignias stay consistent?
Does your employee have visitors at work, friend or family?
Have you noticed any graffiti in or around your workplace?
Does your employee use verbal, hand or walking mannerisms that could be associated with gang activity?
Is your employee on parole or probation?
Being a girlfriend of a gang member or being a current or former gang member is not against the law, but it could be a sign of other activity that could be detected if your HR department is cognizant of the many issues that face companies if infiltrated.
Using Private Investigators to Combat Gang Intrusion in the Workplace
Private investigators are a commonly used tool in the arsenal to combat “gang intrusion” along with malingering, theft or fraud in the workplace.
Along with surveillance and providing evidence, they can also evaluate your HR department’s policy and procedures through undercover placement or working along with the HR department to tighten up the reigns to reduce incidents of crime.
Many times, it is recommended to have a private investigator apply for employment without informing anyone in your company to best determine where weaknesses exist in the hiring process. Were all the references called? What questions were asked? Were the proper background checks completed?
It may be necessary to start at the beginning of the hiring process. In addition, private investigators can be placed in certain departments where there have been discrepancies identified to collect evidence admissible in a Court of law. It is an extra layer of protection when investigating activities at your company without violating privacy laws.
When a company suspects criminal activity, it is advantageous to hire a professional who will work with police if the legitimate criminal activity is, in fact, detected. Abuse of sick leave or malingering costs companies billions of dollars a year. This is enough to warrant the hiring of a private detective to legally document the behavior.
From filming a guy talking about starting his new business and hinting at using the employer’s database, to a meat manufacturing plant taking a cut of the supplier’s delivery, to the employee watching porn on the company computers, a private investigator can take the care needed to conduct an internal investigation legally, ultimately protecting your company and saving you a lot of money.
From the desk of Kristen Justis, Director of Marketing and Customer Relations
DANGERS OF ONLINE DATING FOR ALL GENERATIONS
PART FOUR – THE YOUNG SOLDIER
In previous postings in this series, I have discussed a widower, a divorcé, and a professional who were victims of online dating scams. One would like to believe scammers would have some conscience and stay away for our active duty military or even our veterans. This is not the case. Scammers are not particular when choosing their victims. Lauth Investigations International, Inc. recently handled a fraud investigation for a young military soldier who had been in a long term, live in relationship with a scammer he met online. Many believe these scams occur quickly; however, these individuals are committed and they get themselves in deep in order to complete the scam in its entirety.
Below is a description of a Lauth Investigation’s fraud case which shows military are a prime target for these scammers as they are gone from home often for months at a time. They are not able to be in tune with what is happening at home while they are deployed.
The Young Soldier
Jack is a twenty-two year old Army soldier. He met Gina on line while he was stationed in Kentucky. Gina and Jack began dating and their relationship grew over a period of two years. They are in love and decide to move in together. Jack proposes, they move into an apartment and they are ready to start their life.
In the meantime, Jack has completely isolated himself from his family and friends. His mother, Tara, hadn’t heard from him for over a year. Gina has been added to Jack’s bank account and she has taken control on his finances. In a long term, engaged, relationship, one party taking over the finances is not typically a red flag.
In the summer of 2017, Jack learns he is being deployed to Afghanistan. He attends training in Texas prior to his deployment. While in Texas, Tara broke up with Jack but told him she would watch over his finances and apartment while he was in Texas and through his deployment. Heartbroken and hoping they would get back together once he returned to Kentucky, he agreed to allow her to maintain her control over his finances. Jack even began paying her a monthly rate since she was handling his finances.
After a few weeks of being deployed, Jack finds out, through a neighbor in Kentucky, Tara has moved in another man to Jack’s apartment where he was paying the rent. Once Jack found out, he called Tara and told her he was getting rid of the apartment as he didn’t need it anymore. He advised his parents were coming down to move his items from the apartment.
Jack proceeded to draw up a Power of Attorney for his parents to take over his finances. In the time it took him to get the Power of Attorney, Tara had drained his bank account, shut off his debit card and moved all items from the apartment. By the time his parents arrived at the apartment with a moving truck, the only possessions remaining were some of Jack’s clothes. Tara became a ghost.
Jack’s parents immediately hired Lauth Investigations to attempt to locate Tara in hopes of finding some justice for their son. The experienced private investigators began to uncover the full scope of the fraud which had taken place. The scam on Jack was found to be a well thought out plan.
The private investigators found Tara’s boyfriend who moved into Jack’s apartment was, in fact, her husband. They have pulled this scam on numerous individuals. They meet military personnel online, develop relationships with them (men and women), take over the finances, skim money from the accounts, and disappear with all the money once their true intent surfaces.
Unfortunately for the individuals like Jack, they willingly add the scammers to their bank accounts, thereby making the money common property between the two individuals on the joint account. There is no criminal recourse for this action. The victims may pursue civil action against these thieves; however, the victims generally do not have the money to take this next action.
Lauth Investigations assisted in locating this thieving couple and provided Jack with information to file civil suit against them. Jack reported both individuals to the online dating site they utilized. Hopefully, they will learn their lesson and stop preying on our military.
Private Investigators provide answers for victims and handles cases the police are unable to investigate. Utilizing a private investigation firm is key to uncovering the truth, arming victims with ammunition to proceed as necessary, and hopefully stopping criminals from harming other individuals in the future.
From the desk of Kristen Justis, Director of Marketing and Client Relations
DANGERS OF ONLINE DATING FOR ALL GENERATIONSPART THREE – THE PROFESSIONAL
In previous postings in this series, I have discussed a widower and a divorcé who were victims of online dating scams. Many believe online dating scams only occur when victims do not meet the perpetrator in person and when the perpetrator lives out of the country. This is far from the truth. Lauth Investigations International, Inc. has handled several cases of scam and fraud in relation to online dating sites. Many of these relationships have been in person, long term, and heading towards marriage. The scammers are committed to their end goal and they stay the course of the scam for months, even years.
The following Lauth Investigations fraud case focuses on a professional woman in her mid-thirties. We hear of the cases often where the victims are older, retired, or just plain lonely. Lauth Investigations has found young, successful professionals are just as prone to falling victim to these scams.
The Professional Woman
Julia works for a Fortune 500 company in downtown Indianapolis. She owns her home, drives a nice car and has a hefty 401k. Julia has a multitude of friends she spends her time with including traveling often. One of her friends announces she is now engaged. Julia is in her mid-thirties and eventually wants to be married with children someday. The engagement announces gets her thinking how she would like to meet someone. In that moment, she decides to join an online dating website. Managing an online profile would be an easier way to meet someone instead of leaving it to chance, especially with her busy lifestyle.
Julia begins receiving a lot of interest from various men. She meets a few of them for coffee; however, there was no chemistry. Finally, she begins receiving email communication from Scott, a professional man within downtown Indianapolis who travels often. They communicate for a few weeks and they really get to know each other. After feeling extremely connected, they decide to meet.
Scott and Julia meet for dinner. It was an immediate connection. Julia enjoyed everything about Scott and the relationship begins. Although Scott is out of town quite often for his job, they spend all their free time together. Julia finds herself waiting at home for Scott instead of spending her time with her friends. Months pass by and the relationship begins to get extremely serious. Julia is in love.
The love Julia feels for Scott grows to the point she is ready to be married. She only focuses on him and their time together, until the holidays roll around. Julia understands Scott’s job is a lot of traveling; however, he is out of town over Thanksgiving, then he must go out of town for Christmas and finally New Years Eve. Julia begins to question what kind of job makes you travel and miss Christmas with your loved ones.
The questions start to rush inside Julia. She realizes Scott never has her over to his house, he only stays at her house. He takes a lot of calls while he is with her and he always walks out of the room for these calls. He has canceled a lot of dates with her at the last minute for “work”. Julia thinks back over the year with Scott and she realizes, he has never invited her to work event, she hasn’t met his family, and he has slowly alienated her from her friends and her family.
Julia reached out to Lauth Investigations International, Inc. for a simple background check on Scott. She began to fear he may be married. Even in the initial phone call to Lauth Investigations, Julia was questioning her decision to hire a private investigator as she felt guilty for not trusting Scott. Finally, she realized it is better to be knowledgeable instead of continuing blindly further into deepening this relationship.
The beginning of the investigation, Lauth Investigation’s private investigators found Scott was not married; however, he did not work where he claimed. It was found Scott was unemployed. Further investigating into his background, investigators discovered a long list of criminal activity including Identity Theft, Fraud, Tax Evasion, and Forgery. Julia was advised of our findings and she requested to know more. Surveillance and interviews of his past relations begin.
Rather quickly, investigators discovered Scott was a professional scam artist. He dates and marries women eventually taking their money and/or identity. He had opened credit cards under these victim’s names, he married some of these victims and when he divorces them, he is entitled to a portion of their retirement and checking accounts. Scott was a career criminal.
Had Julia not decided to hire Lauth Investigations International, Inc. to investigate Scott’s background, she would have been just another victim in his long line of scams. Julia was lucky as the scam hadn’t reached the money exchange or theft phase. Julia confronted Scott and she has never heard from him again.
Hiring a private investigator when beginning to date someone new seems deceptive and costly; however, it is better to go in with your eyes wide open. Be proactive and spend some money up front before the scammers take your money and your pride on the back end. Julia has since hired Lauth Investigations to complete background checks on two potentially new boyfriends over the past couple of years. She saw how close she was to becoming a victim and refuses to be in that situation ever again.
Some may say there is no such thing as an “ethical” hacker. Simply “hacking is hacking” but the most notable hackers are known publicly as cybercriminals or computer criminals because of the damage they inflict on companies and individuals nationwide.
Unfortunately for the individuals like Jack, they willingly add the scammers to their bank accounts, thereby making the money common property between the two individuals on the joint account. There is no criminal recourse for this action. The victims may pursue civil action against these thieves; however, the victims generally do not have the money to take this next action.
The questions start to rush inside Julia. She realizes Scott never has her over to his house, he only stays at her house. He takes a lot of calls while he is with her and he always walks out of the room for these calls. He has canceled a lot of dates with her at the last minute for “work”. Julia thinks back over the year with Scott and she realizes, he has never invited her to work event, she hasn’t met his family, and he has slowly alienated her from her friends and her family.
Rather quickly, investigators discovered Scott was a professional scam artist. He dates and marries women eventually taking their money and/or identity. He had opened credit cards under these victim’s names, he married some of these victims and when he divorces them, he is entitled to a portion of their retirement and checking accounts. Scott was a career criminal.