I've seen many, many episodes of TV shows where suspicious characters
need to be checked out (or vetted if you prefer) but now I find myself
in need of actually doing so, without access to any of the tools of law
enforcement.

I think my brother is being ensnared in some kind of romance scam and he
is too besotted to see reason. This woman, who he met on Linked-In,
actually claims to want to come see him but, surprise surprise, lacks
the money for a flight. My brother has already sent her money for an
airline ticket to visit in mid-July! I've warned him that it's extremely
possible for her to simply cash in the ticket and never show up. He
acknowledges it is possible but he believes she's the real deal and they
have a deep connection. He's been fooled in scams before so he's not
completely naive but he's still way too trusting of strangers. (And
maybe I'm just too damned cynical.)

I would really like to see what I can find out about her to see if she
could possibly be for real or, more likely, is a veteran con artist. I'm
pretty sure I can get her name and my brother tells me that she's in LA.

What resources are available to me to verify that such a person even
exists? How can I tell if she has a criminal record, either under the
name she's given him or some other alias?

I'd like to see what I could find on my own initially but I'm even open
to hiring a private detective if I can't find enough to satisfy myself.
How would I find a RELIABLE detective and what would he/she likely cost?
(I stressed "reliable" because I remember reading a novel once in which
a detective hired for a job like that approached the woman he was
supposed to investigate and offered to give the client a glowing review
if she cut him in for part of the money she scammed from the client. I
don't want that happening to my brother, since I hope to make HIM pay
for the detective if it comes to that.)

--
Rhino

On Jun 6, 2023 at 7:59:14 AM PDT, "Rhino" <no_offline_contact@example.com>
wrote:

> I've seen many, many episodes of TV shows where suspicious characters
> need to be checked out (or vetted if you prefer) but now I find myself
> in need of actually doing so, without access to any of the tools of law
> enforcement.
>
> I think my brother is being ensnared in some kind of romance scam and he
> is too besotted to see reason. This woman, who he met on Linked-In,
> actually claims to want to come see him but, surprise surprise, lacks
> the money for a flight. My brother has already sent her money for an
> airline ticket to visit in mid-July! I've warned him that it's extremely
> possible for her to simply cash in the ticket and never show up. He
> acknowledges it is possible but he believes she's the real deal and they
> have a deep connection. He's been fooled in scams before so he's not
> completely naive but he's still way too trusting of strangers. (And
> maybe I'm just too damned cynical.)
>
> I would really like to see what I can find out about her to see if she
> could possibly be for real or, more likely, is a veteran con artist. I'm
> pretty sure I can get her name and my brother tells me that she's in LA.
>
> What resources are available to me to verify that such a person even
> exists? How can I tell if she has a criminal record, either under the
> name she's given him or some other alias?
>
> I'd like to see what I could find on my own initially but I'm even open
> to hiring a private detective if I can't find enough to satisfy myself.
> How would I find a RELIABLE detective and what would he/she likely cost?

Just Google for the ones in your area and peruse the reviews. Probably best to
go with a company rather than just some individual on his/her own. Look at
their websites, see who looks most professional.

As for cost, I have no idea what current rates are and they likely vary widely
depending on where you live, but a basic background check shouldn't be too
expensive.

> (I stressed "reliable" because I remember reading a novel once in which
> a detective hired for a job like that approached the woman he was
> supposed to investigate and offered to give the client a glowing review
> if she cut him in for part of the money she scammed from the client. I
> don't want that happening to my brother, since I hope to make HIM pay
> for the detective if it comes to that.)

I don't think you have to worry about that. You're not living in a Mickey
Spillane novel.

On 6/6/2023 7:59 AM, Rhino wrote:
> I've seen many, many episodes of TV shows where suspicious characters
> need to be checked out (or vetted if you prefer) but now I find myself
> in need of actually doing so, without access to any of the tools of law
> enforcement.
>
> I think my brother is being ensnared in some kind of romance scam and he
> is too besotted to see reason. This woman, who he met on Linked-In,
> actually claims to want to come see him but, surprise surprise, lacks
> the money for a flight. My brother has already sent her money for an
> airline ticket to visit in mid-July! I've warned him that it's extremely
> possible for her to simply cash in the ticket and never show up. He
> acknowledges it is possible but he believes she's the real deal and they
> have a deep connection. He's been fooled in scams before so he's not
> completely naive but he's still way too trusting of strangers. (And
> maybe I'm just too damned cynical.)
>
> I would really like to see what I can find out about her to see if she
> could possibly be for real or, more likely, is a veteran con artist. I'm
> pretty sure I can get her name and my brother tells me that she's in LA.
>
> What resources are available to me to verify that such a person even
> exists? How can I tell if she has a criminal record, either under the
> name she's given him or some other alias?
>
> I'd like to see what I could find on my own initially but I'm even open
> to hiring a private detective if I can't find enough to satisfy myself.
> How would I find a RELIABLE detective and what would he/she likely cost?
> (I stressed "reliable" because I remember reading a novel once in which
> a detective hired for a job like that approached the woman he was
> supposed to investigate and offered to give the client a glowing review
> if she cut him in for part of the money she scammed from the client. I
> don't want that happening to my brother, since I hope to make HIM pay
> for the detective if it comes to that.)

Whenever I google for someone I know, there's plenty of sites that pop
up offering to do background checks, police records and such. They don't
charge a lot compared to a PI, maybe $20 or so. If she has a Linked in
account, she's probably on Facebook too, which would be someplace to
check her posts and photos to see who she hangs out with. There's a lot
you can do on your own.

On Tue, 6 Jun 2023 10:59:14 -0400, Rhino
<no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

>I've seen many, many episodes of TV shows where suspicious characters
>need to be checked out (or vetted if you prefer) but now I find myself
>in need of actually doing so, without access to any of the tools of law
>enforcement.
>
>I think my brother is being ensnared in some kind of romance scam and he
>is too besotted to see reason. This woman, who he met on Linked-In,
>actually claims to want to come see him but, surprise surprise, lacks
>the money for a flight. My brother has already sent her money for an
>airline ticket to visit in mid-July! I've warned him that it's extremely
>possible for her to simply cash in the ticket and never show up. He
>acknowledges it is possible but he believes she's the real deal and they
>have a deep connection. He's been fooled in scams before so he's not
>completely naive but he's still way too trusting of strangers. (And
>maybe I'm just too damned cynical.)
>
>I would really like to see what I can find out about her to see if she
>could possibly be for real or, more likely, is a veteran con artist. I'm
>pretty sure I can get her name and my brother tells me that she's in LA.
>
>What resources are available to me to verify that such a person even
>exists? How can I tell if she has a criminal record, either under the
>name she's given him or some other alias?

The basics can be retrieved with just her name and location. Though it
also helps if you know her general age in case there are many people
with her name in the area. Now you won't get extensive information
with that for free but it will give the basics. Then for some small
fee (I think under $50) you can get more extensive information like
any criminal record. Of course you can also pay a Private Investigator
to do the leg work for you and likely get more information for your
$$.

>I'd like to see what I could find on my own initially but I'm even open
>to hiring a private detective if I can't find enough to satisfy myself.
>How would I find a RELIABLE detective and what would he/she likely cost?
>(I stressed "reliable" because I remember reading a novel once in which
>a detective hired for a job like that approached the woman he was
>supposed to investigate and offered to give the client a glowing review
>if she cut him in for part of the money she scammed from the client. I
>don't want that happening to my brother, since I hope to make HIM pay
>for the detective if it comes to that.)

> Rhino
>
> I would really like to see what I can find out about her to see if she
> could possibly be for real or, more likely, is a veteran con artist. I'm
> pretty sure I can get her name and my brother tells me that she's in LA.
>
> What resources are available to me to verify that such a person even
> exists? How can I tell if she has a criminal record, either under the
> name she's given him or some other alias?

Treat her as a perspective tenant and get various background checks
done on her as if you were a landlord. Prices from $8.00-$17.00.

The Landlord Protection Agency
https://www.thelpa.com
https://www.thelpa.com/lpa/qc-prices.html

In article <u5nl7q$103o1$1@solani.org>, suzee@imbris.com wrote:

>Whenever I google for someone I know, there's plenty of sites that pop
>up offering to do background checks, police records and such. They don't
>charge a lot compared to a PI, maybe $20 or so.

I am pretty sure those sites aren't legit.

--
Let's go Brandon!

no_offline_contact@example.com wrote:

>I've seen many, many episodes of TV shows where suspicious characters
>need to be checked out (or vetted if you prefer) but now I find myself
>in need of actually doing so, without access to any of the tools of law
>enforcement.
>
>I think my brother is being ensnared in some kind of romance scam and he
>is too besotted to see reason. This woman, who he met on Linked-In,
>actually claims to want to come see him but, surprise surprise, lacks
>the money for a flight. My brother has already sent her money for an
>airline ticket to visit in mid-July! I've warned him that it's extremely
>possible for her to simply cash in the ticket and never show up. He
>acknowledges it is possible but he believes she's the real deal and they
>have a deep connection. He's been fooled in scams before so he's not
>completely naive but he's still way too trusting of strangers. (And
>maybe I'm just too damned cynical.)

Hate to be a pessimist, but what do you expect to happen when you tell
him she's a scammer?

--
Let's go Brandon!

Ed Stasiak <edstasiak1067@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Rhino
>>
>> I would really like to see what I can find out about her to see if she
>> could possibly be for real or, more likely, is a veteran con artist. I'm
>> pretty sure I can get her name and my brother tells me that she's in LA.
>>
>> What resources are available to me to verify that such a person even
>> exists? How can I tell if she has a criminal record, either under the
>> name she's given him or some other alias?
>
> Treat her as a perspective tenant and get various background checks
> done on her as if you were a landlord. Prices from $8.00-$17.00.
>
> The Landlord Protection Agency
> https://www.thelpa.com
> https://www.thelpa.com/lpa/qc-prices.html
>

I used to use a website called… SPOKEO… pretty sure it’s a .com… That will
give you the basic information free and taught you with giving them a
modest amount of money for the full report. Often the basic report is
enough to prove if some of these real or not. A friend of mine‘s wife was
getting her photography business going, and would often have to go by
herself to prospective new clients homes and wanted to make sure that it
was safe so I’d help her check them out.

--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.

On 2023-06-06 6:28 PM, Ubiquitous wrote:
> no_offline_contact@example.com wrote:
>
>> I've seen many, many episodes of TV shows where suspicious characters
>> need to be checked out (or vetted if you prefer) but now I find myself
>> in need of actually doing so, without access to any of the tools of law
>> enforcement.
>>
>> I think my brother is being ensnared in some kind of romance scam and he
>> is too besotted to see reason. This woman, who he met on Linked-In,
>> actually claims to want to come see him but, surprise surprise, lacks
>> the money for a flight. My brother has already sent her money for an
>> airline ticket to visit in mid-July! I've warned him that it's extremely
>> possible for her to simply cash in the ticket and never show up. He
>> acknowledges it is possible but he believes she's the real deal and they
>> have a deep connection. He's been fooled in scams before so he's not
>> completely naive but he's still way too trusting of strangers. (And
>> maybe I'm just too damned cynical.)
>
> Hate to be a pessimist, but what do you expect to happen when you tell
> him she's a scammer?
>
I've already warned him she MIGHT be a scammer. He obviously didn't want
to hear that but he didn't flip out at me either. He *knows* he's been
taken in on some previous occasions so I think he recognizes that it
could be happening again; he just wants desperately to believe she is
the real deal.

--
Rhino

On 6/6/2023 3:37 PM, anim8rfsk wrote:
> Ed Stasiak <edstasiak1067@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Rhino
>>>
>>> I would really like to see what I can find out about her to see if she
>>> could possibly be for real or, more likely, is a veteran con artist. I'm
>>> pretty sure I can get her name and my brother tells me that she's in LA.
>>>
>>> What resources are available to me to verify that such a person even
>>> exists? How can I tell if she has a criminal record, either under the
>>> name she's given him or some other alias?
>>
>> Treat her as a perspective tenant and get various background checks
>> done on her as if you were a landlord. Prices from $8.00-$17.00.
>>
>> The Landlord Protection Agency
>> https://www.thelpa.com
>> https://www.thelpa.com/lpa/qc-prices.html
>>
>
> I used to use a website called… SPOKEO… pretty sure it’s a .com… That will
> give you the basic information free and taught you with giving them a
> modest amount of money for the full report. Often the basic report is
> enough to prove if some of these real or not. A friend of mine‘s wife was
> getting her photography business going, and would often have to go by
> herself to prospective new clients homes and wanted to make sure that it
> was safe so I’d help her check them out.
>
Yeah, that's one of the sites that pops up when I look up someone. The
basic free report doesn't give you much though, but a little more info
is avaialable for less than $50.