So, what can you do if you've found yourself in Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance?" For some reason, it seems everyone who has been scammed immediately turns to the all knowing, wonderful and brilliant About.com U.S. Military website to appoint About.com Guide, Rod Powers (yours truly) to the rescue. Unfortunately, my sniper capabilities are null and void, so all I can do is write these helpful articles to assist you in reporting this fraud, hopefully getting one step closer to shutting the Online Romance epedimic down once and for all.
Click on the links below if you need help to report an Online Romance Scam.
U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command As the Army's primary criminal investigative organization and DoD's premier investigative organization, CID is responsible for conducting criminal investigations in which the Army is, or may be, a party of interest.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center
Report the theft to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) (FBI-NW3C Partnership).
The Dangerous Side an
IC3 warning
Federal Trade
Commission Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information
and uses it without your permission. The FTC’s updated resources explain
how to protect your information and how to respond if it’s stolen.
Phone: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338) or TTY, 1-866-653-4261
Mailing Address: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, Washington,
DC 20580
Federal Trade Commission on Nigerian Scams E-mail Address: spam@uce.gov
Public Intelligence Public Intelligence
is an international, collaborative research project aimed at aggregating the
collective work of independent researchers around the globe who wish to defend
the public’s right to access information.
E-mail Address to report information: info@publicintelligence.net
Naval
Criminal Investigative Service is the federal law enforcement agency charged
with conducting investigations of felony-level offenses affecting the Navy and
Marine Corps. NCIS also performs investigations and operations aimed at identifying
and neutralizing foreign intelligence, international terrorist, and cyber threats
to the Department of the Navy.
Online form to Submit
a Tip
Air
Force Office of Special Investigations is the federal law enforcement and
investigative agency operating and conducting criminal investigations and providing
counterintelligence services.
Phone: 1-877-246-1453 E-mail to Report a
Crime
Romance Scams Website The mission of RomanceScams.org, an information and advocacy organization, is to create public awareness, provide accurate information and expertise to assist in the successful demise of online romance scams and help people learn, heal, and experience a safe on-line environment.
Looks Too Good To Be True.com website was built to educate you, the consumer, and help prevent you from becoming a victim of an Internet fraud scheme.
Travel.State.Gov provides Information
on International travel warnings, passport information, visas, U.S. Embassy
and Consulate contact information. The mission of the Bureau of Consular Affairs
(CA) is to protect the lives and interests of American citizens abroad and to
strengthen the security of United States borders through the vigilant adjudication
of visas and passports.
See
Internet Dating and Romance Scams for common examples of scams and a fraudulent
passport example.
Action Fraud is the UK’s national fraud reporting centre where you should report fraud if you have been scammed or defrauded.
Scams of the Heart is a volunteer group dedicated to helping the victims of love scams to recover from the emotional devastation and feelings of betrayal that often accompany the realization that the person of your dreams is not who they appeared to be.
Scamdex is an online resource information website geared toward providing links and contact information to report scams all over the world.
Yahoo offers an online support group for victims of Romance scams.
