Costa Rica Scams A Perspective From A Well Seasoned Private Investigator

July 27, 2010 - PRLog -- Cody L. Gear has been investigating fraud and scams in Costa Rica for the past 1o years and during that time he has acquired a plethora of information on the various schemes employed in Costa Rica to scam the uniformed. Scams range from real estate frauds to marriage scams.

Real estate scams are second only to the scams being committed by the women in the sex trade. The reason Gear talks about them first is the obvious potential for enormous financial loss to their victims. Laws in Costa Rica are very different than in the United States. Beware of pre-construction offers on developments that are not under construction. There are too many issues to discuss in this forum but your risk of losing money is significantly higher with such deals and your chances of recovery are virtually gone.

Scams by women working in the sex trade are another source of potential financial loss, Many of these women prey upon men visiting this country to send them money when the men have returned to the United States. Of course when the man is in the United states she is right  back in the place where he met her (hotel) working another "gringo". Recently Gear said he had a case that revealed that the woman had no less than 8 men sending her money on a monthly basis and she was still working the hotels. The common denominator between all the victims was the promise to marry and m ove to the United states. The only problem was that she was a Colombian and already married in Costa Rica.

So, what should you do if you think you are a victim or a potential victim of a scam. The firtst thing is to retain a competent, professional and reliable private investigator. Private investigators in Costa Rica are at times neither. Some of the investigators are scammers themselves according to Gear.  Prior to retaining a Costa Rica private investigator, he should be vetted and his credentials verified prior to retention. Ask him such things as verifiable law enforcement experience, education, office location, business telephone number and if they have an accounting system to track time and expenses. Ask if they will be doing the work or if they are subbing it out to others not associated with the firm. Gear said he knows of agencies that have non existent offices and others that use convicted felons to carry out the assignments.  Ask if  the investigator can and will travel to your jurisdiction to testify. Many can't as they are wanted in the United States.

Prior to dong anything in Costa Rica you would well advised to do some research first.  No better place to start than a professional and qualified private investigator in Costa Rica. He can provide a wealth of information and help you avoid being scammed.

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Cody L Gear and Associates is a charter member of CID and have been providing investigative services in Costa Rica and South America since 1997. We have the experience and education to deliver verifiable, quality information to our clients.