Cyber Love's Illusions
Exposing the Romance Scams of Internet Dating!
Welcome to the
Cyber Love's Illusions
Law Enforcement Links Page
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Here are some links to help Romance Scam victims begin their healing process. These links can also help social service professionals, attorneys and law enforcement officers understand the scourge of Romance Scamming. For a more extensive list of links, consult the new third edition of Cyber Love's Illusions (pictured to the right) which has several pages of links. You can click on the link below to order the book. If you are a law enforcement or a social service professional, you can take advantage of our special discounts as well as our bulk purchase rates.
International Police Agencies
One of the more up and coming agencies in the fight against Romance Scams has been INTERPOL, the famous International Police Agency and the only one with international authority. Recently, the United States, Canada and Western Europe have expanded the authority of this agency and increased its funding. Scam victims seeking to report their scammer to law enforcement authorities might consider at least checking out their website.
United States Police Agencies
The scam victim's first point of contact should be with their local law enforcement agency. If you live in a local jurisdiction, such as a city or a village, you should contact your local police or constable and make a report. Make sure you take all your evidence with you. If you live in a rural area, your first point of contact should be the County Sheriff's Office. While these offices can do little to help you deal with your problem, they should be encouraged to refer your report to the following Federal Police Agencies:
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
The best place for a scam victim to start is the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which is jointly operated by the FBI and the White Collar Crime Center. The FBI also operates an anti-scamming website titled, Looks Too Good to be True, which has a lot of information on it. This site also gives you access to multiple federal government forms without having to visit several federal government sites. If you would like to contact your Local FBI Offices, they may also provide you with some assistance, although it is usually better to have your local law enforcement authorities make contact with them. The United States Department of Justice, which oversees the FBI, has also taken an interest in Romance Scams.
Other Federal Agencies
One of the other major federal agencies taking the lead in investigating Romance Scams is the United States Secret Service, now an administrative agency within the United States Department of Homeland Security. Famous for its official capacity in protecting the President and other governmental officials, the Secret Service is also charged with protecting the "Economic Security" of the United States. Sometimes, the Federal Trade Commission gets involved with isolated cases, especially when the case involves some kind of Financial Fraud.
Canadian Agencies
Canada has also experienced a growing problem with Romance Scams and has set up a Program called Phone Busters, operated by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre, to help Canadian citizens deal with the problem. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the Mounties) have also set up task forces to deal with the problem.
Other National Police Agencies
The most famous police agency in Europe dealing with this issue is Scotland Yard, the famous London police. The Australian Federal Police have also been active in dealing with this, along with other national police agencies. In Nigeria, their government has set up the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to deal with the problem.
Criminal Justice Schools Link Site
An unbiased and updated list of every school that offers a criminal justice degree in the US. This person spent a lot of time building a useful resource for criminal justice students. All the schools are listed on the front page and lead directly to each program, additionally they are sorted by state.
CyberCrimes: Battling a New King of Home Intruder
Cybercrime is on the rise, one of the most rapidly growing areas of prosecuted crime. Hackers may be computer geeks with malicious intent, identity thieves, spies, traders in illegal pornography or businesses attempting to disrupt competitor’s websites. The impact on society can be staggering, ranging from downed systems for vital infrastructure like hospitals or emergency response systems to financial cost. Brand damage is difficult to measure, and the cost to repair and prevent future damage from hackers annually runs into the billions.
