Facebook Scam

Pandora Jewelry Facebook

Recently, some of my clients have suffered a scam perpetrated via Facebook of a very well done site. http://www.pandorashopus.com/. The facebook scam comes across on your Facebook. As you will see that it has a countdown clock. Only giving customers one day to order the very popular Pandora Jewelry. As you enter the website you will see the jewelry priced very cheap. In most cases less than $10.00. Which goes back to previous posts I have made about deals that are too good to be true. I know for a fact, if something looks, smells or taste to be too good to be true, then count on it, IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.

 

 

Pandora Jewelry whose telephone number is  410-309-0200

To illustrate, I confirmed with Pandora headquarters that the offer appearing on Facebook is not an authorized dealer for Pandora Jewelry. I was advised the real site for Pandora is a “.net”. I was told that this was a scam and anyone who made a purchase via the internet should contact their financial institution immediately and stop payment.

Indeed I received a case, shortly after the purchase was made by our client. They received an email from from PayPal that said “You paid Reitmans,Shenzhen,CN, $27.99 USD.” This corresponded with the confirmation of the order placed to the www.pandorashopus.com website.

Recommendations

My recommendation for anyone who may have placed an order with this site is to contact your financial institution and give them all the information that you have received through your email.

During this time of year, especially with all of the event sales such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you as a consumer need to be wary of any and all offerings on the internet. This is the time of year that scammers hit. Looking at this website, you will find it appearing very authenticate and something you would assume Pandora would publish. But when you see a silver bracelet that normally sells for 137.99, offered for 16.99, something is wrong.

Hope your holiday shopping will go smoothly and hopefully this will help you avoid this scam.

Costa Rica Surveillance Services

I have todeve;opedosta Rica Surveillance Services

Finding Costa Rica Surveillance Services can be a challenge. Many who advertise or blog on the web are not here. I have learned these sites farm out services to less than competent or professional investigators. I have the practice, skill and experience acquired during my career as law enforcement detective. Cody L Gear and Associates has forged an entirely new form of surveillance services.  Therefore, I use latest methods and technologies meaning that there are few scenarios or locations in which I cannot capture. I have  operatives that are renowned for their ability to get closer, to take longer and better footage. Resulting, in a manner that is virtually undetectable, thus providing the highest level of discretion.

If you want success be proactive

Our surveillance services include the use of encrypted original footage. Thus, ensuring compliance with the civil rules of procedure for evidence gathering and storage procedures. I am fully compliant with the new hybrid civil / criminal evidence format, our evidence is  admitted in court. This results in the majority used primarily civil cases.

Admisabilty

The result by following such procedures we insure that the evidence we obtain can be used in court. I am confident the extent and quality of our surveillance cases are changing the way personal injury fraud is prosecuted. Furthermore. it is no coincidence that two of the most important recent cases in relation to personal injury fraud both relied upon our evidence. I am one of a few firms to offer a complete and reliable capture of proof that you need.

Additionally, I can travel to the United States to testify.  I have to testify to authenticate the evidence for it to be admissible in court. Additionally I use the latest state of the art equipment and techniques to accomplish our mission. Such equipment includes night vision and stealth cameras. We also use remote video cameras that allow us to conduct surveillances for extended periods of time.

Surveillance Takes Time and Patience

Targets of surveillance Never perform on cue! It is a matter of perseverance and being in the right place at the right time to capture the indiscretion. If you suspect your significant other is being unfaithful and you have advance notice of the travel plans to Costa Rica, call us and allow us to assist you with a strategy to accomplish your objectives.

Mistakes Expats Make in Costa Rica

Here’s a list of Mistakes Expats Make in Costa Rica

The law can be preventive medicine, but if not used correctly, it is a devastating curative medicine.  Please let me try and help you avoid the mistakes ex-pats make in Costa Rica. Always bear in mind that the legal system in Costa Rica is Napoleonic, not Common Law. You wake up and realize things are very different here than in the US or Canada. Because of that, the best place to begin your investment plan is in an attorney’s office. Fundamentally, it’s always best to be proactive.

Eleven things not to do

Do not do anything you would not do in your hometown:

Many ex-pats seem to believe they can outsmart the system when they come to a less developed country. Or, it just may be the way most Costa Ricans behave with ‘gringos which turns them into wishful thinkers.

It is best not to try the Do it yourself method!

I know some try to save some dollars in legal fees and avoid the work of finding a good attorney to guide them. Do not do that! Do your homework. Find an attorney, you feel comfortable with and stay with him for as long as he does good work.

Do not rush into the decision of hiring an attorney.

Most importantly if you are thinking of investing in Costa Rica, hiring a local attorney is a must for you. It does not matter if you are just buying a car, a home, or planning to set up a million-dollar business. You will need an attorney. You may not like the idea of paying legal fees, but who does? But accept it and live with it. The idea is to have your lawyer working for you as ‘preventive medicine’, as insurance against what ‘might happen. Consider the legal fees as your insurance premium, because that’s really what it is. Today, you will pay a fraction of what it will probably cost to try and fix that problem later on if you do not have an honest attorney to guide you.

4. Do not think of buying Costa Rica real estate and only follow the real estate broker’s advice! In Costa Rica, real estate brokers are not licensed in the same way they are in the United States. Some of them are real professionals, but a lot of them are just ‘enthusiastic’ salespeople.

Either buying or selling real estate, you will probably need a broker’s services, but even if your Costa Rica real estate agent is first class, have your attorney on board and have him supervise the process. These are other mistakes ex-pats make in Costa Rica.

5. Do not blindly trust your own countrymen! Just because they have been here more time than you have. I have seen US citizens being conned by US people and, Canadians by Canadians and so forth. Be careful! There are a whole lot of strange people in this country, some of them fleeing from the FBI, Interpol, ex-wives, and even from mental institutions.

6. Gentlemen! Please remember that you do not, I repeat, do NOT need to marry the first beautiful ‘Tica’ (Costa Rican woman) that you meet!

7. “Old Mac Donald had a farm“: And he lost it because he never took care of it. This is a common story in Costa Rica. Again, please remember that our legal system is different.

8. South of the Border…

I am well aware not everybody here wears a big Mexican ‘sombrero’ and has a big bushy mustache. Not all the ladies are named “Juanita Bonita’. South of the Río Grande. They all come from México, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panamá, Colombia, and Perú, All of them are different countries, with different histories, different people, and different laws.

9. “Easy comes easy goes.” I will not even waste your time on this matter. If it sounds too good to be true, then yes! It probably is too good to be true. Nobody on this earth can give you 45% per annum in a legitimate investment.

10. There is ‘risk’ even with legitimate well-known and established private banks. Right now I am trying to help a client who deposited a large amount of money in CDs, in one local bank.

11. If you really want to live in Costa Rica then, please live IN Costa Rica! It was the year 335 B.C. Alexander the Great faced one of his greatest battles. When his army reached the Phoenician coasts, he realized their enemies outnumbered them by 3 to 1.

Do you know how he managed to win the battle? Quite simple! He ordered his ships to be burnt… While the ships were on fire and sinking on the ocean, he spoke to his army and told them the only way to go back home was on their enemy’s ships. It was that or else.

If you really want to become a resident of Costa Rica, you may have to burn your ships.

Tips Avoiding Scams

Traveling to Costa Rica? Beware! Costa Rica Scam Alert:

Scam 3Tips Avoiding Scams In Costa Rica we here at Cody L Gear and Associates know you work hard for your money. Moreover, that is why I want to provide you with a Costa Rica Scam Alert. Thus, I am offering some tips to help you avoid being scammed in Costa Rica or at home.
Most importantly, we have learned that various solicitations have appeared on Craigslist and other social networking sites. These sites encourage consumers to deposit escrow funds to secure an interest in property located in Costa Rica. The scammers want you to send payment through Western Union. They want it payable to what appears to be a legitimate, reputable real estate company with name recognition. (Such as Remax, Century21, etc.…).

Check them out

I have contacted the real estate companies and none of them are associated with this type of solicitation. This is another scam being perpetrated on the unwary and is currently being investigated by law enforcement.

Additionally, we have been made aware of an Advance Fee Scam. This involves the unauthorized use of a brand name such as the one mentioned above.  By using a website and email address utilizing the name of the nationally known real estate company to hold the property.

In an effort to instill confidence in this transaction, the scammer fraudulently claims to have listed the property with the multi-listing service. Using a local Real Estate office in Costa Rica, and arranging for a fraudulent email notification. Thereby, posing as a real estate agent in Costa Rica (and using the real estate company’s logos) to be sent. The scammer disappears once the deposit is received, leaving the prospective buyer defrauded. For your information, there is no regulatory oversight of the Real Estate industry in Costa Rica and there are no licensing requirements. Because of these facts, there is no such thing as a multiple-listing service in Costa Rica

Here are some tips to help you avoid such scams:

KNOW THE PERSON YOU ARE SENDING MONEY TO. If you receive an email from a real estate agent with payment instructions, call the requesting office using the phone number located on the solicitation. Then call us (321-218-9209 or visit http://codygear.com )  to verify if this is a legitimate real estate company operating here in Costa Rica

CRAIGSLIST IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, or provide escrow services.

USE CAUTION WHEN GIVING OUT FINANCIAL AND OTHER PERSONAL INFORMATION VIA EMAIL. i.e.(bank account number, credit card number, social security number, etc.).

AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING SERVICES. Keep in mind that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL “GUARANTEE” YOUR TRANSACTION.

These types of scams often claim that an MTCN or confirmation code is needed before withdrawing your money – this is FALSE, once you’ve wired money, it is GONE.

PROPERTY LISTING MAY BE LOCAL, but the landlord/owner is “traveling” or “relocating” and needs you to wire money to them abroad.

Most scams involve one or more of the following:

Inquiry from someone far away, often in another country;
Western Union, Money Gram, cashier’s check, money order, shipping, escrow service, or a “guarantee.”
Inability or refusal to meet face-to-face before consummating the transaction.

Who should you notify about fraud or scam attempts?
Cody L Gear and Associates (321-218-9209 or visit http://codygear.com).

  • • FTC toll-free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357).
    • FTC online complaint form (http://www.ftc.gov).
    • Canadian Phone Busters hotline: 888-495-8501.
    • Internet Fraud Complaint Center (http://www.ic3.gov).
    • Non-emergency number for your local police department.
    • The government agency in your country responsible for dealing with fraud.

Information-Costa Rica Private Investigator Needs

What Information a Costa Rica Investigator Needs

In order for a Costa Rica private investigator to find a missing person, you will need to provide them with as much information as possible. If you could provide the private investigator with a name, date of birth, Costa Rica Cedula number, age, last address known, or anything else that you might consider helpful. However, if all you can provide is a name, a professional Costa Rica private investigator can still find the person. Even if they have remarried. More important is to get someone on this ASAP. You will find the authorities are notoriously slow, yes even the Embassy.

 

I am not a magician

Just keep in mind that the less information you have, the longer it might take for the private investigator to find the person you are looking for. It is also much harder for the private investigator to find someone if they are running from the law. Although, no matter what the circumstances the private investigator should exhaust all resources in order to find who they are looking for. Some tips; if your target lives in Costa Rica, they will have two last names. (i.e. Gonzalez- Bedoa)  This is very important as this will reduce the amount of time to locate them and/or get information on their whereabouts. If it is an American you seek a passport will also save time and money.

How do they find the person I am looking for?

A reliable, trustworthy Costa Rica professional private investigator has a number of different resources that the “ordinary person” does not have.. Private investigators have access to the most modern technology and databases that will help provide the information they are looking for. Some of these databases can only be used by private investigators, so the “ordinary person” would never have access to this information. They also have easier access to the large amounts of public records and information that is out there. Plus, last but not least, the skills they have acquired over the years as a private investigator give them a great advantage over someone who doesn’t have professional experience.

How long will it take?

How long it takes really depends on the person the private investigator is trying to find. A private investigator’s vast resources and professional experience can sometimes allow them to find someone in 24 hours or less! However, this greatly depends on how willing the person is to be found. If the private investigator is looking for an old friend, long lost love, or a family member it should be a lot easier than looking for someone who is running from the law. It also depends on how much information you are able to give the private investigator.

Why should I hire a private investigator?

For an affordable and reasonable amount a professional Costa Rica private investigator can find the person, you are looking for. They have the skills, resources, and time to get the job done in a timely fashion. In fact, a private investigator can often find someone you have been looking for, for years in a matter of hours or days. Why spend countless days or even years trying to find someone when you can make a quick phone call and have a professional, Costa Rica private investigator devoted to the job? It just makes sense to use a private investigator that is in Costa Rica..

 

Real Estate Fraud Plagues Costa Rica

Costa Rica Real Estate Fraud

Real Estate fraud plagues Costa Rica. Recently, that police arrested four persons in connection with a $50 million dollar Real Estate fraud. According to numerous news sources the four arrested are lawyers and Notaries. In Costa Rica all notaries have to be licensed attorneys. The documents that pass through National Registry must be notarized. Since most land purchases are purchased in a Costa Rica Corporation the transaction must be notarized. Generally, attorneys are given power of attorneys over the transactions. In contrast to the United States, a notary cannot notarize a conveyance to which he is a party. Here that is not the case.

Temptation

With that kind of power, it is easy and tempting to do something less than honest or correct. In this particular case according to the news source, the victim is an elderly German woman. She appears to have lost ownership of her properties in southern Costa Rica due to inappropriate paperwork. Although the accused have yet to be identified the police are saying that have arrested a 61-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man in Alajuelita. Also arrested were a 37-year-old woman in Cartago and a 60-year-old man in Coronado. According to police documents the crimes allegedly happened between 2010 and 2012.

The latest reports

The two persons arrested in Alajuelita are also notaries but are not active now. The pair is charged with improperly administering the woman’s property in Punta Uva and Bahía Ballena, which is located in the southwestern area of the country. According to police documents, both had access to $5 million in cash.
The suspects that were arrested lived in Cartago and Coronado and are active notaries. Police said that they assisted in the creation of 19 corporations that play a role in the fraud. Police alleged that the suspects tricked the elderly woman into signing papers so that she lost the properties.
Agents also reported that when they searched the offices of the suspects they found two unregistered pistols.

Keep in mind there are no licensing requirements to regulate Real Estate agents

Costa Rica Investigator

Barbara Sturncova

Breaking news on Barbara Sturncova

Barbara Sturrncova who went missing five years ago is in the news again. Apparently, her male companion, The FBI arrested today while attempting to board an airplane with his new bride. He was arrested for using a fraudulent passport.  In the past, there has been much speculation about Ulner and the role he played in Sturncova’s disappearance. No one has seen or heard from Sturncova since her disappearance and none of her bank cards have been used. Although highly coincidental, there is no evidence to link Ulner to her disappearance.

 

We wrote a cold case article about Barbara Sturncova and others that have mysteriously vanished into thin air. There are several people who have vanished never to be seen or heard from again. Fox 31 in Denver is reporting the story. There have been several people who have tried unsuccessfully to find Sturncova but have run into dead ends. The odds of ever finding her are poor.

The information we have received is that Ulner recently married and was at the airport leaving for his honeymoon when the FBI nabbed him. Information on his new wife and other information concerning his arrest has not been disclosed. Perhaps one day someone will discover Barbara and bring this case to a conclusion.

I have written this article to emphasize to those who have loved ones here, not to delay reporting a person missing. The simple fact that law enforcement is stretched to the limits further complicates cases like Barbara’s. The longer the wait the colder the trail. My years of working with homicides have taught me the quicker I get the case the better the result.

Private Property Registry in Costa Rica

Private Property Registry in Costa Rica (PPR)

updating its records. The first step is that a lawyer, or their assistant, will present documents requesting the change to the registry. Upon this presentation, a notation is made on the property records regarding the proposed change.We here at Cody L. Gear and Associates, have learned of a service provided to owners of private property in Costa Rica. The name of this service is Private Property Registry (PPR). PPR currently protects over 15,000 properties in Costa Rica. If you are an absent owner this service is an absolute must. Likewise, by living here you no doubt know the problem with squatters. The private property registry (PPR) updates daily by connecting with the National Registry of Costa Rica. The amount charged for this service is pale in comparison to the loss of your property.

How PPR Works

Fijatevos.com each night the PPR robot connects to the National Registry’s data feed and downloads the day’s transactions. Then, once the data is generated, the company’s software takes over. Likewise, the data is analyzed and compared to the previous day’s snapshot. By 1:30 am a report is generated detailing any change whatsoever to any property related to one of the clients. At 5:30 am this report is reviewed by the company’s legal department. Each change is analyzed to determine whether it is harmless or whether it represents a possible threat to the client. On average, about 90 changes are detected and only 1 is deemed a threat to be taken seriously.

At this point, the PPR legal team notifies the client by email, telephone, or fax. The client can specify the preferred method of contact, or also additional contacts, such as the client’s personal lawyer. At this point, the client can confirm whether it is a legitimate change or not. For example, they have taken out a loan or sold the property. If the change is not authorized, the client or PPR can take action immediately.

Registry Procedures Explained

The National Registry is required by law to follow certain procedures when

The process is for a registry bureaucrat to review the documents presented. The registry determines if they are valid and if there are any errors in the descriptions or clauses. If they are deemed valid and correct, then the change is approved and entered into the registry. A key factor here is that by law a change may not be submitted and approved on the same day. Caveat Emptor while normally there is a 7 to 10-day delay in this process there is a risk. When schemers and shysters have obtained cooperation from an unscrupulous registry employee, then the changes are expedited.

The PPR system takes advantage of this mandated time delay. The automated software reports annotations overnight. This means that if a change is recorded or noted, the property owner or PPR may submit a document opposing the change on the same business day. Thus, effectively freezing the process and obligating the registry to determine the validity of the documents.

PPR Services and Pricing

The PPR offers 2 types of services. The first level is called Monitor and Notify, which costs $143 per year. You, and anyone you specify, will be notified in the event of any change to your property. The notification is sent by email, fax, and telephone as soon as the PPR legal department determines there is a problem. If you have more than one property in Costa Rica, you can get a package that will monitor up to 8 properties for $384 per year.

The higher level service is called Maximum Security and includes the first level plus an automatic procedure for stopping the transactions. It costs $250 annually. This service, requires a power of attorney that allows the PPR legal department to file a prepared statement in the registry on your behalf. The statement opposes any change to your property information in the registry. Subsequently effectively stops the transaction. The registry is required to investigate both claims and provide additional documentation for proceeding with the change. In the case of a fraudulent claim, this alone will stop the perpetrator’s cold.

For more information concerning other services available to protect your investments in Costa Rica, call Cody L Gear and Associates at 321-218-9209

Finding a Person, Place or Thing in Costa Rica

 Persons, Places, and Things in Costa Rica

Finding a Person, Place or Thing in Costa Rica? Hunting for a missing person, or simply trying to locate someone? Need to find an address or asset in Costa Rica? Whatever the reasons are for looking, you have come to the right place. For fast, reliable, trustworthy, and affordable professional help in locating someone, we can help. Searching for a location in Costa Rica? A bigger challenge than most realize. Trying to recover an asset? Costa Rica is rife with fraud and the laws here actually help the scammers hide assets.  There are many reasons why you may need to locate someone, find a place or locate a thing.

We are not a database mill

I am not a “People Finder Instant Search” database company that provides you with old, outdated public record information. We are a professional private investigation agency physically located in Costa Rica (Not Nicaragua) that specializes in finding people, quickly and cost-effectively. I have access to data, resources, and other information that allow us to get you the result you want, not excuses. Why pay someone who is not here to find the information you already have? When you work with the private investigators in our firm, you will find that the more information you have about the target, the less it will cost you. Our basic locate investigations take as little as three 3hours of investigative time and fewer than 50% take more than that amount to complete. Of course verification of the location and identifying the target as being there have added costs.

Obviously, some people are more difficult to locate than others.  Costa Rica is known as the land of the wanted and the unwanted. Those wanted by law enforcement, hiding from creditors, drug users, and others require more work to locate than the average person. We encourage you to tell us as much as possible about the person we are trying to locate ahead of time. This allows us to give you an accurate perspective of the time and cost required. As the most trusted private investigator in Costa Rica, we have reunited adoptees with their birth parents. Likewise, we have, located people that are in need of medical assistance. In some cases located missing persons, are either the victim of a drowning or of a crime.

We have investigated the disappearance of people due to suspicious circumstances. We have assisted in, and, the recovery of the remains when they have fell victim to a crime or a drowning. It is reported that there are more deaths here from drowning than from automobile accidents. The Government here is not user-friendly and getting assistance to look for someone is difficult at best.

What makes our missing person and people locate services stand out from the crowd?

  • Our firm is a Private Investigator Agency, not a database search company
  • We provide 50 years of professional experience and judgment
  • We tell you where all of the information we provide came from
  • There will be an actual investigator to speak with about your locate investigation
  • Our locate investigations are conducted by investigators, not databases.
  • You will be given a detailed report of our findings
  • Our relationship with you is strictly CONFIDENTIAL

If you find that you need more than just a simple locate or person search, our background check services will give you all the information you will need about someone’s background. Our firm is a full-service private detective agency able to bring the full assets of our agency, with international and domestic resources, to the table.

Missing Persons in Costa Rica

What to do in Locating Missing Persons in Costa Rica

Kim ParisLocating missing persons in Costa Rica is much different from the methods and techniques used in the United States. There are numerous people that have gone missing in Costa Rica and have to date not been found. It is important that if you find yourself in this situation, you understand that the authorities here neither have the resources nor the motivation to find the missing person. The one thing that is absolutely necessary is to get someone involved to start looking for the missing person. The longer the time the greater the chance that the person will not be located. Please remember that the longer you wait the colder the trail will become. Additionally, don’t expect much help from the U.S. Embassy. They will take the information and tell you they will contact Costa Rica Police. However, make sure you report the missing person to the Embassy.

 

1st Thing to do in Locating Missing Persons in Costa Rica

The first thing you should do in locating missing persons in Costa Rica is to report the incident to your local law enforcement agency. When you do so give them as much information as humanly possible. Although the local law enforcement agency will have little to lend to the search and recovery of the missing person, it is one of the first things that the American Embassy in Costa Rica will ask you. Do not delay in making the missing person report to the police. All of the cases that we have handled have had considerable time lapses between the disappearance and reporting of the person missing. Each moment that passes with nothing being initiated to locate the person further reduces the chances of the person being found.

2nd Thing to do in Locating Missing Persons in Costa Rica

Call the American Embassy in Costa Rica. If you are calling from the States dial 011-506-2519-2000 and ask for extension 2453. Alternatively, if it is after business hours or the weekend, send an email to acssanjose@state.gov and provide all of the information about the missing person including but not limited to; photographs, flight itinerary, hotel reservation, date of arrival, anticipated date of departure, photographs, and the reason you suspect the person is missing.

3rd Thing to do

It is necessary that the missing person be reported missing to the Judicial Police in Costa Rica. They are commonly referred to as OIJ. If you call them be prepared to have someone who speaks Spanish as there are no resources for English. Costa Rica Law requires that an immediate member of the missing person’s family report the incident. They will not accept the missing person report from a third party. This must be done in person by the immediate family member. Thus be prepared to make arrangements for the immediate family member to travel to Costa Rica to make the report.

Alternatively, an immediate family member can go to the nearest Costa Rica Consulate and report the person missing. They will need the same information as previously outlined for the American Embassy. This will further delay the missing person investigation as the bureaucracy of the Costa Rica government moves slowly.

The Last thing to do

Probably the most important of all is not to procrastinate in reporting the missing loved one in Costa Rica. Also, equally important to retain the services of a professional and reliable private investigator to begin searching immediately.  The longer time in retaining the services of such a professional only means that the trail will be colder by the minute. Years of experience have taught me that it is imperative to get on this search as soon as possible.