In today‘s increasingly digital world, scams are unfortunately becoming more and more common. From phishing emails to phony online storefronts to dating app swindlers, there are no shortage of ways that fraudsters try to trick unsuspecting victims out of their hard-earned money. In fact, according to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers reported losing more than $5.8 billion to fraud in 2021 alone, a staggering 70% increase over the previous year.
So what do you do if you find yourself the victim of an online scam? While the first and most important step is to report the incident to the proper authorities, you may also wonder if there is any way to track down the person or group responsible in order to bring them to justice and hopefully recover your losses. The good news is that in some cases, it is possible to uncover information about your scammer, especially if you saved records of your interactions with them.
In this guide, we‘ll walk through some of the most effective methods you can use to track down different types of online scammers, as well as red flags to watch out for so you can avoid falling victim to scams in the first place. While successfully locating scammers is never guaranteed, these techniques may help you find the information you need to aid law enforcement in their investigations.
Tracking Phone Scammers
Scam phone calls have been around for decades, but they‘ve only become more sophisticated in the digital age. These days, scammers can spoof phone numbers to make it look like they are calling from a legitimate business or government agency. They may claim that you‘ve won a prize, owe back taxes, or that a warrant has been issued for your arrest. The goal is always to pressure you into giving up sensitive info or transferring money.
If you‘ve been the victim of a phone scam, the first thing you should do is perform a reverse phone lookup on the number that called you. Websites like TruthFinder allow you to enter any US phone number and potentially see the owner‘s name, address, other phone numbers, and more, helping you determine if the caller was who they claimed to be.
To use TruthFinder for a reverse phone lookup:
- Go to the TruthFinder website
- Click the "Reverse Phone Lookup" tab
- Enter the suspicious phone number and click "Search"
- Follow the prompts to get your report, which may require a paid subscription
Keep in mind that if the scammer was using a burner phone or internet calling service, there may not be any records attached to the number. But performing a reverse phone search is still an important first step that can provide valuable information in some cases.
Looking Up Scammers By Name
In some scams, the perpetrator may provide a name, either real or fake. If you have a name you think may be associated with a scammer, you can try running a background check to dig up additional info like addresses, aliases, criminal records and more.
BeenVerified is one popular online background check service that scours millions of public records to provide detailed reports about individuals. To look up someone on BeenVerified:
- Go to the BeenVerified site and click "Name"
- Enter the name, age and location (if known) and hit "Search"
- Scan the results, paying attention to details like location and aliases
- If you find a likely match, select it to view the full report (requires subscription)
Even if the scammer was using a fake name, they may have inadvertently provided other tidbits of real information you can cross-reference, so be sure to carefully read any background report in full before dismissing it.
Reverse Email Lookups
Did a scammer contact you via email trying to phish info or entice you to click a malicious link? Plugging their email address into a reverse lookup tool can potentially return info on the owner, including their name, physical address, phone number, and social media profiles.
Intelius is a well-known people search service that offers reverse email searches. Here‘s how to look up an email address on Intelius:
- Navigate to the Intelius homepage
- Enter the email address in question and hit "Search Now"
- Check the results to see if any information on the email owner is found
- Click through to view details like name, location history and possible relatives
Like with phone numbers, a reverse email search may come up empty if the scammer used a throwaway account. But since many fraudsters engage in multiple scams using the same email, there‘s a chance some of their information has made it into the Intelius database.
Identifying Social Media Scammers
Social media has unfortunately become a major breeding ground for scams. Fraudsters can easily make fake profiles to connect with potential victims and build trust before asking for money or personal info. Romance scams are especially common on dating apps and sites.
If you suspect you‘re being scammed by someone who contacted you on social media, consider running their name, profile photo and any other details they‘ve provided through PeopleLooker. This service compiles information from numerous online sources to help you verify someone‘s identity and spot fake profiles.
Using PeopleLooker is straightforward:
- Go to the PeopleLooker site and enter a name, username, or other info
- Hit "Search" and wait a few moments for results to populate
- If any matching profiles are found, check the provided details against what the person told you
- Pay for a report to view additional background info like jobs, addresses, and possible criminal records
PeopleLooker can be a powerful ally in your quest to track down a social media scammer, but always think twice before confronting someone directly about what you find, as this could tip them off and cause them to block you.
Reverse Image Searches
In cases where you may not have much to go on beyond a photo sent by a suspected scammer, you can still try to track them down using reverse image search tools like Social Catfish. This website uses facial recognition technology to scour social media and the web for other instances of a photo.
To look up an image on Social Catfish:
- Navigate to the site and click the camera icon
- Upload a photo or paste an image URL
- Hit Search and wait for the facial recognition scan to complete
- Check the results for any matching images and profiles, which could indicate the true identity of your scammer
If the scammer is using a real photo of themselves, there‘s a good chance it will show up somewhere else online. A reverse image search can potentially help you locate other profiles they have created under different names. Just be aware that more sophisticated scammers often use stock photos or images stolen from other people‘s accounts.
Tracking Fake Shopping Websites
With online shopping more popular than ever, scammers have taken the opportunity to set up fake stores and marketplaces that look legitimate but never actually deliver products after accepting payment. These sites often use logos and imagery stolen from real businesses to appear more credible.
If you made a purchase on a site you suspect may be fake, you can try to track down the scammer by looking up the website‘s IP address using a WHOIS service. WHOIS maintains a database of registered domain owners.
To look up a fake website on WHOIS:
- Head to whois.domaintools.com
- Enter the URL of the suspicious site and hit Lookup
- Check the domain registration info, specifically the "Registrant Contact" section
Scammers usually hide behind domain privacy services, so the info in WHOIS may just lead to a dead end. But in some cases, you may find a real name, address or phone number that could aid in tracking them down. At the very least, you‘ll be able to see where the website is hosted which can help in getting it shut down.
Red Flags For Romance Scams
Dating sites are a hotbed for scammers looking to prey on lonely people by building a false sense of intimacy. These con artists are masters of social engineering, often crafting elaborate backstories to explain why they need financial help from their victims.
Some common red flags that could indicate a dating site match is actually a romance scammer:
- Falls head over heels for you almost immediately
- Claims to live or work abroad, especially if they say they are in the military
- Constantly makes excuses for why they can‘t meet in person or video chat
- Asks you to send money for an emergency, to pay a bill, or to cover travel expenses to visit you
If you suspect you are being targeted by a romance scammer, in addition to some of the tracking methods outlined above, you can try searching for their dating profile photo on Google Images or TinEye. If the same photo shows up under different names, that‘s a sure sign your match is not who they claim to be.
Limitations of Tracking
While it‘s completely understandable to want to go after someone who scammed you online, it‘s important to keep your expectations in check. Tracking down internet fraudsters is extremely challenging, as they are experts in using fake information and covering their digital tracks.
Even if you are able to uncover a real name, address, phone number or IP address associated with your scammer, that information may not be enough for law enforcement to take action. Building a strong case against a scammer often requires mountains of evidence and cooperation between multiple agencies.
It‘s also crucial to understand that even if you do manage to track down your scammer, you are very unlikely to recover any money you lost from them. In the vast majority of cases, those funds are long gone by the time the victim realizes they‘ve been conned.
None of this means it‘s not worth trying to track a scammer down or that you should just accept being a victim. But you need to be realistic and make sure you aren‘t throwing good money after bad in your quest for vengeance or restitution.
Avoiding Scams in the First Place
As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While knowing how to track a scammer can be useful after the fact, it‘s always better to avoid falling for a scam in the first place. Some quick tips to keep yourself safe from online fraudsters:
- Be extremely wary of giving money or personal info to someone you only know from the internet
- Double check URLs carefully to make sure you are on a legitimate website before entering payment details
- If a deal seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is
- Never click links in unsolicited messages, even if they appear to be from a real business
- Consider using an identity monitoring service to keep tabs on your online information
At the end of the day, the only surefire way to protect yourself from scams is constant vigilance. Keep your guard up, trust your instincts, and remember that if something sounds fishy, it probably is. Stay safe out there!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it easy to track down a scammer?
No, tracking down online scammers is quite challenging. They often operate internationally and use fake names and untraceable contact methods. However, using the strategies discussed in this article, you may be able to uncover real identifying info that can help law enforcement investigations.
How can I report an internet scam?
If you are the victim of a scam, you should report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For specific types of scams, you can also contact agencies like the FBI‘s Internet Crimes Complaint Center or the US Postal Inspection Service.
What should I do if a scammer has my personal information?
Scammers may phish for info like your Social Security number, credit card numbers, and bank login credentials. If you believe your data has been compromised, freeze your credit, alert your financial institutions, change all your passwords, and consider signing up for identity theft monitoring.
Can I get my money back from a scammer?
In general, money lost to scams is very difficult to recover, especially if it was in the form of gift cards or wire transfers. However, if you paid with a credit card, you may be able to dispute the charges as fraudulent and have them reversed. Contact your card issuer immediately.
