Catch A ScammerScammer A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer. By Their Photos

A SCARSSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS. Anti-ScamScam A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. Tip

You Know Scammers Steal Photos Right?

But Did You Know That There Is Hidden Data In Most Photos?

In almost all photos taken with digital cameras, assuming that it is not a screen-grab but the original photo, there is something called “EXIF” data or MetaData embedded in the photo data file.

NOTE: there are a couple of important exceptions to this:

1. Where the scammer does a screen capture or grab of a photo from the screen
2. Photos processed and published by Facebook and other social media that change/replace the files
3. These images may have no embedded data that you can use – but it is worth looking, just in case

You Can Use This Data To Tell Something About The Photo

There are several FREE online tools that can display this data, simply by uploading a photo into a tool.  If it is an original photo directly from the camera that data will be there.

Free Exif Data Display Websites:

• Jeffrey’s EXIF Viewer
• http://exifdata.com/

You can also search on Google for “EXIF Viewer” to find more.

In these cases, you upload the photo/image file and it will tell you what is found.

There Are Also Extensions For Your Web Browser:

• For Chrome: Chrome Web Store – exif viewer (google.com) search for EXIF
• Use the Browsers Extension library for other browsers to search for “EXIF” to see what is available

An Example Of Exif/MetaData:

EXIF Generated Data

EXIF Data Generated Map – this comes from the GPS Information Stored In The Photo.

EXIF Metadata

With Metadata, you can see what camera took the photo, where it was taken, and when it was taken.

If you receive a photo and if it is not an original photo – meaning that it was edited or resized, ask why they would do that?  This can help you quickly spot a scammer or a fake.

TIP: always ask a potential romantic partner to send you a photo from their phone’s camera – which WILL be full of EXIF data – including where the photo was taken!

The EXIF data will even tell you which editor it was done in.  If there is no data, that too is a clue, meaning it was probably copied from the screen.

Every bit of information helps you make an informed decision about the person you are connected with.

TAGS: SCARS, Information About Scams, Anti-Scam, Scams, Scammers, Fraudsters, Cybercrime, Crybercriminals, Romance Scams, Scam Victims, Online FraudFraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain (money or other assets), or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compensation) or criminal law (e.g., a fraud perpetrator may be prosecuted and imprisoned by governmental authorities), or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements. A fraud can also be a hoax, which is a distinct concept that involves deliberate deception without the intention of gain or of materially damaging or depriving a victim., Online Crime Is Real Crime, Scam Avoidance, Married Scam Victims, Internet Infidelity, Scam Victim Divorce