Warnings & Updates

INTERNET SCAMS and other WARNINGS, TIPS & UPDATES!

Update for 2009

Thank God we have not personally had to experience this one! But we have heard of it from an American we met in the Philippines.  His story didn't stop there. He said that his phone bill and the Philippine Calling cards he found around the house proved she was in touch with her former live-in.  They had it planned perfectly and the American paid dearly for it.  She filed for divorce only months after she had arrived, and by claiming domestic violence and mental cruelty she was allowed to stay in USA. (Yes, that's one of the rare exceptions to the two year marriage law!)  And he said she had a perfect set of all the documents he had sent her attached to the Affidavit of Support.  I told him I had on numerous occasions flown to the Philippines with someone’s original documents (and a copy to be certified and kept as true copies by the embassy) and met their ladies in Manila, just days prior to the submission of the documents.  Although maintaining control of all his original documents, (which included original deeds and tax records, business records, from being copied by her or any other individual), it was also a chance to go over all the documents, questions, etc. with her, that she would have to explain and/or verify in the upcoming interviews. So she and her family had no idea that the husband really did not want her to copy all his financial and tax records, divorce decrees, child support orders, bank records, etc..  All our new friend could do was shake his head and say he wished he'd known that someone did that service so that he could have done the same.

You should also be aware that directly across the street from the St. Luke's Medical Facility, as well as across the street from the US Embassy in Manila and Consular Office in Cebu, are many travel agencies and little photo and Xerox copy shops where anyone can have documents copied and/or passport photos made.

Most American men cannot afford to take off work in such a short notice to fly over to the Philippines with their documents, plus, most are not aware of what questions will be asked, so we are readily available to fly there for them and help prepare the fiancée for her interviews, as well as to present his original documents and a true copy to the embassy, which they will certify are true copies of the originals) and to bring his original documents back to the states for him. End result… she does NOT have copies of his financial documents. Plan ahead and be safe!

(Note: This warning is important enough that it will appear on both of our scam and warning pages!)

THE SCAM: “THE HOMEBOY” (LIVE-IN)

A few years ago there was one guy who wrote us for several months, then decided he could handle everything by himself,  without checking her out, and save a hundred bucks.  Well, that was his big mistake!

About a year later he wrote us again and advised he thought he might have a problem. He allowed her to make calls to Philippines, supposedly to speak to her brother. However, every time she spoke to him it was in her Visayan (Bisayan) dialect. He was not suspicious until he found numerous USA to Philippine calling cards on the trash.  Knowing that calls made with calling cards would not appear on is phone bill, he re-contacted us, apologized for not following through with checking her out in past, and asked what we could suggest. 

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