Internet Fraud Investigation Escondido: Is Sami Ahmed Saeed Guilty?

It is always a sad situation when criminals deceive innocent victims with the intention of stealing their money. It is an even sadder situation when these criminals deceive people by making them think they are helping out someone who is really in need. This is exactly what Sami Ahmed Saeed, a former security guard in Escondido, is accused of doing.

In late July, rookie police officer and mother Laura Perez was murdered by her husband, Freddy Perez-Rodas. According to NBC San Diego, her husband set fire to the home that he shared with Perez in an effort to cover up his crime. The firefighters who reported to the home were able to quickly determine that arson as the cause of the house fire. This lead to homicide investigators being called in and eventually arresting Perez-Rodas, who later confessed that he murdered Laura Perez and moved her body to a storage facility in Moreno Valley.

This tragedy created a united effort amongst community members to provide support for Laura Perez's daughter. Unfortunately - not all of the "do-gooders" had altruistic motives. In fact, the scenario resulted in a fraudulent website being created in an effort to embezzle donated funds.

The Los Angeles Times reported in early August that Sami Ahmed Saeed would be charged with nine counts of financial fraud and identity theft. Prosecutors say that Saeed created a fake website to persuade people to donate money to Laura Perez's daughter. At the time of his arrest, Saeed was facing charges of stealing cell phones and had been fired from his job as a mall security guard.

Avoiding Scammers Online That are After Your Money

Luckily, no one had donated to the fake web site that Saeed allegedly set up to steal money from citizens concerned about the welfare of the fallen officer's daughter. Unfortunately, many people are tricked by scammers and thieves every year. In the worst cases, victims can lose thousands of dollars. How can you prevent yourself from getting deceived by these phony web sites? Here are a few tips:

• Notice the site's URL. The web sites of official organizations like police departments and city and state governments will usually have a domain name that ends in .gov. When it comes to private companies, make sure that you have the authentic domain of the organization and are not going to a fraudulent site that is very close to the actual name of the company.
• Do your research. If an organization is claiming to be collecting money, get in touch with someone who works there and verify the claim. It is also important to use your instincts: if the site seems suspicious, it is probably best to avoid it.
• Verify a website's legitimacy. Check web sites that are created to warn people about online scams. A good example of this is Scamdex. These pages can clue you in on scams before you give your hard-earned money to a criminal.

Another excellent way to safeguard yourself from scams is to hire a private investigator in Escondido. The best private investigators can check out the people and organizations that are asking you for money and conduct an independent investigation to decide if they are legitimate. They will work discretely and give you evidence that helps decide if a cause or organization is legitimate.

If there is a particular person asking for a donation or payment online, private investigators can conduct a complete and advanced background check on the individual. This will help you determine whether or not they are being honest with you about their cause. Above all, be wise with your money and trust your gut and you can avoid falling victim to fake web sites like the one allegedly set up by Sami Ahmed Saeed.

Need help uncovering the legitimacy of a supposed charitable website or organization? Interested in running an advanced background check on an individual? Contact Linked Investigations and get started. You can reach us by phone at 714-432-9911 or toll-free at 877-464-5374, or by Email at info@linkedinvestigations.com.