Former fraudsters help to get their money back

Former fraudsters help to get their money back

Marwan Ouarab is a surprising hero. The convicted fraudster, who almost got into prison because he had sold fake concert tickets, has found a new appointment: he saves fraud victims from their online predators. For many, he is the last hope of getting their stolen savings or valuable treasures back.

a way to make amends

"It is the way of reparation that I chose," said Ouarab with a smile in an interview with CNN. The 29-year-old founder of Findmyscammer.com-a company founded in 2023 that examines online fraudsters-has been in the spotlight in recent weeks through the viral history of one of his customers.

The tragic story of Anne

Anne-who only wants to use your first name for data protection reasons-is a 53-year-old French woman who was brought by fraudsters by 830,000 euros ($ 860,000), who convinced her over a period of more than a year and a half that she had a relationship with the Hollywood actor Brad Pitt. The criminals bombed them with fake photos and Deepfake videos, which supposedly show the real actor how he speaks to Anne and asks for money.

The use of OSINT techniques

The videos that have been sent to Anne look convincing at first glance, but are occasionally exposed by bizarre noises and unnatural eye movements of AI-generated falsification. At the request of the French broadcaster TF1, who reported on Anne's story, Ouarab used techniques of open source intelligence (Osint) to track down their fraudsters in Nigeria.

To identify the suspects who cheated on Anne, Ouarab set a proven tactic: he took advantage of the greed of the alleged fraudsters by putting them on a prepared link that was a legitimate banking platform.

The art to take advantage of the mistakes of fraudsters

"Basically, Osint is art to find a person with very few information," said Ouarab. With just one telephone number or email address, the 29-year-old can expose online fraudsters and find out their real names, age and location.

"To collect your data, I just had to wait until they clicked on the link and gave me their consent," explained Ouarab. This method ensures that the data obtained can be legally passed on to the police. "It is not just reformed fraudsters who can master these tricks. Everyone can use these tools," he emphasized. "I used really basic Osint in this case."

The investigation by the French authorities

ouarab was finally able to determine the IP address of the alleged fraudsters, geolocalize them and identify three young men in their twenties who lived there. He put together all these details in a report that Anne submitted to the police when she filed a complaint, Anne's former lawyer Laurène Hanna told CNN.

The French authorities have initiated an investigation since then, and Ouabar's report is used as a piece of evidence, as the Réunion public prosecutor's office announced to CNN. So far, however, no charges have been raised in this case.

An alarming increase in fraud cases

Although Anne's story seems extraordinary, she is unfortunately too common for Ouarab and his team at Findmyscammer. In 2024, consumers worldwide lost over $ 1 billion through frauds, estimates an international survey by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance.

With the international AI Action Summit of the French government, which takes place in Paris this week, the increase in sophisticated deeppakes and the urgent need for better identification methods are on the agenda.

everyone can become victim

becoming a victim of an online fraud does not require sophisticated AI generated videos and deeper. "Everyone can become victims of such fraud," warned Ouarab. He speaks from personal experience: A few years ago, his aunt lost jewelry worth 80,000 euros ($ 82,880) while trying to sell him to Leboncoin.fr, a French online marketplace. Desperately asked Ouarab if he could help her track down the fraudsters.

"I learned all my skills on the dark side. I realized that they could also be used well," recalled Ouarab. He claims to have managed to cope with the fraudster and scare him to give him afraid so that he can return the stolen jewelry.

turning point in the life of Ouarab

Until six years ago, Ouarab was the one who cheated people. He sold fake concert tickets by printing functioning barcodes on empty cards that he had stolen from his local business.

The fraud worked for a while, but the police finally grabbed it. At the age of 25, he was convicted of fraud, sentenced to a ten -month, suspended prison sentence and had to pay 11,000 euros in compensation to the victims.

he decided to change his life and officially founded Findmyscammer.com in 2023, which he describes as the first company to detect online fraudsters, although there are also companies like Forward Global in the USA that offer similar service. What started as a sole proprietorship has developed into a flourishing company with 14 employees. A success that should stop because the figures of the online frauds continue to increase.

shocking statistics on fraud cases

In the United States alone, the reported losses related to so-called "Pig Butchering" fraud- a mixture of "Romance" and finance fraud- rose from $ 907 million in 2020 to astonishing $ 2.9 billion by November 2023, according to the FBI. "Over time, the number of victims will only continue to rise," said Ouarab, whose companies receive between 100 and 150 new auxiliary inquiries every day.

The consequences of online fraud can be devastating and let some victims drove into despair with empty life savings, broken families or in some cases, right up to suicide. The situation is often still exacerbated when the authorities refuse to determine. "In many cases, the police rejected the complaints of my clients because they referred to inadequate evidence," the lawyer Hanna told CNN.

The experience of Luca

Luca, who does not want to give his real name for security reasons, is a former client of Ouarab and shared a similar story with CNN. He lost 67,000 euros ($ 69,500) in a "Pig Butchering" fraud and felt powerless when the French police rejected investigations.

"I was completely helpless. When I went to the police to file a complaint, I was understood to understand that they couldn't help me," said Luca.

The manipulation by "Zara"

in 2022 Luca met Tinder, and the two quickly started an online relationship where they exchanged news and made video calls. They never met personally because "Zara" claimed to work in London in the financial sector while Luca was in Paris.

four months after the beginning of her relationship, she told him that she earned money by investing on a crypto investment platform, and suggested that he also try it.

Luca initially invested 10,000 euros ($ 10,400) and seemed to double his profits. Then he invested 40,000 euros, and after two months his virtual wallet was worth 100,000 euros. When he wanted to withdraw money, he was asked to pay 17,000 euros ($ 17,700). "Zara" assured him that this was a normal procedure for paying taxes on the profits achieved. Luca paid; He never saw money or "Zara" again.

Ouarab succeeds in identifying "Zara"

For a fee of $ 2,500 ($ 2,600), Ouarab was able to identify "Zara" and trace her whereabouts back in Dubai, where it is supposedly part of a larger fraudster. With this information, Luca was able to ask Luca to reimburse almost half of his losses, and initiated an official investigation of his case.

Responsibility of the banks

banks have certain obligations towards their customers. According to Louis Aubibert, director of the investigative and complaint department at Forward Global, "the bank must ensure that the name of the account holder matches the account number" if money is transferred to someone. In Anne's case, this means that they “had to verify that the account was actually on Brad Pitt”.

You also have a prevention obligation. "If, as someone who deserves a salary in France, I start to transfer large amounts abroad, the bank should mark these transactions because they are irregular," said Aubibert.

Combating prostitution networks

Although not every case will lead to a success story, Findmyscammer.com examines a variety of fraud. From "Romance" fraud and "Pig Butchering" to extortion to intimate photos and financial fraud, the company's field of activity extends beyond individual customers.

Companies commission Ouarab and his team to test their security by trying to cheat them. Even governments and public institutions, such as the French Ministry of Child Protection, cooperate with Findmyscammer.com to fight prostitution networks, he said.

The risks of fighting crime

The persecution of criminals carries its own risks. Ouarab and his team have received numerous threats, which is why the identities of all employees, with the exception of Ouarabs, are kept secret.

he himself makes sure to hide his place of residence because he had to move several times due to security concerns. "I have to be very careful, but I know it is for a good thing," he said. "I used to be a fraudster and I deeply regret it. If that's the price I have to pay to rehabilitate myself, then let it be."