Web-Detective.com review: SCAM - Unauthorized charges 16

After having successfully navigated Internet commerce without a problem for almost fifteen years, I finally got stung. Before continuing with my experience, I wish to suggest to any and all that may have dealt recently with www.web-detective.com and/or any of their other associated scams and have not yet resolved their problem: CANCEL ANY CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD IMMEDIATELY, IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO. I fully realize that this can be a very time-consuming endeavor, but we are dealing with some very "successful" scam artists that have so far avoided all attempts to be shutdown.

I, too, was suckered with their "come-on" of only $4.90 and quickly concluded that they had little more than a database of databases, i.e., web pages with links to other databases, many of which in turn charged for their services. I exited the web site and forgot about it. BIG MISTAKE.

NOTE: Although web-detective.com's home page lists both a phone number and e-mail address, their mailing address implies that they are located somewhere in Canada. Apparently not so, as I'll explain later. See Page 5 of the referenced documentation. (You will need to download the pdf file listed at the end of this post in order to view the details of the documentation.)

A quick check on whois.com indicates that a Casey Olynyk is the main figure behind this and the related scams. See Page 7. Within ussearch.com there is also a history of a Casey S Olynyk in Bellingham, Washington. They are listed as having almost the same age (one year difference), and very well may be the same person. See Page 8. Interestingly enough, his name does not appear in any of the complaints. A quick check on whitepages.com does appear to list a Casey Olynyk in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. See Page 9.

However, when my debit card was debited it listed web-detective, Oakville, ONCA (Ontario, Canada). These two places are nowhere near each other. See Page 10.

But let's go back to Page 5. The street address is in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, but [protected] is a Miami, Florida, telephone number. See Page 11.

So, who is Casey Olynyk? whitepages.com states that he lives in Miami, Florida, and is the Managing Director of Razoreye Media Group and the address is listed as 8345 NW 66th St, #9819. See Page 12. If I'm not mistaken, nowhere on their web-detective.com web site do they list this physical address within the United States. A Google Earth picture appears to indicate that this is an office complex. See Page 13.

In filing a complaint with The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), I was asked for their IP address. Using whatismyipaddress.com, "web-detective.com" yields a static IP address of 205.234.170.164 located in Centreville, Virginia. However, "www.web-detective.com" yields a static IP address of 202.67.237.68 (See Page 14) which is located in London, England. (See Page 15)

In cross-referencing web-detective.com with razoreye.com (See Page 16 for the affiliate login page.), you will notice that it gives the same Miami Address and lists it as a Pandomar Company. See Pages 17, 18, 19, 20. It is absolutely disgusting that they hold themselves up as promoters of Capitalism when it can be proved that they are taking advantage of so many people. Read the sentence on Page 19 where they state "The founders of Pandomar Management strongly believe in the power of channeled Capitalism to fundamentally alter the distribution of wealth in the world." Right on. Their objective is to distribute the wealth in your pocket to theirs. These are the type of people who give Capitalism a bad name.

NOTE: On none of these pages of Pandomar.com is there a telephone number. This is definitely a red flag. How many web sites of legitimate companies do not list their telephone and/or fax numbers? Secondly, note that if you want to contact them, they require that you use their web site to submit the correspondence; consequently, you have no proof of correspondence.

So, again who is Casey Olynyk? A Google search yields 157 results. See Page 21. I'll let you do a Google Image search to find his face.

In reference to my own experience I, too, received their notice of a $40.27 debit on a Friday night. Just like other victims, I found that it was next to impossible to contact them either by phone or e-mail. Finally, I received an e -mail stating that I would not be charged for the following month. See Page 22. Then came the unsolicited e-mails from other companies.

Next came "The Privacy Chest" magazine from Rochester, New York, which I did not order nor could I relate to any company until much later. So, what did I find? Upon researching privacychest.com (another of their web sites) I found the same Calgary, Alberta, Canada address. See Page 23.

Then on Monday, May 5, my checking account was debited once again by web-detective, this time for $39.14. That was the last straw. I then turned to the Internet and found a web site titled "complaintsboard.com." How I wish that I had done more research before ordering.

As for their investigative service, I suspect that they have affiliates -- or are operating under other names -- because in checking out other web sites, they often lead to some of the same web pages. However, this is beside the point of their scamming people.

Thus far, I have invested far more than twenty-four hours in research and have discovered that many other people have been scammed by Pandomar -- or whatever the parent company is called - using numerous names including www.lotteryvault.com (another scam). See Page 24.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center also requested a list of other people that may have been scammed by web-detective.com. Therefore, I have compiled the following list from complaintsboard.com. Keep in mind that the twenty-nine names are only a partial list from only one bulletin board. Think how many victims may not know how to voice their protest to this scam. I will be contacting each and every one listed below in order to assure them that they are not alone and that an effort is being made to bring these people to justice. The list includes, but is not limited to:

Anderson, Gloria (See Page 25)
Baker, Darcy (See Page 26)
Berry, Trey (See Page 27)
Bryant, Christine (See Page 28)
Charlotte - last name not given (See Page 31)
El Amrani, Claudia (see Page 32)
Guerreo, Gill (See Page 33)
Herring, Nancy (See Page 34)
Hilgert, Carla (See Page 35)
Hughes, Andnrea (See Page 36)
Kaye Zwolinski (See Page 37)
Karl - last name not given (See Page 38)
Lee - last name not given (See Page 39)
Leonardo - last name not given (See Page 40)
Lori - last name not given (See Page 41)
Mitchell, Robert (See Page 42)
Passaretti, Michael (See Page 44)
Reeve, Jim (See Page 45)
Reynolds, Elizabeth (See Page 46)
Rudy - last name not given (See Page 47)
Sherry- Last name not given (See Page 48)
Snodgrass, Amie Lee Johnell (See Page 49)
Roki - list name not given (See Page 50)
Drop, Gary (See Page 51)
Cornett, Beverly (see Page 52)
Mack, Bud (See Page 53)
Bellmore, Jeffrey (See Page 54)
Sandra - last name not given (See Page 55
Sullivan, John (See Page 56)

Feel free to use any or all of this information in pursuing these scam artists.

A pdf file consisting of fifty (56) pages of documentation can be found at:

www.46952.com/web-detective_scam.html

Post the link to as many boards as you can. Contact as many government agencies and web sites as you can.

I'll be happy to correspond with anyone who cares to contact me @ dbollhoefer@mac.com

Daniel

I allowed the $4 or $5 dollar charge last week and was also billed the $39 dollar charge this week.

This sucks ! What can I do, not just for a refund but to file a formal complaint or charges against them?

I cancal my membership on 09/12/08 and on 11/12/08 I was charged $39.99 and I called to receive a refund for unauthorize charges that was made to my bank account. The person who I spoke with wasn't helpful. In conclusion I did read the conditions and it didn't say I had to cancal two different memebership. So I recommand that you grant me my refund, this would be good customer service.

please web detective do not make any transactions from my account there most be a refund I am going to call your number I just autorized something for only 2.95 and you made a bunch of transactions from my card that I don even know what the hell!

Daniel, I just wanted to thank you for posting this site and all the information. And thank you for all the work that was in involved. My husband and I have found ourselves in the same exact spot with razoreye, lol. They have take a lot of money out of our account and because of this website page of yours we were able to get our money back from the bank and prove that it was a scam. Have you had any new developments in your search? I sure hope so, and if you need any help with anything please send me an email. Thanks again for all you've done.

This is the most contemptible company I have ever dealt with. I signed up for the 3 day free trial of Web Detective Pro, which somehow also signed me up for something called Privacy Chest, apparently. At any rate, I cancelled the Web Detective within 24 hours of signing up, by following the cancellation link in their email. 30 days later, my debit card was charged $38.83. When I called, I was told that canceling the Web Detective did not cancel the Privacy Chest thingy, even though that was the only link provided for cancellation.

I called every number I could find. Here are the numbers I found and the names of the individuals with whom I spoke (if they actually gave me their real names, which I doubt):

[protected]
[protected]
and an 877 number that I can't find right now.

I spoke to Kyle Austin and Sarah Stevens, and two people who identified themselves as supervisors but didn't give their names.

I insisted on getting the physical address, and was given the following:

1011-246 Stewart Green SW
Calgary, AB CANADA 3H3C8

I also asked repeatedly for the name of the CEO and was told they were not allowed to give out that information because the CEO did not deal with customers. ! I asked for the name of the person in charge of the department that handles "help tickets" and again was told that they did not take customer calls. That they would call me if and when they decided I was due a refund.

I check my bank account online every day, so I called my bank within 48 hours of the charge showing up to dispute the charge. Since I used a debit card, the bank told me all they could do was give me the 800 number. After checking their records, the bank realized even they didn't have a number for the company, toll free or otherwise. I wound up having to cancel my debit card to avoid future charges.

I became very irate when I was speaking to their "customer service" people. They were rude, treated me as if I were the most stupid person on the planet, and literally laughed at me, offering no solutions whatsoever. I'm not even sure I have discontinued the Privacy Chest deal because in some places they tell you to call a number and in other places they tell you to email.

DO NOT DEAL WITH THESE PEOPLE! I promised them that whether I received my refund or not, I would post this story on every website I could find, as well as on my well-read blog. If you have already dealt with them, do not give up. If nothing else, just keep calling and calling. You may not get your money back, but at least you will cause them some aggravation.

Bravo! I am wasting more time than imaginable trying to get a $38.83 charge removed from my credit card by Razor's Edge/Web Detective! They "say" I ordered a magazine subscription of some sort. Unreal.

Wow, not just every month do they hit me with bogus charges, on August 25th, then August 26th - about $40 each time when I only agreed to $2.95. I call my bank, they give me the phone number to web detective and my pristine connection keeps dropping when on the phone with their automated message. Coincidence? No, these people are scam-artists. I have more respect for deranged muggers who rob you face-to-face.

I to only signed up on web detective to find my husbands mom signed on for three day trial puls if you paid 1.95 it would be seven day trial we tried it the frist day did not like it my husband called next day to cancell they hung up on him i also went on web site and cacelled thought that was the end of it i just lost the 4.95 for trial that i paid that was in june 22 2008 they put a hold on my card for 35.05 i didnt find out about til aug 1, 2008 so i went on site and tried to complain they sent email like i cacelled that day i called to complain they say there is no number to talk to about billing they will email me they never have i called today to complain ask when was my money being given back they said they emailed me about it they never did when iask again about giving back my money they hung up on me who do i contact about this they put hold on money a day or to during trial period they know they took it it with out my permission they keep hanging up on me and never send email

I had the desire to find an old crush... love kills. The 3-day trial membership on WebDetective seemed like a nice option. Just three dollars and I only wanted information on one person, so I wouldn't be needing to use the site for more than one day. WebDetective didn't think so. No, it thought I wanted to be full-time member. Mother###ers. I checked my checking account's transaction history days later online and saw I was hit with a ### $37.00 charge - completely unauthorized. I only put my credit information in for the $2.95 3-day thing. What the ###?! Unfortunately, it was too late to request a stop payment. I am now in the process of filing a complaint to my bank.

Someone please call Arnold Diaz or something !

Anthony,
New York

Please add my name to your list of people who have been scammed by www.Web-Detectives.com. After filling in all the presented blanks for a personal address and phone number inquiry, I got the message that they had the desired information and would supply it within minutes by filling out necessary membership blanks which included my credit card information. After completing the processing instructions, I waited around for their information - 1 minute, 5 minutes, 20 minutes. Nothing was ever furnished! I searched their web site for instructions on canceling my membership within the stated three day period to avoid the monthly charge of about $40 dollars. No information on how to do so! I panicked!

Then called my credit card company to relay my story. At that time they had received no billings from the web site.
However, based on the above testimonials, I'll probably go through the laborious process of changing my credit card .
I will gladly be a wittness to any efforts to get these scammers out of business. Tasso.

I also enrolled for the 3 day trial and kept going around in circles. This site is phony and I have already cancelled my card and am disputing the $2.95. This is ridiculous. I am so angry at how people take advantage of others. Luckily, I figured this out only a few hours after registering, so maybe i caught it in time. thanks for your comments, and letting other people know.

need to cancel to web-detective.com

I ordered the 3 day trial in January and just learned my credit card's been charged every month for $39 subsequent. Attempted to contact WebDetective but got only voice mail. Left message informing I had not authorized charges subsequent to Jan and I expected them to be cancelled.

I then called their other product line number (Privacy Chest), was informed they could not answer any questions. Rep offered to transfer me to correct rep. Greeted with prolonged silence, then disconnect.

Called my credit card company next, and before I even got it out of my mouth (just said "recurring charges, unauthorized) the rep said "Web Detective, right?" At any rate they were very helpful - are going to delete charges based on my disputing them. I also had them cancel my credit card and reissue with different number.

What a sleazoid operation. Contemptible. The $39 bucks is just low enough that many people (as with me) might not notice for a while, or if they do, may not follow up - ### doubtless bank on that. They should be prosecuted for these deceitful practices, and whatever I can do to hasten that day I will.

The website is a complete fraud. I paid for the trial membership and I was unable to access ANY information on ANYONE. The sites this website kept referring me too are free public domain sites anyway. Do not waste your time and money on this alledged company.They do not exist.

Daniel! I was just going to blow the whistle on this guy too!

Any one who has been scammed by these losers not only should contact the FBI, but also file a United States Post Office mail fraud report. I did some of the same research as you and found his name associated with over 500 domains! I'm sure some are old, but some of the names are: cashfordummies.com, 50cash.com, and other scams these guys are running. Casey Olynyk is also listed as a mail spammer. I think the phone number they give for web detective terminates at a call center in India. Thats why it takes so long to get through. He is associated with WaveThink, Inc, Intrigue Learning Svcs, WCM Investments, and Mongul Networks. All these companies have different addresses, from Las Vegas, Bellingham WA, (which you mentioned and I also found an Arkansas address. The worst and saddest of these is the Common Interest.org company. It's linked to Pandomar. It looks as if he is trying to channel all that money he made into profiting by selling microloans to impoverished 3rd world countries. According to Mixmarket.org, Common Interest is a NON-Profit organization whose main funding is from grants and private donations! Is this creep opening up a fake NPO to perhaps not pay taxes and rip off people on a much larger scale?
I cancelled my card, yet I'm still furious! I hope this guy gets prison time!