For the private investigators who authorities say became victims of Kevin Sianez, the job wasn't the cloaked adventure and jaded triumph of Hollywood. Many were just scraping by, trying to pick up scarce jobs via the Internet when they crossed paths with the one-time police officer.
Dave Qualls of Qualls Investigations in Elkton, Md., said he did a surveillance job in 2006 as a subcontractor for Orange County-based Sianez, who found Qualls through an online search. Qualls spent two weeks on the job and sent Sianez the results. It wasn't until after Qualls received weeks of promises to pay — and an overnight envelope that arrived empty — that he began to believe he'd been scammed.
The police didn't help, saying it was a civil matter, so Qualls took to the Internet to warn others. But almost as soon as he posted a complaint, one appeared attacking his business. Others who were allegedly defrauded and tried to give warning also said they found themselves under attack and without recourse. Some said they had to change their business names, while others — such as Qualls — decided it just wasn't worth the effort to fight back.
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