Marital Due Diligence
Marriage Fraud Investigation: Red Flags and Verification
Marriage is a serious commitment—and a known target for fraud. Learn what signs to watch for and how to verify your partner’s story.
Common red flags
When something doesn’t add up
- Pressure to marry quickly for visa or financial reasons
- Reluctance to introduce you to family or friends in their home country
- Inconsistent stories about previous marriages or children
- Refusal to share basic identity documents
What we can verify
Marital status, background, and more
A professional check can confirm current marital status (where public), divorce records, child‑support obligations, and identity consistency across borders—all without contacting the subject.
Protect yourself
Order a pre‑marital verification
AllRussian has handled marriage‑related verifications across Russia, Ukraine, the US, and Europe for over 20 years. Submit the details you have and we’ll produce a confidential report.
How to Investigate Marriage Fraud: A Step‑by‑Step Guide
- Check public marriage and divorce records. Search the county clerk’s database where the marriage license was issued. Look for prior undisclosed marriages, rapid divorces, or gaps that suggest a pattern.
- Verify shared residence and cohabitation. Look for joint utility bills, driver’s license addresses, and voter registration. Cross‑check delivery addresses on Amazon, Doordash, or package tracking slips.
- Review social media activity for separation clues. Examine posts, check‑ins, and tagged photos. If the couple never appears together, or if one spouse posts from a different city consistently, that’s a red flag.
- Examine financial co‑mingling. Search for joint accounts, shared credit cards, or a mortgage with both names. In fraud cases, bank records often show separate accounts and minimal shared expenses.
- Look up immigration filings (if applicable). Use FOIA requests to obtain I‑130 (Petition for Alien Relative) or I‑485 (Adjustment of Status) records. Inconsistent dates or addresses indicate fraud.
- Interview neighbors and landlords discreetly. Question whether both spouses live at the claimed address, how long they have been there, and any observed separation events.
- Use surveillance to document separate lives. If legally permissible, conduct limited surveillance to record each spouse’s comings and goings – different arrivals, overnight absences, or separate vacations.