Case File Opened
Geolocate a photo sent by a suspected scammer
Case No.
SCM-2026-0407
Status
Open
Filed
2026-07-03
Evidence log
A reconstructed timeline from a real investigation. Your case will differ.
| Timestamp | Entry |
|---|---|
| 14:02 | Match initiated on dating platform. Subject claims residence in London, UK. |
| 14:05 | Subject sends first photo: residential street, palm trees visible, Spanish-tile roofs. |
| Day 3 | Subject requests gift cards for 'customs emergency' before any in-person meeting. |
| Day 4 | Photo uploaded to Oceanir. Orca returns coordinates 34.0901, -118.4065. Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. |
| Day 4 | Reverse image search confirms photo licensed from LA-based stock photographer. |
| Day 4 | Communications ceased. Profile reported to platform. Evidence preserved. |
Submit evidence
Drop the photo the person sent you. Orca reads the pixels and returns coordinates with a confidence score. Free, no signup.
Red flags in the evidence
These are the cues Orca surfaced in the case above. Any one is worth investigating; together they are conclusive.
Geographic mismatch
The photo resolves to a city the person never claimed to be in. This is the single strongest signal of a stolen image.
Studio lighting artifacts
Three-point lighting (key, fill, rim) visible in a supposed selfie. Real outdoor photos have one light source: the sun.
Watermark remnants
A partially cropped logo or compression artifact in a corner suggests the image was lifted from a licensing site.
Resolution
Closing the case
The photo resolved to Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, with 94% confidence. The palm trees, stucco architecture, and a California license plate on a parked car were the three cues that placed it squarely in Southern California, not London.
A reverse image search confirmed the photo was a stock image licensed from an LA-based photographer. The scammer had never been to London. The persona was fabricated from the first message.
No money was sent. The profile was reported to the dating platform with the geolocation evidence attached. Screenshots of the full conversation were preserved. The case is closed from the victim's side, though the scammer likely continued under a new identity.
Questions and answers
Can Oceanir trace a photo a scammer sent me?
Oceanir geolocates the photo from its pixels. If a scammer sends a stock image claiming it is London, Orca may return Los Angeles with palm trees and California plates as cues. Upload the photo and review the coordinates, confidence, and visual evidence.
Is geolocation evidence enough to report a scammer?
It is one piece. Pair it with screenshots of the conversation, the dating platform profile, and any payment receipts. File with the platform first, then with the FBI IC3 at ic3.gov if there is financial loss. Geolocation evidence strengthens the report but is rarely sufficient on its own.
What if the photo resolves to a stock image location?
Stock images often resolve to studios or generic outdoor sets. If Orca returns a location with cues like studio lighting artifacts or watermark remnants, run a reverse image search on TinEye or Google Images to find the original licensed photo. That confirms it is not the scammer's own.
Should I tell the scammer I found them out?
No. Confronting a scammer gives them time to delete the profile, change platforms, and warn others in their network. Preserve your evidence, report to the platform, and stop communicating. Let authorities handle escalation if money was lost.
Does this work on screenshots from messaging apps?
Yes. Screenshots carry no EXIF or GPS, and Oceanir does not rely on metadata. It reads the visual content of the frame. Screenshots from WhatsApp, Telegram, or dating app chats all work for geolocation.