Topic : 11/23 Love Scams?

I have read several of the love scam that were reported and mine is no different. It is really surprising what we as women will fall for when lonliness and desperation sets in. I have been divorced for almost 10 years and I don't go to the bars so I thought the internet would be a safe place to meet people. Boy was I wrong. I met this man who said he was from France and divorced. Within a week he was in Cotonou, Benin (Africa). He came on saying all the right things and yes asking a lot of personal questions. I had suspicions early on but I ignored them because It was fulfilling a need that I had for attention and "Love" at least that what I believed. After about two months just before He was to come to the states, He was in a car accident  in the republic of Togo (Africa) and had hit a 14 year old boy who was now in the hospital in a coma and the next statement he made was and "I am a little short." I ignored it and asked about the boy and the conversation consistently came back to money. Until finally I asked him why was he eluding to money and then the sob story kicked in and He tried to make me feel like it was my fault because he went there to get permission from his agents to come and see me. Finally he asked if I would just send him a token dollar by western union and at that point I knew once and for all that He was trying to scam me. Fortunately I also work very hard for my money and to send it to someone that I have never met that claims to make $15,000.00 american dollars a month just didn't dit well with me. I still have a difficult time because I really fell for this man. So ladies just be ware. Everything that looks good and sounds good...well it ain't good. At my age I really feel like a fool for falling for this guy.

I thought I was the only one. It seems to be more common than I thought except I got scammed not once, not twice, but three times by three different men. All three living in Nigeria. One of them told me he was living in London. The only way I found out differently was when I got my phone bill. The bill said Nigeria. These guys did not find me in a dating website nor did they find me in a chatroom however I have been active in a couple of them a while back. They found me just from my Yahoo profile. Girls be careful what you put in your profile.  I ended up with a total of 3 bogus money orders. A lot of packages in my livingroom with the bills to go with them. And  a big headache. I am ready to delete my yahoo messenger all together except that is the way I talk with my brother too. He lives up in West Virginia and I am in Texas. Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.

i think that tese women "think" that they've fallen in love, but to be honest i think that it's just plan loneliness. they find someone thats interrested in them even if it's from across the globe, they think that they've hit the big time!!! the women dont stop to think that they are being taken for a ride by these men, what will happen if these people eventually meet, and the man wasn't what the woman expected, or he tells her that he's actually married with 3 kids, and that he was just using her to support his familly?

Another website that this is going on at is: www.penpals.net
Many of the people who post there are aware of it, but some aren't. Not everyone who goes to these sites are wanting "dates" I have several really nice girl friends and we discuss daytime TV. But I'm 100% careful about giving out any information. One lady told me she was flooded with mail from Nigeria, Africa and the like. She put USA only, didn't matter. They don't care. They go up and down and target anyone who is gullible enough to fall for it. She posted 3 different ads under 3 different ladies and guess what? The same man fell in "love" with her and yep, wanted funds. It is a scam and I feel those who can't see it either don't care or are completely blinded by needing that kind of attention. Never give your money to someone you don't know. Often, don't give your money to someone you DO know.
But, this site is notorious for this happening.
And as I said, it isn't just for dating. Some folks really Do just want to talk and are retired, bored, disabled. There are some nice people out there but...unfortunately, this is the type of thing that can come back to bite  you know where. There is also a website that is an IP locator. That is, if you show your headers in  your email, you see the sender's IP address (a number) You can then take that number and find a geographical location anywhere in the world. You will know, where that person is from. You may be surprised to find out someone is not from Africa, or Nigeria, but New York or right here. It is another means to protect yourself.

http://www.geobytes.com/IpLocator.htm

I sincerely hope some of this helps someone avoid a huge mistake. Don't get blind-sighted!!!

OMG They are indeed scams Dee Dee stop sending money right now, These men are liers and they are everywhere... They are claiming to find love when they need you to send them money to get into the countrt proffessing everything. Its crap, These guys dont work in africa they are all over the place I was minding my own business and his guy from england wanted my bank info to send money to buy a house for him. I told him to get lost and dont im and blocked him. I know they are out there one claimed to be right here from fl and then gets sick or gets in accident send money etc. I dont buy it and if  you continue you will set yourself up from being hurt. Be smart there are a lot of CONS on the internet everywhere. Quit being so nieve and wake up to the fact you are being took . Fl MOM

I have met a few men online and surprisingly they are "from the US" only they are over in the UK or in Nigeria suppoedly for work or business and now they need money or an empty cc to transfer funds into so then I can pay their bill and then they can come home.

Come on, if you are a business man and you are overseas on business you make sure you have enough funds to do what you need to do and come back home.

I totally am so sick of the men that are praying on the women out there who are looking for someone to befriend or maybe more.

Use caution  when surfing the sea of online ads.  I know I have and always will.

Take a look at 419eater.com for hundreds of examples of Nigerian scams. Arm yourself with knowledge.

Another important tip: if the mail is all caps, recognized as a previous person who maybe changed their email to get to you, do NOT open the mail. It can tip them off. Also, unrecognized greeting cards sent to you can then tell them you are reading it. Blocking should do it. Never, never give your snail mail address to anyone online. Grammar isn't always a tip off. Many copy and paste words from different things to make themselves sound good, that's why they keep the conversation on YOU. They don't want to talk about themselves. The most important thing is to not even begin dialogue. Threats don't work with these people. They keep trying. Do not engage in dialogue, please. They will see it as a way in. And, if someone says they are originally from those countries and have been in the US for some time, don't buy that either.

It did no good to alert the Dating Personals, as they told me that they could not do anything.  It is up to the individual person to recognize scammers.

 

I realized what the guy was doing and pulled him in as much as possible to get as much information as possible.  Of course, once he realized what I was doing he sure didn't love me anymore.  Probably no less, either.

 

I have had him scam me twice, under different names and different pictures.  He wasn't smart enough to realize that he had already asked me to bail him and his son out of Africa the first time, but he needed to get Materials back to the states from Nigeria and his Hotel burnt down and he lost all of his information on his computer that was lost in the fire, the second time.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize what was coming after that one.  He needed a computer to contact his customers.  He had to resort to using his cell phone and to text  message  me, but I was worth it.  Some of the messages (LOVE) were so long that he must have worn his fingertips down to the first knuckle to send it and I caught him online on one of the Dating Sites and he had to squirm a bit to get out of that one.  I asked him where in Nigeria the fire was, as I had looked on the web and could find nothing.  He always managed to skate around that one too. Even a couple of months after, he was still on my IM list, I contacted him and asked him if he had ever gotten back to the states, and without even remembering who I was, after a couple of sentences he had the gall to ask if I were still going to help him...

 

He is always alone and has no one.  No friends and even the American Embassy refused to help him.  I eventually asked him if he had any lady friends there that could help him as he seemed to really have a way with them.  That one went over his head, purposely I am sure.

 

The guy needs to be caught.  It is unsettling to me that his scamming works on some of the women.  And, I am sure that most women are in their late forties to who knows, maybe 70's, when they seem most vunerable to having a younger man show interest in them and to take away the lonliness that they feel.  The man is a PREDATOR.

 

I can only hope that by bringing this to air, that someone will recognize who this person is and turn him in to the FBI.  Get him off the streets, off the computer and put him behind bars.

 

I have pictures and names of the two (same) that scammed me.  I feel that you will probably take this part out of the message and that is fine with me..but it might help if others have done the same to bring him to justice....

 

The names he gave me were Michael Jones and Paul Fredrick.  And, both of his pictures have appeared in various Dating Sites.  His last being Match.com.

 

Thank you for exposing this type of individual that creates havoc and chasos in women's lives that only want to meet a decent man.

 

Barbara

 

 

      You know ladies, its bad enough to get scammed in person, but over the internet by someone you don't really know???  What are you thinking???

 

  Men lie to you across the dinner table while holding your hand, how can you believe that they really love you however thousand miles away especially when they are asking for money???  Contracters anywhere technically make good money ANYWHERE they are so stop sending him money and if he truly "LOVES" you send him an invitation to the dinner place of your choice in your city and that will be the beginning of the proof.

 

    Wake yourselves up by looking at your bank account and remembering what bill you waited to pay or what you gave up buying for yourself to send him money.