Scams That Prey On the Lonely

[Ian Haines]

Are you trying to make out that nobody has ever fallen for precisely the types of scam described at the top of this thread? How would the users of the Internet become so wise? What experiences (or accounts of the experiences of others) could there be for them to have become so con-wise that they need no reminders, such as those presented in this thread

Yes...a thread like this is necessary!

Oh, and...I'm 54. I got to the Internet around 12 years ago. If you think that folk have been on the Internet and using E Mail for their entire lives, does that then mean that you think that only the young are ever targets for con-artists? or that only the young should be warned about such people? or that young computer/Internet/E Mail users are all so smart that they'd never fall for such tricks?

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Really a thread like this is necessary? Have people not been using email or the internet their entire lives.

 

[Nolife Princess]

well as a new member, how in the world will I know who is genuine or just a joker?

golly I am such a spazz.

 

[roguewave]

I once got a scamy letter from Africa asking for money donations.

The return address was something something something...by the bus stop. Yeah.

Do not want.

 

[Badjedidude]

I hate scammers oh wait no I don't they're actually quite funny because I never fall for their simple tricks.

 

[Lonely in BC]

A friend of mine recently got taken for $3200.00 Canadian. I made every effort to direct him from this line of insanity but he refused to listen (just for reference he is 65, "she" was allegedly 32). I tried to get him to just spend a $100.00 or so on a webcam just so he could make a reasonable attempt to verify the persons identity but whoever it was on the other end was so convincing......... He threw everything away on a ridiculous Internet romance- I find that it's difficult to treat him with the same kind of respect I once had.

Here we are a couple of months later. The woman he lives with (kind of my surrogate mother to some extent) considers him a room-mate now and would like to be shut of him as soon as possible. It's so bad she has asked me if I would buy half the house from her as she would like to turf him, pay him out, and get rid of him.

Wow!!!

 

[Taylormeister]

Romance scam

The scammer is often a male posing as a female, though there are also women scammers and women are targeted also. They will send you a PM or an email telling you how they came across your profile/post and it stirred something in them. These messages frequently have an email address where you can contact them for their picture and to talk, which you are encouraged to do. At the same time dozens of other people are receiving an identical PM/mail. If you respond, they fall in love quickly and almost as quickly, have money problems in which it is hoped that you will help out with.

Africa is one of the areas from which many of these scammers operate. As one example, it has become so common that the Embassy of the United States in Ghana even has a web page with a "partial list of indicators" that you are dealing with a scammer from there, of this type.

*You met a friend/fiancé online
*You've never met face to face
*Your correspondent professed love at warp speed
*Your friend/fiancé is plagued with medical problems requiring loans from you
*You are promised repayment upon the inheritance of alluvial gold or gems
*You've sent large sums for visas or plane tickets but the person cannot seem to make it out of Ghana
*When your friend does try to leave the country, h/she is detained by immigration officials demanding payment or bribes
*Your correspondent consistently uses lower case "i's" and/or grammar not in-keeping with their supposed life station or education level

This forum has been hit by a few people running this scam.

Internet Love Scams
Romance$cam dot com

Yeah unfortunately most of these people are guys sitting in an internet cafe somewhere in Africa. I deleted all my dating profiles because the only time a girl was ever interested in me was when I received those ******** scam e mail messages like you described. I don't think internet dating is a good way to meet women anyway. I found the real women on these dating sites to be very shallow, and unsure of what they want.

 

[BoringGirl]

The only thing I'll add to this is be careful of people who want to into you sphere really quickly, even if they live in the same country/city/town as you. It's all love and blah until one day you realise they are doing this to a few people at the same time. And they're seeing them all, telling them all they love them, while they use you for money and whatever else they want until you find out the truth.

It's not worth it. They'll go through all your profiles so that it seems you have everything in common, agree with everything you say, and tell you that it's a "wonder of the universe" that they met you (just quoting the one that fooled me...)

"It's always wise to respect a prospective enemy" - well put

 

[LonelyInAtl]

Even if I didn't know about these scams (I'm an IT security professional), I'd know that any email from a woman professing to be interested in me was bogus.

 

[David1985]

When I signed up I got an email from a woman claiming to have seen something in my profile that turned her on. I never put anything in it. Not that I would have followed anyway.

The problem is if their just blocked they'll sign up with a new account. I don't know if blocking an IP address would work.

 

[BoringGirl]

I'd like to add, be careful of people on dating sites. I got seriously burned by someone on one of those, as I found out he will still on there and talking to other women while telling me I changed his life. Clearly, I didn't. I know that's tarring a whole heap of people with the same brush, but every time I go near one of those sites I end up worse off that what I was before I got there.

Be careful of psychics too; oranum.com is a HUGE scam site. The psychics can talk amongst themselves, and post what they have told you so, if you consult another one, they can continue where the last one left off. The prices they advertise isn't always what they'll be charging you, they tell everyone the same story/script, and will constantly tell you they have updates for you so that you keep coming back.

Hope this info keeps everyone safe and happy.

 

[dannyr22]

Thanks to the serious advice given here.

I just think it's really horrible to hear how people have been caught out when they have already obviously been through enough

Such a shame I now have to worry about fake profiles on here too, that was another reason for quitting online dating for good.

 

[AskingtheEarth]

It's more a case of preying on people being gullible, rather than lonely. The vast majority of scams have 'scam' written all over them, and if you stop to think you can quickly identify these.

I could never be taken in because I'm too selfish anyway. No matter how lonely I was, or how much the other person begged, even if it was someone I already knew, I still wouldn't be handing over my hard-earned cash!!

 

[Gutted]

Not meaning to sound tight here but I'd not even send a real lover any money if I met them online. They'd have to come here first, out of their pocket and then I'd pay them back. Done it before and it was fine If they're real and they love you, they'll beg, steal and/or borrow the money to come to you. Then you can sort it without risk.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

I'd say most any of those internet dating sites qualify as well.

I have already lost count of the number of human disaster stories I can site that started with the words "Hey I just met this great guy/girl online"...

Lets face it, match.com, eharmoney.com chemistry.com are all actually whatsleft.com.

Like the lottery they are peddling false hope.

My most humble two cents. -LY

 

[Psycrow]

Every one should stay away from emails that says something with "contact me" unless it was someone you intend to contact

 

[bulmabriefs144]

We should totally use this thread to draft our own fake scams.

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Hi there, sexy. I'm a 19 year old girl (actually 30 year man), and I've been interested in you a long time. Please give me a email back at [email protected] (redirects to [email protected])

 

[perfanoff]

There was a teenage Korean girl that kept trying to have cyber sex with me on MSN. She turned out to be a 25 year old guy from the US military.

 

[monkeysocks]

The worst case I have heard was a woman handed over around a total of 300,000 Sing dollars to a guy she had talked to for over a year on the net.

Initial reactions 'foolish' but understand how the scammers suck people in.

 

[duff]

I got scammed last year. Lost some money. The lessons learned were:

1. Don't just play along for a laugh or to see what happens
2. Don't start to believe there is a real person writing to you
3. never send money
4. and most important : NEVER SEND MONEY

 

[monkeysocks]

I got scammed last year. Lost some money. The lessons learned were:

1. Don't just play along for a laugh or to see what happens
2. Don't start to believe there is a real person writing to you
3. never send money
4. and most important : NEVER SEND MONEY

I agree, I hope it wasnt too expensive lesson - same happened to us via a fake item we wanted to purchase.

You can never be too careful.

Tips for dating on line

Ask repeated questions (see if you get same answers in a later conversation)

To check photo is of person - ask them to send a photo of themselves holding up a note of your name . Genuine people won't take offence of this.

Look for discrepancies in information given.

Never give your address or personal details

Always meet in a public place and inform people of where you are and what time you will return.

Never accept a lift home and if possible arrange someone you know to meet at the end of the date.