Online Scam Tricks Man into Paying $200,000 to Save Fake Girlfriend

[L0nely]

I came across an article here:

http://www.techspot.com/news/42583-man-pays-200000-to-save-fake-girlfriend-in-online-scam.html

Some scammer developed a relationship with a lonely man, and eventually tricked him into paying a $200,000 ransom to save "her." This scam went beyond the usual Nigerian bank scams that play on peoples' greeds to make a quick buck. Rather, this scam took advantage of a man's longing for a relationship.

I'm sure many of you will simply think, "A fool and his money are quickly parted." I thought that too. But then, I wondered, is it all that far fetched for that to happen to someone like me? I am currently in a relationship with a woman I've never met. Fortunately for me, she seems pretty real (I hope!).

I know many members here have been in online relationships before. For those who have, did you take any steps to ensure that your partner was really who she said she was? For those who haven't, can you ever see yourself falling for someone online? And if so, what steps do you think you might take to verify she really is who she says she is? I, personally, didn't take any. I developed a friendship with my partner first, and grew to trust her. Looking back, it probably would have been reasonably easy for someone with good social engineering skills to take advantage of me.

Now, I don't really think anyone here would fork over $200,000 to someone they've never met, but maybe a smaller sum of money. Maybe if your partner needed a few hundred dollars to "get out of jail." I know from experience that a romantically frustrated male will often be blinded by his loneliness, and that just might make him send money without thinking twice about it.

I guess my main question is this: How easily can romantically frustrated people be taken advantage of through the internet? For those of you who have been in online relationships, have any of you ever almost been or successfully been scammed as a result of your loneliness? And what steps, if any, do you take to ensure that you aren't?

 

[Code S.O.L]

Big hint: If a woman you only know online is asking you for money, gtfo, and fast. Also, watch for broken engrish.

 

[Joseph]

Never, ever, get into a relationship with someone who is not willing to prove their identity.

If someone online wants you to trust them, it shouldn't be hard for that person to verify their identity/authenticity to you.

I know it's possible.

Never trust people who always find some convenient excuse to not verify their identity.

 

[ralary]

never date that kinda girl,even though I am lonely

 

[spectacles]

Once I chatted to this guy on the net, he was extremely friendly and he said he was from the US but he was an engineer working in Nigeria, after talking for like ten minutes he told me he was looking for a serious, long term relation. So he sent me pictures of a very very attractive man.So I became really suspicious. I started searching the net and found out about love scam. Its sth really usual, that many ppl dont know about. Seriously, its huge, there have been lots of cases, women and men. They usually say they are from the US but mostly they are from Nigeria or Malasia. So I kept on talking to this guy to see what he was going to say, he confessed his "Love" to me like the second time we talked lol and he told me it was his bday soon and that he was expecting a present from me. So I asked him to give me the address of the hotel he claimed he was staying in to send him the present and he told me he had a co worker from nigeria who would receive the present lol. So I told him I sent a very expensive present that he would get within a week, that I was told in the post that some nigerian ppl were not that trustworthy so that he should be careful in case his co worker didnt give him the present hahahaha. After that I completely blocked him. I had my laugh in that situation but I read hundreds of reports of ppl who actually fell in love with those guys and send them money. So watch out!!

 

[Joseph]

Once I chatted to this guy on the net, he was extremely friendly and he said he was from the US but he was an engineer working in Nigeria, after talking for like ten minutes he told me he was looking for a serious, long term relation. So he sent me pictures of a very very attractive man.So I became really suspicious. I started searching the net and found out about love scam. Its sth really usual, that many ppl dont know about. Seriously, its huge, there have been lots of cases, women and men. They usually say they are from the US but mostly they are from Nigeria or Malasia. So I kept on talking to this guy to see what he was going to say, he confessed his "Love" to me like the second time we talked lol and he told me it was his bday soon and that he was expecting a present from me. So I asked him to give me the address of the hotel he claimed he was staying in to send him the present and he told me he had a co worker from nigeria who would receive the present lol. So I told him I sent a very expensive present that he would get within a week, that I was told in the post that some nigerian ppl were not that trustworthy so that he should be careful in case his co worker didnt give him the present hahahaha. After that I completely blocked him. I had my laugh in that situation but I read hundreds of reports of ppl who actually fell in love with those guys and send them money. So watch out!!

But what if he was a Prince?

 

[Ladysphinx]

LoL, that is even worse. I once chatted with a guy for weeks, he told me he wanted to meet me. So I said I'll meet him in a public place but that my brother will be with me, but he insisted on meeting me in some parking lot :~O. I actaully agreed but my brother and cousin was with me. When he saw I wasn't alone he spun off.

 

[spectacles]

I thought about that, but then I realized the US is a constitutional republic not a monarchy hehehehe

 

[Joseph]

LoL, that is even worse. I once chatted with a guy for weeks, he told me he wanted to meet me. So I said I'll meet him in a public place but that my brother will be with me, but he insisted on meeting me in some parking lot :~O. I actaully agreed but my brother and cousin was with me. When he saw I wasn't alone he spun off.

A parking lot? Omigosh! Glad you were smart about it and took back-up.

 

[spectacles]

LoL, that is even worse. I once chatted with a guy for weeks, he told me he wanted to meet me. So I said I'll meet him in a public place but that my brother will be with me, but he insisted on meeting me in some parking lot :~O. I actaully agreed but my brother and cousin was with me. When he saw I wasn't alone he spun off.

Oh noo, second story with dangerous meetings lady

 

[Ladysphinx]

That's why I took two strong boys, I knew sumthing was up, would never go alone. I actaully warned everybody that this guy was dangerous posted is car licence plate, he was seriously not happy with me got trolled on by him for a while.

 

[Minus]

L0nely, that is a good thing to bring up. Last year The Sunday Times had an article that claimed that single Britons were conned out of hundreds of millions of pounds every year by con men from West Africa that were pulling lonely heart scams. That is just one of the areas where this type scam frequently originates from.

 

[Bread]

Sad, very sad. I hate to see people taking advantage of the weakness of others. Generally distrustful of other folks off the bat, so I hope I'll never lose my limited wordly possessions over something like this. Hopefully old age (if I live that long) doesn't dull my senses enough that I'll be opening my doors to vacuum salesmen and their wonder vacuums, only 4000 euros a piece. Ugh.

Never had all that many of these 'Nigerian scam mails', maybe one or two, tops. Then again, I used to have some pretty mean filters on my mail address. Still can't stop the **** Viagra spam, 'tho.

 

[SophiaGrace]

Never, ever, get into a relationship with someone who is not willing to prove their identity.

If someone online wants you to trust them, it shouldn't be hard for that person to verify their identity/authenticity to you.

I know it's possible.

Never trust people who always find some convenient excuse to not verify their identity.

Agreed. Don't waste your time or feelings on someone that balks at a webcam, won't give you their last name, ect.

Personally, I ask for people to give me a picture of themselves with a shoe on their head for verification (and a chuckle )

---

I knew sumthing was up,

If you knew something was up, why meet him at all? :/

 

[Minus]

Personally, I ask for people to give me a picture of themselves with a shoe on their head for verification...

If you insist.

 

[nerdygirl]

Dannnnnng, Minus. You are HAWT in that picture.

 

[Armand]

This is my first post. Couldn't pass it up. The boot thing is something I would do. I like your crazy. Very funny stuff.

 

[jales]

i have never actually been in a relationship with anybody who I did not meet yet, but I think that if I was single and I met a guy who I liked online I would do it.

As far as ensuring that they are who they say they are, I generally trust people. So I would trust him, but if he is asking me for money that would be something to make be question who is his and what his real intentions are.

I do not have very much money, so I do not think that I could be scammed, also I tend to give money and not really expect it back. So what ever amount I would give ,,,would be more of charity than anything. I can't imagine ever being scammed of that much money.

Also, I met my husband online, and I trusted him completely as a friend. We only became a couple after meeting in person though. But neither of us really lied about who we were.

 

[nerdygirl]

I want to know where to meet these guys. I'm over here stressed and can't even borrow $5k for this house I want to buy, and these scammers are getting $200k? I'd even pay them back and keep flirting with them *sigh*