Faking it — scammers’ tricks to steal your heart and money

I google my Guy's picture. Frank Smith. Very attractive with Gray hair and glasses. I guess he goes by Smith Alexandre too. 56 years old, widower from Scottland, UK. Marine Engineer, parents died in car accident. Sister lives in Autralia. Son Michael is in a board private school in UK while he works in an oil tanker. Wife died 5or 6 years ago of brain cancer. He is "helping" poor kids in Africa. Anybody knows him??? He asked for 1000 dls. Didn't give him anything. Now he wants me to open a bank account which of course not going to open. Be careful out there ladies. Don't give away your money to these jerks. If your guts tells you there is something off most llikely it there is.

i have a friend that is on a limited income and every spare cent he has he sends to these women that he met on messaging. sometimes he sends too much and then can not pay his bills. he is addicted to doing this and i can not get it through to him that these women are never going to come be with him. he has one now.. a linda ferrill that says she is his wife and sends him naked pictures of herself. what can i do to get him to stop this. I have tried the fraud sights but they want money for the information and i do not trust those sights that ask for money before they can answer you. I really want to help him but how????

I think I came across another scammer does this sound familiar because it does to me the current email: Dear theresa I am so happy to read from you and most importantly, to know we are both looking for the same thing in life. Where do I start from? Really, it is disturbing to go on that dating site to see how much people appreciate love,but yet, we have to go the extra mile to get this great status.I'm Michael Cotton a global contractor.own a small Construction Company,own a house and financially stable also debt free and you?I deal basically in oil platforms,rig constructions,renovations,over water bridges,interior decoration and some art works.Trust me,I can add to your beauty (lol).I don't smoke and i drink on occasions,51 years old a widow,My wife died about 3 years ago to cancer I have 5 years old son his name is Johnny,I am the only child my parents gave birth to,they both passed away.But I am really thinking of hanging the hat this year.Been through many ups and downs in life,yet,I am blessed in some other ways.I mean after getting to the top of success,I have come to realize that we are nothing without a partner.I mean someone who would stand by me no matter the situation.A woman who I can say,she alone has the right to be womanly irritating to me (lol).I would love to be more active and fit and have a partner who is as well to be there as my support.Love to cook just the cleaning up part stinks Love trying new things going out or just staying home working around the house. My favorite movies are Actions, adventures, romantic movies,I love football and Chase fans,eating habits:I'm of that type and want someone with the same to spend life with,I am very relationship oriented and I believe life is too short to waste.My Goals is to lead a peaceful life with the one I love.I have pretty much everything I want.I am very stable,and set for life with a great career.So the only thing missing in my life is a woman to love,and one to love me. When I am in a relationship I am committed, honest,and loyal.I think that falling in love is always a good thing, even if it doesn't work out. There is always something to learn from being with someone, and happy times and memories should be cherished.Friendship comes first for me.That is not to say I never get hurt because I do. I have been burnt so Bad.My last relationship ended on a very sad note for me but I do not believe in regrets. she cheated on me and used me too,I tell you this because I cannot predict the future. For some people a relationship has to be all or nothing.I don't feel that way.but I never in the past nor do I intend to intentionally hurt someone by cheating, mistreating, or abusing them. Ok,for my questions to you,What are some of your goals, hopes and dreams?mine is to get Married and settle down with that special woman because i have accomplish almost all of my Goals. What do you look for in a Relationship?If there is something you want to say but you think you might be rambling or it is not important, it is ok, to me it is important. Well I am Really Serious About You and Interested In Getting To Know You .I will be waiting for your Calm and Humble Reply. Take Care and Stay Bless Michael Any insight please!

I was scammed a few months ago by a man I met on Facebook. His name is Walter Konopaki. He said he was working on an oil rigg in Alaska. His wife died in child birth and had a 7 year old son. Told me he loved me in 4 days. He live in Maryland and went to school at Stanford. He said he wanted to make his late wife's dream come true and design and sell jewelry. He said he spent his life savings by buying gold bars from a company in Dubia. He told me he has a nanny taking care of his son while he was away from work. His nanny's mother suddenly died and she needed to fly to the Philippines for her funeral. He said no one would be at his house to recieve his package of gold bars, so he asked me if I could recieve the package for him and give it to him when we meet up later. At that piont I became suspicious and did a picture search and found that his picture belong to Russian actor and T.V. host. I was in shock and broken hearted, but relieved that I never sent him a dime. I immediately blocked him, changed my email account and phone number. These scammers are the scum of the earth.I will never talk to another man via internet..

Hi ladies, I met a man three weeks ago in a dating site.. And he gave me his Facebook link. He looks very charming and smart and claims tobe a u.s military sergeant.. We kept chatting on Facebook and he would tell me he loves and adores me and can't wait to make me his wife.. He was very sweet for the first one week until one day he tells me that he is coming down to meet me and his leaves are approved for three months... I thought the guy was really serious until he told me to deposit some money via western union or money gram to someone called Stephanie Lynn in u.s .. I thank God that I told this to one of my friends and she told me about such scammers .. I googled every information and was shocked to see that I'm a victim of such scams. Finally I told him that I could not send the money and guess what.. He never texted back.. I feel sorry for all the women out there who are victims of such scammers including myself .. I have stopped online dating and prefer to be alone for sometime..

I came across this woman in a chatroom. She is extremely poor, an orphan recently out of the orphanage because she is 19, and a victim of abuse. At first we were just chatting. But hearing her stories of poverty and distress, I (underlined if possible) first made the suggestion to send her money. She eventually accepted. I sent her money via PayPal. After a month, every time she was resistant to receive money, I had sent her a good amount of money (over $300). I had been suspicious but then something big happened. She was supposedly very poor, living in a cold area. I had insisted she buy a warm coat. I had indications that she didn't actually buy the coat. She then got sick and had to go to hospital. Again, she NEVER asked for money. I volunteered it. Finally, my suspicions high, after she happily told me what my latest transfer bought for her (food - she was malnurished in the hospital), I asked her to send me back copies of the emails PayPal sends when you buy something locally in a store. I doubled checked with PayPal that they do this. Those emails would have been sent. She would have had them. She says "ok" to sending them to me. She logs into her email and suddenly, for no reason, all the emails are "gone". She did not delete them. They are not in her trash folder. Simply gone. Here I sit, 99% sure she is scamming me, but I am completely invested in her poverty, abuse and poor health backstory to walk away. It's weird: I pretty much know it's a scam and I do not care. Any words of wisdom?

I am questioning a "new" friendship. After reading all these posts I must ask about this individual. He says his name is Johnson Miller.

I have been taking to this guy and don't know if I'm being scammed. He said he was in. Syria and will be home in June. He has not asked for money. I have his email and he does have a APO but he want me to buy units to so he can call his kids. How do I know if he's real.

I Was On A Dating Site And Most of The Were Fake Army Man from the USA They Were All Lovely and kept the Emails Going They Saying they Love Me Then they Saying We Need Big Money like $1.000 And Can I Put it in the Western Union Then One Bloke Said To Me I Would Like You to be The Mum Of My 18 Year Old Daughter She Got Sick and She Was to Go into Hospital to have a Operation And Could I Send Her $300 for the Hospital Bill i Just Give Fake Bank details DONT LET THEM PUT IT OVER YOU JUST SAY NO AND DELETE THEM THEY DONT LOVE YOU I AM SORRY IF I HAVE YOU SET YOU

Just figured out I was being scammed by someone who went by the name of Chris Clarence. He said he grew up in Germany and moved to Texas for 12 yrs and worked for Slumberger. A couple of years ago he moved to Edmonton, AB as his wife had died of cancer and he wanted their 19yr old to be close to her mom's family. He had started his own business in Edmonton that had to do with the oil industry as he loved his job. After communicating for a few days by email/text he had to leave to North Carolina for business as he had won a contract. He then contacted me with a NC phone numer and we continued to talk by email/text and I spoke to him every night. He had a thick accent and our phone conversations didn't last too long. His email were flattering and so romantic - I was everything he was looking for. He loved my heart after 4 days of talking to each other and I told him he was a smooth-talking salesman. He called me sweetie, sweetheart and his Queen - I think he only said my name a couple of times. He sent pictures of someone who is very handsome and I'm sure is an unknowing third party. One day before he was supposed to be coming back to Edmonton (and two days before we were supposed to meet in person), he had a terrible day. His equipment was impounded because he didn't have the correct amount of taxes - he needed $8,500 and he only had $6,300 with him. He had tried so many things to get the money, but nothing worked, could I lend the difference to him?. Once I said no and accused him of being a scammer he called me and was so upset that I would think that of him. After trying to put guilt on me for not helping him, he said he'd call me back later in the evening. At the end of the conversation I told him that he should maybe go work a street corner to raise the funds. I blocked his numbers and email address from my phone and he got the hint that I wasn't buying into his scam as he didn't call my home number after that either. I'm so glad that it was only a week and a half of correspondence between us - I can't imagine how I would feel if I would have been invested in this for a longer period of time. At first I was feeling foolish and stupid, but now I'm just angry that there are scum of the earth out there doing this to innocent people. Be careful who you trust online!

These days the scammers even use their real fb accounts to scam

I am thinking I am in a scam situation FYI - Michael John Copeland or Piesyk, from Glasgow Scotland, moved to Australia. His mother died 6 years ago and he moved to the US from MA 4 years ago. He is a contractor worked in West Africa for a few months and in February 2016 went to Kenya. He is trying to ship containers of raw gemstones to the US to sell and conveniently his bank placed a hold on his funds as too many international transactions. He really need to get to the US so he can clear up things with his bank and go back to clear up things there. He has professed how I have changed his lonely existence. He did send flowers several weeks ago but I believe it is all part of the game.

Hello, I am encountering the same issues, I met a gentleman, Timothy Martinez, says he is leaving on deployment soon, wanted me to open accounts, and send him money. I called him out on it, and he swears he is who he says he is, he sent me pics of him and his son, he said his wife passed a year ago from cancer. And he needs money for when he goes over seas, cause they'll freeze his account etc. I started to really like him. I did open an account, but never gave out the info or anything about it. This is so sad!!!

Like many of you I too have been scammed by an individual while subscribed to Match . I never really cared for on line dating but my friends insisted and here I am at a loss of thousands of dollars. While I'm at it I would like to make everyone out there aware that his low life calls himself Juan R. Cortez and his email address is: juancortez . His phone number is 424 243-6796 and his IP address that shows to be out of Sunnyvale California. He is connected with other criminals. How do I know? HIs IP address is connected to many other IP addresses which means all my messages were going out to many different criminals. Story is.....do not use online dating sites because they are not reliable and they are unsafe. Be more vigilant that I was.

I would like to send copies on my mails in FB, and photos that I got, I don't trust someone that says I love you on the second mail and on the third wants to get married. He has not asked for money, it seems that he has it.

I think this is currently happening to me. So many comments above sound familiar. Can you all post pictures? This man has sent me a bunch of very clear pictures of the same man but I don't know. Today he asked for money so all these alarms went off.

I am one of the victim. I met a guy on fb and told me that he wanted to be my good friend. At first, I didn't respond to his message but after few days of him trying, I replied. He said he wanted to be my good friend and told me that his mother wants him to marry asian woman. He confessed about his love to me few weeks after our first conversations. Sensed nothing wrong, I fall for him. He told me that he wanted to prepare documents for me to come to his country. By the way, he said he is a manager at his late father's company in London but he told me he lives in Scotland. But it never comes to my mind that London and Scotland are far aparts. So he requested for my personal information and I sent him a snap shot of my identification card and passport. He then requested me to send him money to pay for the process and told me that he is using an agent appointed by my embassy. Because I was so dumb, I transferred the money to a local account. But before transferring the money, I've done the research on the recipient's name and that recipient's name was flagged as scammer by an online business site. When I asked him why it was as such, he told me he will check with the embassy. After a while, he called and told me that there were some misunderstanding. When I told him I was in doubt about the recipient, he said he will sue the embassy for giving the scammer account if it turn out the recipient is a scammer. Again, I believe him and transfer him the money. Few days later, he said the agent advised that we should have a joint account so that in the future, it will be easy for me to bring my family and friends to come over to his country. Without knowing anything, foolishly I sent him the money for that purposes again. When I asked why he doesn't use his own money since he claimed he is rich, he said he spend his personal money for buying insurance and can't use his company money since they need to close the account end of year. I believe it again. Few weeks later, he told me that he want to transfer money to my country because he will be coming to meet me soon. He said since it is big amount money, he need to declare the money with my country central bank and need to pay for the form. Again, I fall for it and transffered him the required amount of money to a local bank account. One week later, he wants me to transfer another amount of money to pay for the taxes. I told him I don't have any money with me, he advised me to apply for loan from the bank. At this moment I know there is something wrong and when I asked why I need to pay for the taxes whereby the bank can just deduct the taxes from the money he will transfer, he simple said that was my country law and he is not a banker. Foolishly believing in what he said, I apply for loan and once I get the loan, I immediately transferred the money to the same local bank account. Before the loan was approved, he told me to send a small amount of money to the account to make the account active and I just do whatever he told me to.I even lied to my family to get the money. The amount of the loan approved was not enough to cover for the taxes and he asked for more. When I said I have no other means in getting the money, he refused to talk to me for weeks. After about 2 weeks, he told me that he got himself drunk everyday and fall sick just by thinking that what he had planned for us will not work and being delayed. Thinking that he is very serious, once again I fall for his acting. I seek help from my sister to apply for loan and once approved, I transffered him the money, again to the same account number. Few days later, he said everything is done and the money can be transferred to my country. He told me my central bank will call for verification. So I just wait for the call. The next day, he told me that they going to use agent to transfer the money and ask me to pay for the agent fee. I said I have no money left and tell him to wait until I get the money. Again, I gave him the money. Few days later, a security company (they didn't disclose their company name) called and told me a diplomat has arrived to deliver me a consignment. Only then I know I had fall into a scam. When I ask my "husband" about the consignment he said he know nothing about it. One day later, he told me that he had received email from his account assistant saying the money he wants to transfer to my central bank was rejected due to the big amount and can't transfer them into my account. Yes, I did gave him my account number too. So they convert the money into cheque and sent it to me via a security company and a diplomat will deliver it to me. This is the peak to the scam. The diplomat asked me to pay for the clearance fee and the insurance fee before he can deliver the consignment to me. I argue with the diplomat everytime he call me asking when I can pay for the fees and I caught him. I annoyed him with many questions and yet he keep calling me. I tell myself not to make any more payment even though I know it is too late. Now, I don't know how I am going to tell my sister because I promise her I will pay back the loan in full in two or three months time. The fact that my family already know about him (not as a scammer but as someone that I love), I don't know how explain to them when they ask about him. I don't know why as an educated person, I fall for his trap and doing whatever he told me even I know he is trying trick me. I feel foolish and stupid. After I realized I got scammed, I am not myself anymore but knowing that I am not the only one, I try to live my life as a normal person. I just don't know how I will face my family once they know about this. This is the most stupid mistake I have done in my life. Until now, I haven't talk about this to anyone because I don't have the courage to do so. And that guy didn't know that I already caught him in the act. I still have his phone number that I'm planning to tell him that I don't believe him anymore and I know he is a scammer. Shall I do that? Any advice?

The one i am dealing with is embarressing. He sent me pictures, and i sent some back. He has even sent me videos, but refuses send one saying my name or anything to show that he is who he says he is. I have sent a large amount of money through WesternUnion. Somehow they got my home address and pictures that i never sent to them. Now they want me to keep sending money every month or he will show i p at my house and show the pictures and thibgs that i said to my loved one..

Ok does this sound familiar to anyone - think I got a new scammer again: Good Morning Theresa Hope you had a lovely night rest and woke up with a smile on your face? Thank God i got the email coorectly and i want to thank you for the reply on the dating site,i really appreciate...I have actually been on the dating site for 2 weeks now..I would really love to know you more,thought i'd tell you more about myself and you do the same and we can take it from there? I'm a Construction/Civil Engineer, I'm into building and constructions, I handle my job in contracts because I am self employed. I actually just relocated from California about 2 weeks ago and that was when i joined the site,still moving things though and need to sell my house in Sacramento, that is when i will know i have fully relocated cause i have put that house up for sale and the realtors here are yet to find a befitting house i need.… My parents were full Italians,though from different states..They are both of blessed memories now.. I was born in the suburb of Verona in Italy but i don't speak Italian though but understand a little. I have an ascent cause i left when i was very young after the death of my father,myself and my mom actually relocated to England after he died..Actually graduated from the university of Sheffield.. I'm a single dad blessed with a lovely girl., I got married 18 years ago and it lasted for just 10 years. My divorce was quite difficult because never saw it coming. My daughter is 17 years,she schools in Manchester England because i have a home there also,she is in her first year of medical college and she wants to be a dentist,nothing makes me happier...… The last time i heard about my ex wife was that she was involved in a car accident with her lover and she was in critical condition because they were both on drugs and she was an alcoholic,she hasn’t seen our daughter for 3years,i wonder how some women can be so heartless enough to abandon their own child,well my daughter is fine now,she is growing into a beautiful woman and she completes me. I am artistic and with a good sense of humor,quick witted, friendly , energetic and I do my best to keep my emotions in balance, I have not felt the love of woman for long now,and I really miss it,to be sincere ,I'm quite scared,but just want to be bold. As the saying goes, no risk , no reward. I'm taking the risk of meeting someone, trusting and i know that there is someone out there for me.. Well, I will stop here for now and waiting for your reply cause i would really appreciate getting to know you more also,please tell me about yourself? Have a lovely day my dear.. Hope to hear from you soon. Warm hugs. Please let me know if this sounds familiar he states his name is Mario Bartolomei

I have also been scammed cuz I met someone on a online dating site. And of course the scammer said he was in the military and he said he was from Illinois. But then he started asking me to send him money. Because he ran out of money and starving. And why would he ask for money if they have a mess hall in the military. Then he said his best friend was badly wounded. I'm not sure if he was telling the truth about that. But then I was asked to send 1,200 dollars to someone in nigeriA. Then I didn't send the money. Then someone how the scammer found me on Facebook and found my mom on it and started harassing her saying if your daughter don't send the money or reply back to this Donald Hughes or his commander I will spend the rest of my life in jail. And I didn't do nothing wrong. But recently I hears in the local news. That the scammer who was scamming me was in court in a town over from me. And he was found guilty and was put in jail.

I've read almost all of your posts, first God bless all of you, no one deserves to have this done to them. I've been on online dating sites for a while now, in hopes of meeting the right woman and hopefully after an appropriate relationship will come marriage. I consider myself to be very intelligent, well above average, as I have earned degrees in Criminal Justice, Forensic Psychology, and Business Administration. I've had three separate women all with gorgeous pics claim to love me and want to come immediately to the US to marry me. Those were from Ghana, which I have never met one yet from Ghana that hasn't asked for money by the second time we have spoken. When you meet these people, if you listen closely to what they say, you will see almost everything they ask is a qualifying question to determine if it's worth their time to communicate, and how much you could possibly be worth to them. I absolutely will not, no matter how disturbing the story may be, send money to anyone that I meet online, and if they ask it's over, plain and simple. I know it's hard because for me the money is not the real issue, the emotions involved hurt much more than the money to me. I'm now communicating with a wonderful woman from Russia. We have written letters everyday for about 2 months. She has never asked me for anything whatsoever. I do have a friend from Russia that advised me to be careful, which I am, but so far so good. I am actually giving slot of thought to opening a company that will check out everything that you need to know about someone that you meet online. I'll update you on that as time goes by. Also be very careful if your asked to.go to a verification site before meeting g someone. My understanding is that there is no such thing and they are just try to get you to use your credit card to get to their can page, supposedly for free, credit card is for age verification only, except when you read the small print, if you don't cancel, usually within 2-3 days you just signed up to 3-4 sites normally ranging from $39.95-$49.95. Sorry this is so long, but you can't be too careful. I don't know how a man can even ask a woman that he has a romantic interest in for money. I try hard to live my life with honor, integrity and dignity and I could never do that, no matter how bad things were, if I need to ask, I'm not ready for a relationship. Again God bless, I hope you all find what your looking for.