Skip to main content

Image of cupid and heartNot everyone using online dating sites is looking for love. Scammers create fake online profiles using photos of other people — even stolen pictures of real military personnel. They profess their love quickly. And they tug at your heartstrings with made-up stories about how they need money — for emergencies, hospital bills, or travel. Why all of the tricks? They’re looking to steal your money.

As if all that isn’t bad enough, romance scammers are now involving their victims in online bank fraud. Here’s how it works: The scammers set up dating profiles to meet potential victims. After they form a “relationship,” they come up with reasons to ask their love interest to set up a new bank account. The scammers transfer stolen money into the new account, and then tell their victims to wire the money out of the country. Victims think they’re just helping out their soulmate, never realizing they’re aiding and abetting a crime.  

Here are some warning signs that an online love interest might be a fake. They ask you to:

  • chat off of the dating site immediately, using personal email, text, or phone
  • wire money using Western Union or Money Gram
  • set up a new bank account

Did you know you can do an image search of your love interest’s photo in your favorite search engine? If you do an image search and the person’s photo appears under several different names, you’re probably dealing with a scammer. And if the person’s online profile disappears a few days after they meet you, that’s another tip-off.

Here’s the real deal: Don’t send money to someone you met online — for any reason. If your online sweetheart asks for money, you can expect it’s a scam.

Unfortunately, online dating scams are all too common. There may be tens of thousands of victims, and only a small fraction report it to the FTC. If this happens to you, please report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

A woman looking at a dating site on her computer.

It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.

The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

Laura
June 01, 2018
Beware of Peter Muller! sent No money! but ohhh what a line.... Feel better now that I have read all of your guys... almost like they use a form letter in some instances ….. just wish we could get them back!!
Laura
June 01, 2018
Beware of Peter Muller! sent No money! but ohhh what a line.... Feel better now that I have read all of your guys... almost like they use a form letter in some instances ….. just wish we could get them back!!
Cathym1957
June 01, 2018
I have had 3 different individuals try to "friend" me. Facebook, Match.com and Instagram. They all use handsome Caucasian men, one was military Black Hawk Pilot... After speaking on the phone at some point , with all 3, their accents did not fit their profiles... They all sounded like they were from South Africa... Amazed that they would go through the trouble of impersonating someone else(usually a handsome man) to befriend unsuspecting women. Disgusting!!! Jonathan Marsh impersonator was the first on Facebook. Just recently Adrian Moreno on Instagram...
Stupidity
June 02, 2018
This guy requested me on FB and I accepted. Couple of weeks that we met he said I was his wife. Story is to long. This romance went to a year. I was so in love with this man. I did send him money and I hope he chokes on it. He sent me a pictures of himself and a so called retirement check of $657,000,000. He's so called name is Michael Parker. His friends Jim Derrick from Istanbul Turkey, Pauline Frances Martin from Mango Florida. There were more people involved. My daughter warned me but I was so stupid to realize it until it was too late. This men sweet talk us into in doing things. Never again!!!!!
Wanda1111
May 03, 2020

In reply to by Stupidity

Hiya, I was just searching the internet for a Michael Parker that many be a scammer as my auntie is chatting to one at this moment but has doubts he said his wife died and also his son died last year.. does this sound like the same Michael parker you had conversations with?xxx
julia2120
October 14, 2020

In reply to by Wanda1111

I just got an instagram friend request from him today. I could tell straight away he was a fake. Photos look professional and someone like him would have more friends and connections. Don't trust this account.
Wally1111
December 30, 2020

In reply to by Stupidity

Would you happen to have a pic of Michael Parker? I’m talking to a Michael Parker I met on FB
Hermosa
June 02, 2018
I met a guy online last year through Facebook Messenger. He said he was 52, a Danish English and a Contractor in the UK and he used the Constructing Firm HW Construct. He lost his wife 3 years ago from Cancer. They were together for 12 years, childless. He was attractive and debonair. I got physically attracted to him right away and even more after 3 weeks of chatting with him through Viber. He was very sweet and seemed to know a lot about a woman's needs and feelings. Because I wanted so much to know more about him, I clicked on the HW Construct on Facebook and saw some pictures there. I was surprised to see the company cars were written in French. So I asked him if his company is French and he said no it's English. I was not convinced and even more When after that, he deleted the name of the Company in his Facebook account. However, I still chatted with him because he was so sweet and I was attracted to him. Then he told me he got the deal for a Metro Train Station in Malaysia and would be working on it for 3 months. 1 week after supposedly in Malaysia, he told me he had a very big problem. He accidentally dropped his wallet and he didn't have any money, his cards were all in the wallet. I immediately suspected the moment he told me about not having any money. I told him, why doesn't he ask help from his secretary to send him some money and he said, he doesn't have as they are all men in the firm. I told him, then maybe he should ask his partners to send him money, but he said his partner is not in the UK.He kept on pleading me to send him through Western Unión. I blocked him on Facebook right away and before I blocked him on Viber, I sent him a message telling him how bad he was for scamming women and should be ashamed of himself for extracting money from women.
Susie.
June 05, 2020

In reply to by Hermosa

I’ve been talking to the same guy, almost the same story for months. Just became suspicious when his wallet was stolen and b CB imputes broke in v fb instruction accident. He’s hinting he needs help from “ his woman”. Too bad I really liked him.
Susie.
June 05, 2020

In reply to by Hermosa

I’ve been talking to the same guy, almost the same story for months. Just became suspicious when his wallet was stolen and b CB imputes broke in v fb instruction accident. He’s hinting he needs help from “ his woman”. Too bad I really liked him.
San francisco
June 02, 2018
This man claiming to be on Facebook as Dave mark. His profile picture is with supposedly with his daughter.he has on a baseball cap and glasses the little girl has on a purple dress and I believe mickey mouse ears. He claims to be from El Paso Texas and is an petroleum engineer. He said his wife died in a car accident and his parents are both decease. He said he was born in Denmark and the lived in Carolina before moving to Texas. If anyone has dealt with him I would really like to hear from you. His full name he goes by is Dave Mark Lennon. Thank you
Scamner from d…
June 03, 2018
Hi, I met this man through a Malaysian dating website in early May 2018. He claimed his name to be Leon Nicholas James, a Swedish with US citizenship. He has a 6 year old girl living with his parents in California. He's working as a biochemist on a 5 years contract in Malaysia. He's about to complete his 1st stage of the contract after one and a half years. He used beautiful and convincing words to make you fall in love with him. Calling you dear, Queen etc. He texted that he received emergency call from home on 24th May about his daughter being hospitalised for leukemia and he needs to fly back to the US to be with her. After a few days, he texted to get money. He said he needed to clear the local (Malaysia) government tax before his company can release his one and a half year salary to him. He had paid more than RM19,000 but still short of RM4300 due to currency exchange rate. He kept pestering and pleading and he got agitated when I refused. He gaslighted me with words. I banked in a small sum to test him. This morning he again texted that he needed another sum (RM4K +) to pay for stamping and bank charges by next week. Told him I've no more money to help him. He was upset again and said I never think about him and his daughter. In between texts with him since day 1 till now, he'll ignore some of my questions and he'll suddenly disappeared from the chat without a goodbye. Please watch out from this man.
killed me
June 03, 2018
I was contacted off of whatapp by a Smith Burk had several pictures and even a video of the same person saying he was looking to settle down get married said he was stationed in Afghanistan I fell for it I just gotten out of an 11 year very abusive marriage never done on line dating he knew just what to say got me to send him money i blocked him when i found out he was a scammer he used another number to contact me im at the verge of committing suicide because of this person I already been to hell and back and now this Id rather be dead
Betty
June 04, 2018
Yep I have the oil rig guy too!! Needs money for his machine. Still talk every night
DISGUSTEDINGA
June 20, 2018

In reply to by Betty

Has anyone been talking to an oil rig engineer offshore from Mexico City, on ExxonMobil oil rig Julia named Rex Ford or Allan Ford? He co tasted me first back in March. We have been talking for 3 months & he wants to marry me & spend the rest of his life with me. Pretty sure he's a scammer. Pls comment if you know of this man. I wish we could post pictures on here!
Donna
July 19, 2018

In reply to by DISGUSTEDINGA

Were are same situation ma'am but this man start chatting this mont of July.. And he wants to buy iTunes card.. And he cannot pay the iTunes its because dew of war in Syria. He wants me to pay that iTunes card true to his friend.. He always pestering me to pay that iTunes card he also mad at me and disappointed because I can't give that money.. You know what is fanny thing the other account he use disappeared and he create a new account with different names.. I already this man is scammer. And keep chatting with him without knowing he is scammer.. I hope we can post here the pictures.. Guys be aware of this man.
sucked into it
December 07, 2018

In reply to by Betty

Is his name Peter Muller, because I got scammed by him. Same thing, needs money for his machine that conveniently broke.
Flo
May 10, 2020

In reply to by Betty

Does any one know a Donald Mark or Alexandria Mark an oil rig scammer!
lizzie
June 03, 2018
I have been reading these post on page 65 yes scammers are all over the internet If you think the relationship is real it's probably not scammers know how to play and get you to fall in love with them and they tell you how much they love you and they love to marry you he will tell you everything you like to here Scammers take there time when they get you where they want you and you believe what they say if he start asking for money iTunes cards opening up bank account your address to send a box to kept for him until he comes back in the country say no and walk away don't look back if you don't walk away and send money and iTunes cards you will become a victim like myself And when you say you can't send anything are get his box that's when scammers try to blackmail and threat you in some kind of way like this guy that claims to be in the Air Force got very upset with me because I wouldn't send him money to come home 1250 and iTunes cards I had to deleted my hangouts account reported him to Facebook and block him they remove his page But he is still on others sites Instagram hangouts dating sites just listen to your heart sometimes it sounds too good to be true These scammers that are imposter military men are liars and fakes and work in groups scamming women beware and really listen to your heart please don't become a victim if you do report there name email phone number
loulou
June 04, 2018
Please did anyone came across a man named halton bullock he's supposed to be a us soldier deployed in syria he just ask me to contact his general because he doesn't wanna go on a very dangerous mission he hasn't ask me for money i really don't know what to think. We have been chatting just for a week now.the same story he's a widow he lost his wife and son on a car crash he has a daughter and his parents a dead too.
Tammybella
June 04, 2018
My mom is being scammed. First by a guy named Charles yeomans who has a long history of being stuck over seas with a sick child and needing to get back home to California. She finally figured he was scamming her but now in scam with anoth Californian named Chris. Lots of money. Child in England at boarding school, traveled to turkey on job, now stuck their due to expired visa. Ask for money, my mom gives. Just also found out she still gives money to the first guy also. She is about to loose everything bc she has sent over 100,000 in past year and mortgaged her house and car. She is mentally sick and doesn’t believe us when we say he is scamming her. We are trying to get her committed but it is not easy. Any one Hear of these nomes. Trying hard to prove to her they are not real.
This is gettin…
June 04, 2018
Surgeon, UN Army of 15 yrs. 10mos of 14mos in Afghanistan. Lost wife and son aT childbirth 5yr ago. Only son now 13yrs old in boarding school in Atlanta, Georgia. Son is very lonely and school has run out of money for his food. Pls send money to his teacher or him. $500-$800/MO for boarding school expenses. Love at first site. Marry me and be mother to his 13 yr old son. Willing to move from NYC for love, anything is possble. Instagram msgs, went straight to Hangout. Asked me to not talk to other men, as he proceeded to follow 85 more women on IG. He gave me sons tel # .. turned out only for txt out of Michigan. And his gmail was shown out of Illinois . Just asked him for his military email so we can communicate , and figure how to help his son. Hmm, funny, he has just lost his tongue ....
Ellen
June 05, 2018
I started chatting with a man named Paul Spinks that I met on POF dating site. He claims to be a Gold Merchant and says he’s from Colorado. He said he was in Malaysia on a work trip, & called me from Malaysia. Then said he had to go to the Ukraine to buy more gold. He was supposed to leave on Wednesday to come back to the USA but now all of a sudden his money is unavailable because he needs $10,000.00 to activate his account in the Ukraine & has managed to raise all but $600.00. I told him I don’t have that kind of money & he says he understands; he’s a widower of 6 years & his son is in Scotland going to school. So, I guess I will see if he continues to message me or not. It’s so hard to be single but I would stay alone forever rather than be scammed by some loser!
Not about love
June 05, 2018
This guy started following me on Twitter. I returned the follow. He DM'd me and was being really nice and amiable. Said he was in the Gambia taking care of his young siblings because their parents had died and could I send $50 to help with food. I tell you... I never thought of myself as someone who could ever fall for something like this but I was actually feeling guilty for blocking him!! In fact, I am still thinking that he could have been legit and that I should have helped but... Oh my gosh... this is the very thing we hear about in the news, that some senior citizen gave away their life savings to someone in another country and it all turned out to be a scam. I really need to talk with someone about this. I feel so bad even though I know this is not a legitimate way to help someone.
Deborah68
June 10, 2018

In reply to by Not about love

It is hard not to feel guilty. If they are asking for money even $50 it is a scam. I had my first expetience with a scammer whom I reallt liked. I sebt him $300 worth of iTunes cards over the monthd we talked. When he asked me for another obe I said no more cards. He became very angry. I blocked him and felt bad st first but next day I had a sense of relief. We need to remember we are worth someone caring for us and not askng for monry.
SamS
June 17, 2018

In reply to by Not about love

Almost the exact same situation brought me here. I’m feeling guilty for blocking this guy I have been chatting with on Instagram over the last few weeks. Even though deep down I was suspicious immediately. He too says he lives in The Gambia. He has a younger brother and sister. Although his mother is alive, she has a very tortured existence (long story) so he basically takes care of her too. He must really think I’m stupid or something because he tells me they are so poor that they can only eat every few days but then I see photos of him wearing jewellery and his brother wearing trendy clothes. When I decided to actually block him he posted a photo of himself wearing a Samsung watch! He sends me photos of a dirty foam mattress saying him and his brother share it and they can’t afford a pillow or blanket so if I could send “any small gift from my heart” it would really help. He contradicted stories a lot. I asked him how he had a phone to use Instagram. That was all over the place. He said he wishes God would allow me to see what he sees. So I told him to take a photo right now of what he sees. He sent me some photos. I asked him, “This is what you are doing right now?” He says “yes” and I was done trusting him with that. He should have realized that when he sent those photos it was 1:30am in The Gambia. It was completely sunny in the middle of the day in those photos! So what is wrong with me to twist things in my head to think that maybe he’s just so desperate he’s making up these stories trying to get help because he can’t get help anywhere else?! No! These people are master manipulators!! Thankfully I didn’t give him anything. I really can’t afford to anyways. But I still feel kind of ridiculous that I spent so much time on this person that has no respect for me and that somehow STILL has power over me that I could feel guilt for distancing myself from them.
Im not fooled
June 05, 2018
Suddenly had 3 'American' men contact me telling me there are a surgeon, an engineer & a dog-breeder. Their texts dont match intelligent american men talking! They make grammatical mistakes! Soon their get too romantic or tell a sob story about needing an amazon or itunes card! Ive blocked one cos he got angry when i wouldnt buy the card. After reading the above comments I will block the others as sure now that they are scammers. The 3rd one (dog breeder) has just mentioned itunes card but pulled on heartstrings as says one of his dogs died last night from the cold! Odd! Supposedly lives in California? Just seen another man has started following me! They have never asked my age but they are between 50-60yrs. I am much older, so odd again! We all want to be loved and not grow old alone but i dont think i could trust any online 'man' ever again! Please be strong! Dont fall for it! Dont send money or amazon/itunes cards! Block them! Keep your dignity!
S.A.PATA
June 05, 2018
Hello and thank you for all the comments that are being posted on this media, and I hope it's safe. All I can say is that these people are so evil in the way they soft talk women into falling in love with them. They have a way with words and yes most of the time there's a repetition of the words that they use, and the spelling too makes me wonder if this military man that I'm talking to knows how to spell some of the English words. This person claimed to be one of U.S soldier in Afghanistan and he leads one of the troop there. He requested friendship on face-book and I thought, why would this nice looking soldier wants to be friend with me? So I accepted the request without knowing that there was something more than a friend. He introduced himself as Alax Johnson from U.S army based in Afghanistan and he was leading the troop there. He didn't say he was a captain or lieutenant. Any, After a few messages, he talked about wanting to be my husband for the rest of his life and romancing me with all these nice smooth words and that I have stolen his heart. I told him that I've been there done that and already have children of my own. He said that his wife passed away 8years ago and had two children who are waiting for a step-mother after a couple of months. He was so romantic always sends gestures of nice things like I MISS YOU love heart, a red rose, and two sets of golden rings and more gestures of two lovers kissing. He even called me his wife and I said, we are not even married and you call me your wife? More and more smooth talks I love you so much blah blah blah and it all comes down to a big scam of wanting me to trust him about some several million dollars that he had earned from the terrorists there that they arrest. Then I thought, why would he tell me this? CAN I TRUST YOU?' He asked. I asked him trust me for what? So he explained that he has two million that he wants me to receive and put in a safety box at a bank here until he comes in the next two months after his time in Afghanistan. He will go to his country then come to me and we will get married and all. I said to him that I was scared to do that, and why not give it to the poor because there are so many hungry people out there who needs it. He didn't really respond to that, he just said, you are all I've got. He seems to be repeating this phrase, so I said, No, what about the children? So much conversations then he send me photos one of a different man in a navy blue army uniform but he looked like an actor and I asked him who the person was? he said, he's my friend here dying for you. Really? that's nice of him but that is not you. So he send another picture of the man he's pretended to be which differs from the one on face-book. He wore white shirt like a pilot of a plain sort of shirt. There's your love he said. At the last week of May, I was hooked and really fell for this whether it was the smooth talk or the face that I look at every-time we message each other. It felt like a really sick joke at the end because he did manage to get a couple of thousands off me because he wanted this parcel that contains two million dollars so he said to be delivered by a man with diplomat immunity but he was stuck in Chicago Illinoi's airport. He said that I have to help him because he's stuck at the airport with the parcel and the custom people wanted 2200us dollars to clear it out so he can continue his trip here. I couldn't come up with this amount of money. I tried and managed to send a couple of thousands when I shouldn't. It was love at first sight he said? Oh boy, At first, 1,200was sent then he asked again, another 1200plus was sent and a different name and address in Illinois Chicago. Third time he asked and said this diplomat person needs flight money, so he can catch a flight here to my country. That's when I stopped and thought, Is he for real? I mean I have sent him messages about how I cannot afford to send money let alone pay for any one's flight. Which of my words can you understand? I can't afford anymore money to be sent over. So sorry but that's it for me. Good bye. Oh no, he keeps sending me short messages saying I love you so much, you are all I've got You've stolen my heart. Goodness gracious, I sent him a goodbye message and told him that he was evil and what he did was mean, then I tried to block him and somehow he got onto my messenger page again and saying, So you want to chart me now? This sounded like a threat. He continued to send short messages that I love you so much and miss you. Where are you? Please talk to me and on and on till last Monday 4th June 2018. After I deleted all the original conversations, I tried to block him out, but couldn't until the last couple of days when he finally gave up. I wasn't responding to his demands anymore, and we have only met in the beginning of May 2018, but he has put so much hurt and pain in my heart that I lost appetite over it. In a way it inspires me to look after myself because I thought it was this nice looking US army fellow. It was something to look forward to I suppose. I pray for this army man that who ever he is, that he's well and that his family too. But for this fraud of a man, I let God deal with him. You see, I quoted him (Psalms37:4 which says; "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.") After saying this, I thought he would care to message me back now. Oh how I was mistaken, he must have googled a Bible and try to send me some of the scriptures. That was the other reason I was lured into his scheme. I thought he was a Christian who loves Jesus, but I guess not. I almost believed that there was someone out there who really love and care for me the way this fake made me feel. Oh how wrong, from the beginning till it ended, All was a big fat lie. These kind of people are the worst scums ever. So sorry, I guess, it's my own fault for allowing it to happen. It was too good to be real is all I can say. So ladies, thanks for sharing your stories, I just wished I researched it first before I got hooked, but I got out of it before it went really bad for me. This was only a month, but boy, it is a wake up call for me and for us all to really think twice before you accept friendship on media like face-book and all. I've sent them messages and feedback about how this could have happened and how they've allowed it to continue. I closed my face-book account because I'm scared of these frauds. I mean it's a good media for communicating with friends and family members who are far away and all, but it's also a scary one if you don't pick your friends wisely. Let's hope and pray that all these will go away. Thank you and God Bless you all.
VangieC
June 07, 2018

In reply to by S.A.PATA

Did you see and chat with this guy on video? When you mentioned about hearts, rings, and flowers sounds like my scammer. My scammer said the same thing to me and haven't seen him on video. I just play around but will soon block him. Sorry to hear your experience. Thanks for letting us know...
Annoyed
July 01, 2018

In reply to by S.A.PATA

This sounds like the guy I've been communicating with but going by the name of David Johnson. I Found a facebook account under the name Evan. He claims to be in the airforce with a 5 year old son. He is always telling me "I love you so much". He is a very handsome black man with hazel eyes. I have received several pictures one in his uniform were you can clearly see his last name is Johnson, one a selfie with his drill clothes wearing a gray shirt and blue pants, just received a picture of him and his son sitting on a patio. If you have the time, the facebook profile is still up under Evan Johnson. If he is a fraud i feel sorry for the man in these pictures. I just confronted him about the facebook page and he stated someone has stole identity. He has an accent and claimed he was raised in Holland but from Alabama. States his sister still lives in Holland with his dad. Does this sound familar?
Safir Ahmad
November 13, 2020

In reply to by S.A.PATA

I'm from Pakistan Unfortunately I have same story same like you had to face. I received text on Instagram from a US soldier women named Jesks Irene. She is in Libya for troops and having a big amount that she earned and she want to send me to keep it safe. After she will come in my country she will invest somewhere in my country. I was just want to know that who's she and what she wants to me. I told that send the money. She told that she sending that money in a box via diplomatic courier service. An agent will come to airport for deliver that loggeg to me. I shocked when i really received a call from my local number. He told me that he is an agent having your parcel at airport port but come costom charges that i have to pay via bank account. He sends me a local bank account number. Luckily i contact to an retired costom officer and told all story. He warned me that don't send the money they are making froud. Then i thanks God and blocked her
Becky Sue
June 05, 2018
I have pictures that I need to verify if real. How do you share pictures? Just need to see if I am being scammed by Jacob Leo Marco..Ths.
celticgrl
June 06, 2018
Anyone know a Mark Henry Wells? He friended me on Facebook. German dad and American mother. Chemical Engineer with a 13 year old son who goes to boarding school. Both live in New York. So far he has been to Iran and now to Australia. Kid took a school trip to Nigeria and had an accident. Is home now.
Forget that
June 06, 2018
Been talking with a 36 year old AfricN man for 6 years just found him interesting, hasn't asked for money, has a church is just graduated from a ministry school, now asking if he could visit me in the U.S. scares me as I dont rely k ow his angle. Anyone else experience this?
Blondie
June 06, 2018
I met a guy on Facebook and started to talk started to fall in love with him .but yesterday she asked me for $1,200 he supposedly lives in Georgia got a contract to do a job in Africa unless Sunday and sweet loving kind everything till yesterday one of my bank info wouldn't give it to him told her I didn't have her $1,200 or even half of that so then he wanted my bank account sit all never hurt you just give me your bank account so I can send money you can hold on to it for me for when I need it his name on there and to me is Joe Brock Ashley set me all kinds of pictures of him and one child at that time then admitted he had 3 then added one more to four even added a mother into the club process with a number phone number for both so I went online and found out the address doesn't exist to a house and he hasn't answered me since last night how to picture if I can so everybody else can watch out for him
3x scammed
June 06, 2018
I was on theee different dating sites over a period of time. The first was thru match.com and lost 2000 and a laptop. Second on was our time only list 90 as I caught on. Third time says he’s just retired from the army and is with his daughter in Africa waiting for me to send him 7000 to help finish paying taxes and insurance so he can bring home gold worth 1.2 usd and build a life together. He clams his name is James Eills from Houston, TX. I will be calling his bluff today. He has sent me pictures of himself and his daughter but none together. Watch out ladies, he’s handsome and a smooth talker.
WonderBlox
June 06, 2018
I get emails like this: are_you_stupid_where_is_my_money_answer_me And: My_love_please_I_am_sorry My idea is these are fake emails to see if my email is active
Desertwolf
June 06, 2018
I have had a dozen or more in the last 6 months. One of the better ones was Jeffery Dean Morgan from California. I'm also in CA. We wrote every day 2 very long emails a day for 9 weeks. For he asked for $1 000. When I didn't give it yo him I expected him to disappear but he came back and we talked more for a few more weeks. Then he told me he needed $30,000 to complete his deal. He said he was a gold broker. I did not give that him either and he disappeared. Hundreds of emails and one day just gone. A couple more have disappeared when I started to question their "job". Now this guy is in construction in Oklahoma and says he wants to marry me. He said he called a friend of his to pay off my credit cards. Supposedly he did. I called the number on the back of my card and gave them the routing and account numbers I was given. Stolen money no doubt. But as soon as this friend sent the money my credit card companies, my "boyfriend" was wanting my to get a cash advance on the cards because he wanted to buy me a ring. I called and reported my cards lost so the card number associated with those "payments" is no longer valid. The thing I noticed most was they always say "TRUST ME" dont!! I fully expect this latest one to disappear now. I have had scammers contact me from eHarmony. I thought I'd be safe from scammers on a paid site. There are more of them on paid sites than on the free ones be caregul out there.
Brokenheart805
June 07, 2018

In reply to by Desertwolf

Hello Desertwolf, I have a couple of questions about the guys you talked too. The first guy Jeffery Dean Morgan did you get pictures from him and can you describe what he looks like. I am talking to this guy also and all of a sudden he needs $30,000 too. I told him I did have it and he wants me to take out a loan which I have not done so and not going to do. The 2nd guy also sounds familiar as the same guy I am talking too keeps telling to call my credit card and ask for a cash advance I tell him no I can’t do that and he gets upset right way. The guy I am talking to bought me a ring as he says I am his wife and he is going to come back to the states as he is working in Nigeria in a contract he was given. They really know how to sweet talk to you and tell you all the things for you to fall in love with them.
SIBmom
April 20, 2019

In reply to by Desertwolf

So you remember this person’s name (in Oklahoma)? Do you have any info you can share with me????
dumberthandumb
June 06, 2018
I am out over 10K feel so stupid and lost. Name is Joe - suppose to be an engineer for Shell Oil company needed money to complete a deal and was short cash. Was so sweet and romantic the first 3 months. Now claims he is in China. Heartbreaking story I got was his dad dies when he was young Lost his son and wife in a car accident 7 years ago. Even let me talk to someone that was suppose to be his mother in Germany. I always thought I was smarter - just got me a vulnerable time in my life. Has a lot of my information. I did file police report - not that that did any good.
smalltownhick
June 10, 2018

In reply to by dumberthandumb

did he claim to have just won a contract from Shell oil and needed help making it happen? I have been chatting with someone with basically the same story except he is in Kuwait and just broke up with his gf due to infidelity. Different sob story but sounds like him, mine went by the name Joe Helix = same one?
ABC
September 23, 2018

In reply to by dumberthandumb

I met similar case. A similar guy called Frank Xie (or Steve Lan in another case...all faked names) asked his mom call me...his "mom" is a "Christian', even praying for me and him over the phone....this is so weird.
CaJoygirl
June 06, 2018
Hi has anyone been scammed by a Sebastian Sanchez? He also goes by Ryan Sanchez. Says he is an E-6 in US Army, but the rank on his pics are of an E-4 in army reserve. Supposedly from Forth Worth, Texas. He has a 14 yr old daughter, Anna who is in boarding school since he's a widower. Supposedly deployed in Syria right now. Paid off 2 of my credit cards so I could buy him iTunes with the money. Once I bought the iTunes his bank (Sun Trust) declined paying my cards which has made me negative. I thought I was being smart by not wiring him $, but he found a way to still scam me.
mindy
June 07, 2018
I, too, have been the potential victim of an online scammer. He goes by the name of James Battershell and says he is from New Zealand originally but has lived here for 20 years and was divorced for six years and wanted to find the right woman. He contacted me via OurTime and started courting me. He answered a lot of questions about the city I live in and I also found the company he said he owned on Google (note that that website has now been suspended...another big red flag). He called, texted and sent notes to me for weeks and then one day while he was in Cyprus(or so he said) he said there was an accident to one of his workers which hurt the worker and damaged his equipment. He said he couldn't get into his account because of IP issues so asked me if I could access it and transfer $6500 into my account to buy and send him the equipment. My first question was why don't you use a credit card.. and he said he didn't use one because of his wealth. Anyway, he gave me his username and password and I logged on to what I assumed was his account (had his name and the picture I recognized from our notes and his company's website). The balance was in excess of $3 million dollars. I did attempt the transfer but because my credit union doesn't have a branch number, it didn't go through (thank God). The next day he asked me to log on again and pay some company in Cyprus for some dredging work they had to do, so I attempted that but by then the account was frozen and he contacted the bank which said it had to verify his identity. All this seemed plausible until he asked me to lend him the money and he would repay me. The one thing I have learned is to never given anyone money. He kept pressuring me and I finally broke it off. In the meantime, I moved my money to another account .. just in case... Today I googled his website and it had been suspended which reenforces my feeling that he is a scammer. I was almost such a fool.....This man is REALLY GOOD so beware..
B4real
June 07, 2018
Shawn Potter in US army anyone?