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

Hi all, I was approached on Instagram by a guy who said he was Nelson Artin, SGT in the US Army, stationed in Syria, we have been chatting for quite a few months, I really like him and he says he really likes me, he only recently when I asked him when we were going to video call, he said I had to fill in a Military Spouse form and there was an admin fee of $200US. He said also if I cant pay the whole lot, I can pay whatever I could and he would make up the difference. He said that I can pay it by Weston Union or Money gram. I live in New Zealand and I dont know who to ask if it's legit. He seems to be, he has sent me dozens of photos, some in his uniform. By the way stay clear of anyone called Bryan Thompson, deployed to Nigeria, or Richard Andersen, US Army, deployed

Currently talking to one ... it started off in Instagram and now hangouts... lmao so funny his name is Calvin Stevens ... thankfully my friend really is a marine and helped me out lol

I have been chatting with someone for 8 months. About 2 months in he said he was falling in love with me. He is supposedly in the Army in Aleppo Syria, but lives normally in Denver,Colo.. Wife died of cancer 5yrs ago. His 19 yr old daughter is going to school in NY. I have sent well over 10k in itunes, Amazon gift cards, to his daughter for her school. I am not on disability and now owe more money in credit card debt than I make in a year. He has recently asked me to open a bank account in my name. He says he needs to deposit money in it so he can get home to the states . He can never video chat, although he has called me numerous times. He also asked for nude pics. Although I know better and against my better judgement I have given in to this man, with pictures and all the gift cards. He supposedly will be coming home in December. He wants to marry me and keeps assuring me, he will take care of all my debt, as soon as he returns in Dec. Red flags went up all along and I have ignored them because I was lonely. I wanted to believe him even though in the back of my mind I knew it wasn't true. He keeps telling me, that he would never do anything to hurt me. That he loves me and will always love me no matter what. Help... I don't know how to get out of this... His name is James Rice, I met him on a singing app. His daughters name is Shelly. I have even emailed her and we conversed a few times. How stupid can an intelligent woman be? I'm my case...pretty darn stupid!!! Lord help me get out of this non- relationship !

I have a guy who showed me a receipt for $6500 that he paid to send me his retirement. Now I get emails stating the the UN has this package and I have to pay to get it sent to me. I can send the money to an account at the bank. I have an account number, address for the bank, this ladies name.

I need help in finding this person that goes by Matthew Andreas Sparks says that he is a construction engineer Has a 6 year old son name John and lives in Woodway Tx He says that his wife died six years ago while given birth to his son He claims he is working down in Malaysia on condiums He also sent me a copy of his flight ticket from Malaysia to Houston Tx Has anyone run into this person because I believe that I got scammed

Hello, ladies our story or changed around but anyway you look at it we have all been scammed .stories have changed and names my scammer was a captain in the army but it was different then our regular army .yea right .he was was with the peace keeping mission .went as far as tilling me his address .and he didn't realize how the process worked but to get him out of Afghanistan early he comander sent me papers to sign .but I had already sent money to him and I tune cards what's up with the I tune cards ? I was hoot line and sinker .I was trying to get over a 40 year marriage where my husband had cheated on me so my selfastem was very low so I believed everything he told me.I only wish I had listen to my family every one knew he was scamming me but me .I hope our stories helps other people .its so hard to believe not only are they scammers but they also play with our hearts.best wishes we live and learn.

This kind of thing happened to me recently. I had only been chatting for under 4 weeks. On the first week he told me that he was falling in love. Within the second week he asked if I would get an ITune card for his son who is in boarding school. He told me that as he was in a war zone area and all the shops were closed, he could not get anything for his sons birthday. Like an idiot I did. The following week he asked for one thousand, four hundred euro, again to send packages to his son in boarding school. This is when I ended everything. I have googled his name, he is one of the top most hated romance on-line dating scammer. And he goes by several names. Although he is white, he has an African accent. I did message him to say that he should stop what he is doing, and it’s never too late to change his life around. I have no further contact.

I had a guy that looked me up via intagram. His whole name was John Walker bliss, he was a widower, lost his wife to a card accident teo years ago. He was very much the charmer, and definitely knew how to seduce your heart, mind and sould. About 3 weeks into the conversation i told him i had a day off for Thanksgiving, that’s when he said, well if you have time off maybe you could run a couple of errands, i have a guy that owes me money, I’ll have him get a hold of you so you can collect for me. I asked will the check be in your name? And he said I don’t know I’m waiting for him to call me back, I’ll just have him write it out for you. I said I don’t accept check from people that I don’t know. Then i asked him to send me a picture of himself, he did, so he was the person i was talking too, and then i said thanks for your kind words, thanks for making me feel vibrant again, for letting me dream and for making me realize how lonely I truly was, that i was so gullible to fall for a scam. Good luck scamming the next person. Deleted Hangouts and got off instagram. Be careful i could see how easy it is to want to fall in love and believe someone, but if it feels off, trust your instincts and listen to those opposing the relationship.

Does anyone knows Terry Young telling that his wife died while giving birth to their son and his son is 3 now?

Anyone being scammed by a Frenchman who also travels to the Ivory Caost. Did a face search and found out he has MANY aliases on a lot of dating websites in which he usually says he's French but other times German or American or Dutch or whatever he feels like it that day.

I am also being by a man name Chris muldock. He said he is an off shore drill. And wanted me to send him 500.00 but i was born. But. It not yesterday. So lady's don't fall for it. Lot of the military men ask you to send money to Africa. Not don't be fooled. Once they have your money. They block you from them and you lost you hard working money. On a idiot.

I have one trying to scam me right now. I'm going to have a little fun before actually using the information I've gathered to make their life hell for awhile.

I’m speaking to a man that goes by Hopper Sean Corey , in Facebook he claims his real name is Willis Lawrence Hopper , he is given me a different story than what I’ve read but if his name sounds do familiar to anyone please let me know ASAP . I do have photos of him Thank you

The man who tried to rob me called himself Roland Owen (rolandowen2020@gmail.com). He sent me a letter via SLOWLY (beware! because this app brings many more of them trying to get your mail and then from there to Hangouts). He almost instantly declared his love for me (how can a person you never met face to face can fall in with you like that?). It was very hard for me to believe him, even when he said he wanted to marry me. I must say I amused myself a lot with this story. He said he was a 53 years old widower with a 11 years old faughter, living in Manhattan Beach, but in the month of November working as a supervisor, then as a contractor for Freeport Mcmoran, with a 4 million dollars contract! Because of the fir in California, he asked me for money 1,200$ to send her daughter and nanny to another state. He couldn’t send any because he had “issues” with the bank... I decided not to give any money although I must say I believed the story of the his completely destroyed house. A week later he said he was broke and couldn’t pay the goods he needed to finish his work at the “rig”. And he wanted “so much” to come to Portugal and be with me (although he had a daughter who would be needing him a lot, I imagined). That was weird. I said I didn’t have any money and I remembered than I had made some research on the internet about him. I found his name as a contractor in Freeport Mcmoran, but it was not the same picture he had sent me. Later I found this site and sent him the link. And did copy paste one “sweet” message he had sent. Found it in a site with love letters for men to use. Sent him this link too. He cried a lot, saying he had nothing to do with those scammers. But he went on asking for money. I said I didn’t believe him, that I wondered who he was. So he decided to make a video call that day because he was going ashore. What a “coincidence”! I saw him and it looked like the man in the pictures but it meant nothing because 5 min later he sent me a long message asking for money again (the msg was too long so he must had done copy paste from another he already had used with other women-he couldn’t have had the time to write it after the previous one for me to receive it so quickly). I cynically begged him not to ask me for money because I didn’t have any and it made me “suffer a lot”. Afterwards, silence. Then I sent him a last msg an closed hangouts account.

I love how all these people gave nanny’s

Here another one via WhatsApp and i have been asked iTunes gift card. He/she is really good.i can give her/his number..met on POF.com

There’s a Scammer named Harold Tom who says he is retiring from the army and he is looking for a lover. He then says after a few months that he was received gold and needs money for shipping it. He then says he needs money for the paperwork. He then says he is on his way to Canada. All of a sudden he ends up in a Hospital in Accura Ghana. He scammed me so much money and is now asking me money for medicine. He asks money for food. He then says he’s coming and he needs money for chop money. He’s a scammer!!! His name is Harold Tom.

I know a woman who is talking with a guy who says he's American and is working on an oil rig off the coast of Qatar. It seems obvious to me this guy is a scammer. He has done all the usual things like moving off the dating site to an email address, professing love too soon, promises to see her but never does. He is grooming her. His alias name is Michael Grech. Said he has a civil engineering degree, his wife was not well and so they divorced about 1.5 years ago, and he took custody of his 15 year old daughter who is in boarding school, and a mother who lives in Nova Scotia. He has sent several pictures of him and his mom, him and his daughter, his daughter on her horse, and one of himself. He professes to be very wealthy and they are talking about marriage and what kind of house they want, etc. He says he and five others have invested in the rig and he is currently working on a project on the rig that he manages and he hopes will be completed soon so he can come home, retire, and marry her. He sends poems he says he writes, but that is just all so much nonsense...it's all a line, all of it! He has done everything the scam warning sites have said he would do. He is grooming her to give him money. I worry that my friend is getting in over her head and will end up with a broken heart and an empty bank account. She has promised me she will not give him money or open any bank accounts and ship things for him or receive things for him. Any man who says he has money and is investing in and working onsite at these off shore oil rigs is going to have the means to wire for money, medical funds, bank accounts etc. -- anything he might need, and that includes transportation, messengers and shipping services, etc. I was reading from an FBI site about scammers and they said the scammers will use a photo they get off the internet. They advised victims to ask the scammer to provide a current pic of themselves with something that has the current date on it--like a newspaper, or have them do something in the photo that will prove they are the person in the picture they posted earlier-something that you tell them to do. Have them take a selfie holding your picture, or letter, or something you know you sent to them. Or have them do something unusual in a photo that you tell them to do, like hold up 3 pens in front of their face. Or, rest a flower behind their ear so it shows on the side of their face. Or, have them put tape on their forehead with your name on it. You get the idea. And you can tell him/her you are trying to convince your family and friends they are for real and need some evidence to convince them. The site also suggested that if the person claims to be a U.S. citizen living or working in another country and asks you for help or money, refer them to the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate. I you want to send money, consider a U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Citizens Services (OCS) Trust. An OCS Trust works like a wire transfer, but the embassy or consulate holds the money until the recipient pick it up--and provides proof of U.S. citizenship. If someone is truly sincere about their love and not just trying to scam you, they will understand why you are being cautious and will not get mad at you or try to make you feel guilty for protecting yourself from being scammed. If you have never even met the person face to face, why are you trusting they can love you? And why do you think you love them. Take your time, be rational, be sensible, keep your money and do your research on romance scammers. There are lots of people getting scammed. Don't be victim. Be smart.

Anyone hear of a Kenneth Collins in upstate NY Wife died, Raised three kids , has own business. Wanted to come see me at Thanksgiving. I said no. Then he went to India to purchase tools for his business. I was guessing what would happen next and it did. Needs$2500 To get back, lost his walllet Oh sure. Anybody else with this one?

i met a guy online and he is in america and we did a video call on whatsapp and we said goodnight,since morning i have been calling him and he is not picking and he has not come online to read the message i dropped for him,i dont know what is happening,i dont know if he's real or fake.

Anyone involved with a Nathan Wall or Nathan Gibson. Supposedly working in Dubai?

Has anyone received a diamond engagement ring from these people? Obviously not real. Why would they do this?

Went by name Billy Carlson on Scrabble words with Friends 2 about 50 handsome gotee Oil rig Gulf of Mexico widow wife died leukemia from Boston now in phyladelpia wants to marry me after 4 weeks send $300 iTunes cards then needed $10000 tool's out of Customs to finish contact on rig I didn't have he stopped talking broke my heart

I opened an Instagram acct and was bit up by 2 different men. Jeff rice and sherriff Smith. Jeff was suppose to be in Afghanistan and wanted me to send his mom a Google Play card for his son for his birthday. He set up an email acct using the name Elizabeth porter satin it was his mom....? He was telling me he loved me and was call-in his son our son and him my husband. I told him it was to soon for that crap and he threatened to shoot himself and said he couldn't go out on patrol that night. I just shut him down and refused to send anything to his son. He stopped texting. Now this other guy Sherriff Smith is a lil harder to get rid of lol. He finally asked me for 100 dollar iTunes card. Told him no and he got all defensive. I think it's funny when they do that lol. What they are doing is wrong but I push back and get them pissed before I stop messaging them. Pretty sure it's the only way to get some satisfaction out of talking to them. Letting them think the can talk me into sending them something then shutting them down. Hope they rot in hell later on cause you know that's where they are going.

I’m praying mine is for real...but all these stories sound the same... anyone been approached by a Richard on Instagram on an oil rig in Australia?

I had spent a long time to type my personal experience and giving out the scammer details just to alert others. Why didn't allow my messages post up. It's so waste of my time and if there's anyone get scammed by the scammer - Eric Tem, YOU are the one to BLAME! Because you hid the scammer's information!

Hello people who are a victim of many fraud and scams to make a very long story short I met a woman on Instagram as well I see a Facebook account for her Her name is Jessica Mark with a picture of her in revealing clothes as well pictures of her and her daughter for months now I have talked with her and I believe she falls in the category of a scammer to she has asked way too much personal information from me as well I have done the iTunes cards for her as well now she tells me of her mom wants to come to the states and would want me to take out a loan to help her Her description is very long black hair as well tattoos on her mid stomach area as well a tattoo on her arm she has many followers on Instagram as well people following her could really use some help in this matter my pockets are broke enough with all of what she is asking from me

Really hot chick by the name of Rose Burke be aware. She tried scamming me for amazon gift cards for groceries. Used a lot of the gimmicks and tricks y’all are talking about. I feel bad for these people... soulless trash

Has anyone had contact from thomasgreen16027878 or Thomas George? (Instagram) They're the same guy. Typical story...widower...kid.....oil rig....needs $

On pof saying she’s in military

Does anyone know a Marek Bron?

Hey, I think i find a scammer too. I found im at jaumo. Im from germany. So his name is jean lopes and he is from Belgium, 33 years old. We switched to skype. He told me that he is his own boss and has his own company. He had to got for a buisness meeting to benin, nigeria. After one week he wanted to visit me directly. By the way, he talked about some problems with his credit card at the hotel. The last day of buisness he told me he would book the flight ticket. Then some hours later he told me, he had a bad accident. He knocked a kid with his car. The kid was serious injured. The police take him" I had already taken the plane ticket. I was glad that I want to be able to go home. it was when I returned to the hotel that I had the accidnet. I knocked down a kid. I swear I did not see him coming. I have pain in my left forearm but the kid has had serious injuries, he is in intensive care. until now he is unconscious. " " the police confiscated all my papers and said that before I get back I have to cover all the kid's hospitalization costs and compensate the family. " My first thougths were, he is a buisness man why he has noch injurance ? Then he told me will get money from his friend. But 900€ left. And on mysterious way he lost his mobile phone while the accident, he could only write from hotel.So he ask me "honey, I do not know how to do it and I do not want to spend one more day here. that is why I would like you to help me by any means please. I do not know how much you trust me but I would like you to make me a loan, and I promise to pay you back as soon as I go back and this with interest if you wish" But i dont pay this. Im not stupid. When he is a buisness man he could handle it. Also the problem with his credit card. His look is. 1,74 m , brown hair, brown eyes . Got pic from a poolselfie, take lunch selfie. And buisness look. Its sad, how people fool around with the feelings of other. But thats life.

Is anybody talking with Alexandre Sean Luca? Marine engineer, widowed with daughter Lily?

Below is an email from another dirt ball trying to scam Hello Pretty woman..My name is Robert Wow..I am very new here...I do work for US Army and i am on peace keeping in Afghanistan now...I will be home in 1 month time to get retired and leave a simple life..I am very serious and honest man looking for my other half...I am willing to relocate provided that the relationship is moving in a long term/serious direction.. I am not interested in bopping around "trying women out" on a more serious side.So if you have no problem with the distance and you are interesting we can exchange email address and get to know more and see where it will lead is too...Mine is Hankharris003 @gmail. com and yours..?What is your email and number #..? GentlemanJ

I think I’m being scammed too....where can I see a picture of this guy?

Beware of a Leo Roberts. He has similar stories that I read here. He is pretending to be a US army special force. Pic is a handsome man, he says he has $1.2M in the bank but has no access due to his current mission in Syria. He claims to have a 3 yr old daughter and his wife died during child birth. His daughter lives with a nanny while he's deployed. Such a sweet talker but you can tell that he's a scammer because his stories doesn't make sense.

Hi Can you please hp me. I want to know If I'm being scam. I've meet someone in dating apps last October 17 2018,He is from London. Team Manager of Mechanical enginering department. He is single 36yrs old. Have one brother, father died. Mother is 85 years old. We exchange messages from whatsapp. He is now in Bangalore India airport/immigration. His flight is supposed to be October 29 but something came up. When he is in Indian airport he needa to pay 1000US dollars for immigration but his card is not active. He only bring some cash. That's why he is ask Me to send him money, I send him through moneygram but not in his name, through the name of the immigration officer. I send him October 30,because October 29 I have work. But another problem came up. He missed his flight and need to book another one. People their ask for 120,000 Philippines pesos for booking of flight but soon it became 80000 Philippine pesos. And when he book his flight and boarding they saw the engagement ring that he baught for me. Diamond one. Cost 1million pesos. He said he keeps it inside the shoes. But they saw it. And the people their in the immigration is asking for 55000 phlippines pesos.They told me that he also needs to pay for the demmurage fee. I'm I bring scam? Or it's just a real situation happening in India airport. Please help me. Until now he is in India Airport. And the immigration call me that they will not released him if he will not pay the 55,000 Philippine pesos on Monday. But that is the last payment. It's because of the diamond ring.

Has anyone talked to a guy by the name of jack Maxwell he says he from Scotland but lives in New York with his seven year old daughter and his nanny and has h ku s own business he asked for a iTunes card and once me send him 300 for his daughter birthday gift

Anyone encountered very good looking Norwegian Nicklas traveling in Lithuania for work, wife died of cancer 4 years ago, needs money for surgery on appendix and business bills to get back to US. Has 14 year old daughter

Has anyone spoken to a Michael Hall?

Met Jacob Anthony on Instagram. He was so sweet sending pictures of flowers and cute sayings. Soon he wanted to move to Hangouts, a site I’d never been on. He became more romantic. He said he was an engineer on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico with a 12 year old son in Atlanta being cared for by a nanny. He claimed cell reception was bad on the rig and his regular phone was broken. Consequently, he had another phone which required iTunes cards so he could buy more time. Then his “son, “who he had call me “mom,”’despite my asking him not to, needed money for his phone. All the while his texts were getting more amorous. At this point I realized I was being scammed. He started telling me about a major contract he was bidding on. Since I was supposedly going to be his future wife, I needed to send him thousands of dollars because he got the contract and needed to buy equipment. I unkindly bid him farewell, blocked him, and haven’ heard from him again. He seemed so real.