| What is Internet Dating Scam? [message #3370] |
Mon, 28 January 2008 15:37 |
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How does the scam work?
Basically, it is a scam where a lonely foreign man gets acquainted over the Internet with an attractive female from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, African countries, etc. Whoever is behind the scam will try to get as much money out of the unsuspecting foreigner as possible.
Most scammers ask money for one or more of the following:
passport, visa, tickets, "travel insurance"
emergency medical expenses for the girl or her relatives (illness, car accident, death in the family)
internet cafe / marriage agency expenses
translation agency expenses
phone / mobile phone expenses
birthday celebration
car accidents (the girl borrowed a car and wrecked it), apartment expenses (rent, repairs)
presents for herself and her family at holiday times
luxury items (cell phones, clothes, etc)
Typical tricks that scammers use:
"rebels attacked our house and I have no place to live" messages
"my mommy is sick and I have no money to help her"
"I live in the US/UK but now I'm in Nigeria on business trip" - popular Nigerian scams
"my parents died in car accident" - popular Nigerian scams
"my late father was a rich man and he deposited a few millions of dollars for me but I need just $1000 to withdraw all the amount from bank"
direct advertising of fake e-commerce programs (lotteries, investments, etc.)
Sometimes men are being asked to cash a check for the girl (watch out for that one, the checks will bounce!), to open or fund an Ebay account for the girl, to disclose their bank account or credit card information.
Some suggestions
This is just to inform you of a type of scam that is quite popular with online dating. Basically, the scam is to get a man to set up a PayPal account using a credit card or to send money by Western Union or some other money transfer service.
A man starts communicating with a "woman", the pictures are very attractive and sexy. Initial contact between victim and scam artist is to take the step in starting a relationship.
The artist then explains that they are in another country (usually Africa: Nigeria or Mali, or Russia/Ukraine, but England is also being used), and that they will not be returning to the States for another two weeks.
The artists may even send more pictures to the victim's e-mail address to "legitimize" cooperation of starting a relationship.
Upon finding out more information about the "nice looking woman" -- her parents died in a tragic accident and she has no family or friends who can help her stateside, or she was abandoned by her previous boyfriend in said country with no money to get home -- this is where I become skeptical and ask if they have gone to the embassy or local church to find assistance to return home.
Once a man tells them that he cannot help them with any kind of financial help, contact almost always ceases. Although it is embarrassing to admit, we believe this information will help others.
Hint: search for her email address on Google and see if she was been already reported as a scammer.
What if you met an honest girl that really needs help?
We recommend that you first visit her face-to-face and then decide if you would like to do any type of financial aid. This way the only things you loose are your time and cost of travelling. NEVER money BEFORE you see her personally!
What to do if you find a scammer?
Report one immediately!!
Just open her profile and click "Report this profile as fake or scam-suspicious". We will react within 24 hours and remove her profile and blacklist her data. Or you can go to Contact Us page and send us a message.
Please see our up-to-date scammers blacklist.
Why should I report scam?
Usually we blacklist scammers' email and IP addresses and some other identification info. And what is really important is that we also remove her other fake profiles. So the chances that you will talk to her again will be less.
Together we can make online dating safer!
Good luck with your Live Date Search!
LiveDateSearch.com administration.
Serious Online Dating Site
[Updated on: Tue, 29 January 2008 07:58] Report message to a moderator |
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