South carolina scammers gay dating site
The video shows luxury cars bearing license plates for each day of the week, beautiful women and expensive liquor on tap, and dollars carelessly tossed on the floor like confetti. Many of the early online scams were run out of pay-per-hour internet cafes, some of which would even shut down to the public while the larger scamming operations took over. With better and cheaper internet connections these days, scammers can often work from home. They cast a Vodun spell, which is akin to voodoo, to essentially hypnotize their victims into giving up the money.
While the scam story lines vary in detail, they all tend to follow the same trajectory: Scammers often work in teams of five or six, with each member playing a specific role, according to experts who study and prosecute online fraud. One person opens communication as the faux lover. Teammates sometimes impersonate a doctor or a nurse demanding to be paid after a medical emergency. Or they pose as work associates or friends of the paramour, to whom the victim can send the money.
It is all scripted: The criminals can download their scripts off plenty of online sites. Last year, a year-old British woman was sentenced to two years in prison for being a scriptwriter for romance scammers. One script she wrote tried to capitalize on an American tragedy.
The scammer was supposed to say: He made it out of the collapsed building but he later died because of heavy dust and smoke and he was asthmatic. Even with a script, there can be warning signs for the victims. When the victim seeks a face-to-face meeting, the script offers creative ways for scammers to say no or to cancel later.
Sometimes thousands of phony online identities are created from one set of stolen photos. Member of the military are big targets because women gravitate to photos of strong men willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Soldiers represent protection, another appealing trait. The Army Criminal Investigation Command CID receives hundreds of complaints a month from victims who say they formed an online relationship with someone claiming to be a U.
There are no circumstances in which a member of the U. When it comes to photo theft, rank offers no privileges. John F. Campbell was the top U. Campbell, now retired , took to Facebook to warn people after he and his staff uncovered more than fake profiles using his image in the first six months after he took over the U. He wrote: Of course, men who are drawn into these scams come from many walks of life. In the case of Dr.
A good part of his life is spent dodging these heartbroken women, some of whom who think he personally ripped them off. One woman made an appointment for hypnosis with his New York office. She showed up with color printouts of his photos that she believed he had sent her. When Jones posted on his real Facebook page that HuffPost wanted to speak with women who had been bilked by scammers using his name, more than 50 responded in less than 24 hours. Jones has created a Facebook group dedicated to those victims defrauded with his photos. He also posted this public service announcement on YouTube about how to avoid being scammed.
The Facebook photos of Las Vegas resident Michael Besson were also stolen and used to create hundreds of fake profiles on Facebook and other sites. One woman from a small town in Illinois showed up at the door of his home, he said. He said his motive in speaking publicly was simple: The social network giant has facial recognition software that could help identify fraudulent photo use. Social media and dating sites, where people volunteer details about their personal lives, are a natural habitat for scammers. Dating sites appear to be aware of the role they play, however unintentionally, in romance fraud.
It is standard for such sites to disclaim any responsibility for fake profiles that appear. An industry executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told HuffPost that some sites fight back surreptitiously. They block users who they suspect are scammers without telling them. Any money paid is returned on the back end to the presumably stolen credit card. Victims need to be told: If the person is not willing to meet them in the first month, move on to find someone who will!
Some sites do a better job of actively monitoring for fraudulent activity. Zoosk , a dating app with 40 million online profiles and members in 80 countries, lets users make a video of their face with the app that a human moderator will then view and match up with the submitted photos. Facebook, the largest social network by magnitudes, is also a playground for scammers. Many scam victims told HuffPost that they feel Facebook is not sufficiently proactive when it comes to weeding out and blocking the fraudsters. Facebook declined to give any details about its risk mitigation systems or say how many compromised accounts are caught.
The site asks users to report posts or messages that ask them to inappropriately share personal information or send money. Voss declined to discuss how many reports it receives. The issue of what responsibility social networks, including Facebook, bear for enabling scammers is one that troubles many victims.
How A Billion-Dollar Internet Scam Is Breaking Hearts And Bank Accounts
Grover, of ScamHaters, thinks that Facebook could be more cooperative in policing its site. Got Scammed. Mine was huge money taken away from me. Im lost but thanks that I have God with me. HE is more than enough to start all over again. God bless. I gave up all my savings and retirement - communication had been going on for 1 year. I am bankrupt, devastated and ashamed.
I did the exact thing as you, all lost, he provide me fake bank accounts and so charming,I wish I had asked others, I am angry now, still cannot tell my family, these guys make this a living, and we are sincere and honest, I know Karma will be their fate. I understand you completely I have one with me I try to believe him because he confessed 1 year ago. It sounds good. But I don't know if it is real Go ahead and be happy. I was close to find out. I had lost I no the family,and soon next month to go.
Shy girl, I was on a dating site about two weeks ago, n this nice looking man named Charles Andrew asked me to go to hangouts. I never sent him anything, I called him out bout scamming me. Me too. I'm so lost and confused at my own actions. I believe I need a psychiatrist to see why I'm so soft hearted.
I am right there with you, mine is asking me to send him steam cards to help pay for groceries while he is overseas waiting for a contract to finish that will probably never finish because he's waiting for me to send him money which I won't send, I already tried to wire 10, but luckily the bank suspected fraud and stop the process Every morning he sends me a poem along with a picture of flowers and tell me how much I mean to him and I'm the only one besides his mom in his life and without me he would probably kill himself Stay strong women.
My heart is racing reading these stories.
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I have a picture of a man I've been talking to Goes by Fred and Franklin. How can I share his picture. These stories are true I'm a victim to please block them don't send no money or iTunes cards. These people are heartless will steal your heart it's real.
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I wish I would have know about this to read it please save ur self. Two months and I have took 2 payday loans to help and in cash. I met this guy said his name was dr. Henry somewhere in yemen. Every morning he would send me song, poems, and pics of flowers.
6 red flags for online dating scams - CBS News
Said he wanted to marry me but I blocked this scammer. I feel silly because I sent him gift cards but thank God I stopped while I was ahead. May I ask what the scammer goes by? He messaged me on Instagram then asked me to go to Hangout. That same exact thing happened to me today and two of my friends We all got together and realized and blocked him I think he stole someone's photos and is up to no good.
He goes by Steve Gonzalez Hi Ladies!
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He knew I knew but we continued to chat.. Fb blocked him as o guess someone else reported him. Like my own little detective game.. I miss him: My mom has been talking to this "special forces chaplain" who is in a war time zone in Syria. I've told her to stop talking to him, but he says they're going to get married.
He just started asking for iTunes cards. He goes by John Henry.
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Anyone dealing with the same guy? I'm trying to look out for her. My mom has been scammed for a year now. LARGE sums of money. I have contacted lawyers, her banks, her doctors, the local police. All tell me they can do nothing until she gives me power of attorney, which she refuses.
What can families do to stop this scamming on elderly parents?