While you are looking:
 Don’t advertise that you are sad and lonely. Don’t brag about how well-off you are.
Choose a well-run, well-known dating site that works to protect you. I always recommend Match.com.
Do not broadcast sexuality. Screen names and profiles that hint at sex may signal that you can be manipulated. People who have sex foremost in their minds tend not to use as much judgment.
Do not use any versions of your name in your screen name. Avoid identifying information in your profile.
A good dating site will help you protect your anonymity, even providing private phone hook ups.
Be suspicious of how the person writes and/or speaks. Does he/she write like a non-native English speaker? Do they have a strong non-USA accent? Do they claim to be American but temporarily out of the country? Be particularly watchful for Nigeria – many scams have Nigerian connections.
Report any questionable behavior and/or requests for money to the dating site.
Set yourself up with an anonymous email address.
Immediately stop a correspondence if you feel unsure, unsafe or threatened
Block communication to people who abuse the online dating system and report them to the dating site. Abuse includes married people who pose as single or of legal age when they are not, who send harassing or offensive emails, who behave badly after meeting in person, who may be criminals or behave suspiciously, those who fake profiles, who solicit and/or ask for money.
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Once you have met someone online:
It’s okay to ask and even snoop. It’s your responsibility to yourself. This is your life we are talking about.
Get as many details as possible before you meet in real time and space. This is the time to ask questions. And asking now will make the first date feel less like an interview.
Consider a web cam or Skype “first date.” Web cams don’t lie.
Ask to meet their family and friends.
Ask and verify where they went to school and where they work.
Ask for a background check and offer to have one done on you, too, for their benefit. But background checks only help if you are sure that you have their right identifying information in the first place. So don’t put all your trust in a “clean” check.
When you ask questions, be sure to notice if your online date answers. Are they vague, roundabout, or evasive? Do they answer your questions by questioning you?
Do some looking around yourself. Google your date’s name as soon as you know it.
Get a “dating buddy.” Find somebody who is single and looking like you are and share the details of your correspondences. A fresh pair of eyes who is not involved in the romance might see things you don’t.
Be suspicious of too quick protestations of undying love and/or marriage proposals.
Remember the online dater’s Golden Rule: Never, never, never give money to someone you essentially don’t know.
Scammers scam singles in predictable ways.
1. The scammer(s) approaches YOU first, with a good-looking facade and an almost unbelievable offer.
2. We are vulnerable in some way to the offer. For instance, a story like “I am an engineer [or a Russian beauty], I saw your picture, and I think you are wonderful,” with a handsome/gorgeous photo of him/her attached, touches a soft spot, even if you are way older/less goregous than the writer, clearly not a match, and ought to know better. The preposterousness of the offer is characteristic.
3. They figure out and tell us what we want to hear. By the bucket full.
4. When they think you are hooked, they’ll start some cautious, low level hints about the need for money. Thy have incredibly bad luck, one crisis after another that money can fix. Sometimes, it’s that they are caught short in Nigeria and need you to cash a money order. Or they have to have an operation and don’t have the money. Or they want desperately to fly in to meet you but need money to buy the ticket.
5. If you do send money, you will continue to hear whatever the scammer thinks is working, but they will NEVER follow through on what they seem to be promising: To love you forever, marry, live happily with you, whatever. Essentially, you are paying them to tell you what you want to hear. And if you stop paying, they’ll stop telling.
6. Here’s how to tell if they are more interested in you than the money: Make it absolutely clear that you do not have or will not send any money whatsoever, and stick to it. Expect your correspondent to up the ante and put more pressure on you to cough up the dough. But don’t.
7. If they stick around and no longer put pressure on you for money or elicit it in any way, MAYBE they are sincere. But my guess is that they will simply work to get you more deeply hooked in and then try again.
None of us want to be made fools of in our love searches, yet unfortunately there are folks out there who are all too willing to take advantage of our vulnerabilities. While all of us looking for love want something for ourselves in the bargain, most of us understand that you give to get, and that the best kind of love relationship is highly reciprocal, with both partners giving (and therefore getting) generously. Those who make us feel foolish are pretty much on the take and not the give. They’ll say or do whatever it takes to get what they want.
Primarily, some people will want to get either money or sex from you, or both. Their behavior is solely directed at what they want, and if they get an inkling that you will not give either easily, they won’t be able to get away fast enough.
If your Internet Sweetie starts asking you for money, what do you know right off the bat? That there is some kind of problem here with their ability to manage money, at the very least. Why are they having to ask you, a stranger, to help them financially?
People tell you about themselves constantly, you just have to be willing to listen. When you are looking for love, you need to have your antennae tuned up and working, paying attention to every detail your prospective partner puts forth and following up on anything that is questionable. Them asking you for money is VERY questionable. And not just because you are a stranger.
Here is someone you essentially don’t know who has approached you first and is asking you for money, right? If that happened on the street, you’d think they were a beggar or a con, correct? This person has identified you as someone who has something they want (money) and they are setting about to get it.
If this person is willing to ask strangers for money, then they either are terrible at managing their own money (getting and keeping it legally) or have no personal ethics (it’s okay to manipulate perfect strangers to give you money for nothing) or most likely, both. That’s a big, interesting piece of information. Think about it: You are looking for a mate to share your life with. Do you really want someone who can’t manage or earn money and manipulate strangers to get it? What kind of Prince or Princess Charming is that?
Let’s look at your end of the deal: By sending money to someone you have never met, you are essentially paying them to say nice things about you, tell you what you want (or ache) to hear. Want to test that out? Refuse to send money, no matter how desperate the pleas and see how long they keep writing/saying those sweet nothings that are now costing you a pretty penny or two.
Less commonly but not unheard of, you may meet your scammer in real time and space. They may look you in the eye, kiss you and more, and then start the scam. The more deeply that they can get you involved, the more likely they will be able to get you to part from your money. Typically, some kind of crisis or business deal will come up, they will plead that they have the money, just not the access to it “right now,” the money is tied up somewhere, can you lend some? If you refuse, they may increase the pressure, offering something you really want (like marriage), or pull back until you are frantic with worry. These techniques are also used by scammers who you will never meet in real time or space, but the strategies are more effective in the flesh, because sexual involvement makes your investment more intense and you more manipulatable.
The biggest reason not to give money is that you will never know if you are loved for you or your wallet if you do. Essentially paying someone to be intimate with you is just a baby step from prostitution. Is that what you really want? Or shouldn’t you be doing what you can to make yourself marketable as a mate without your paying being part of the equation?
Here are the most blatant indicators of a scam artist: 1. They contact you first; 2. They have a gorgeous photo; 3. They have incredibly bad luck that only your money can fix; 4. Often they will claim to be an American, but write English poorly and/or speak with a strong foreign accent, and may have Nigerian connections.
A scammer will be reluctant to give you too much detail. Give yourself permission to ask lots of questions. In particular, ask your potential Sweetie about his/her background and listen for the answers. If he/she avoids the questions or gives vague answers, follow up: Ask the question again, and then ask “Why aren’t you answering my question?” if the evasions continue. Scams often originate outside of the USA. If he/she says he grew up in Buffalo, Google Buffalo, find out some details, and then ask some questions to see what his/her knowledge of Buffalo really is.
Watch and listen for inconsistencies. Says she/he went to college? Where? Again, Google the school, find out some things about it that anyone who attended there should know, and then ask questions. Often scammers pump up their credentials or downright fabricate them. Does he/she give you “facts” that you can check out? Where does he/she work? Call the workplace and asked to be connected. STAY ON THE PHONE and see if your real Sweetie answers.
Are there gaps in his/her personal “resume” that are unexplained? Ask about family and his/her relationship to them. Here’s the magic one: Ask him/her to write a history of their own intimate relationships. How they handle the question is as important as what they write. Do they resist doing the exercise, or do they take it seriously?
Do they avoid connecting you to realities in their own life? Do you EVER talk to or meet any of their friends or family? Are you sure that these folks ARE really friends or family? Does your Sweetheart avoid leaving you alone with others?
Does he/she avow love and push for marriage very fast, maybe even before you have met? A fast proposal suggests they are up to something. Manipulating you, for instance.
How clear is she/he about his/her financial situation? Do they brag about how much they are worth, or claim to be “between jobs” or starting a new business? The big one, a huge flappy red banner: Do they ever ask you for money? Ask for facts: Where are his/her investments? How does he/she plan financially? If you are starting to talk seriously about the long term, ask to see income tax returns and bank account statements. No, it’s not too intrusive. We are talking about your future.
Does he/she lie about their age? Yes, many people shave off a few years to make it into the next decade lower and your search. But any kind of lying should be a red flag. And your Sweetie may be changing his birthdate so that you (or the courts) can’t trace him/or. Also beware of more than one social security number. Falsifying your age or social security number can get you into big trouble, along with signaling nefarious activity and intent.
The most likely factor that makes you a target for scammers is that they think you have something worth going after. Usually, that means money – you have it or can be persuaded to get it. You don’t have to have much, just the ability to get it and the willingness to give it away.
The attempt to swindle somebody is the common denominator of a scam. In most Internet dating scams, you’ll never actually meet the scammer. The whole scenario will be conducted by email and perhaps phone. Promises made to meet are always avoided, used primarily to keep you involved and to manipulate you for money, to buy a mythical plane ticket, for example.
Sometimes, the scam will involve what feels more like a traditional courtship, where you meet and get physically involved with the scammer. They may even press to get married. But the goal is always to get your money. They give you what you want (romance, attention) so that you’ll give them what they want (money). These scammers may get an extra thrill out of the power of the romantic chase, and of course, they get sex and your adoration.
You have to be willing to be scammed. You are led into believing that you will get what you want – love—for just a little financial help. You buy into the lies and manipulations, no matter how ridiculous they are, because a big part of you wants to hear and believe the sweetness they infer. If you are a rather ordinary single, middle-aged or older, why would some handsome dude or nubile nymphet be interested in you? Most likely, FOR YOUR MONEY. Your loneliness or hunger for romantic attention can easily dupe your rationality.
You are willing to suspend disbelief and fall for grand gestures and protestations of true love from someone you have never met or know in isolation and for a very short time. Flowers and gifts may have been paid for with a stolen credit card. Anyone can propose marriage: See quick proposals as an attempt to get control, and fast.
You do not set a firm limit on giving money. Usually these manipulations start early and small. Red flags should go up immediately with even the smallest financial requests or innuendos of monetary distress. Never, never, never send or give money to someone you have never met or barely know.
Certain life realities contribute to scam susceptibility: 1. People who are elderly or in other circumstances that make them lonely; 2. Separated, recently divorced or widowed men and women; 3. People who are overweight; 3. Singles who are disabled or with a serious health condition like AIDS or MS; 4. People who are looking for sex. Scammers are aware of these vulnerabilities and may actively seed out folks in these groups. An Internet dating site for large people, for instance, or a disabled dating site, could prove easy pickings for a sophisticated scammer.
RussianScamCheck.com that I wrote about in the last posting (August 31, 2008) has a neat questionnaire that will help you decided if you are being scammed. The questions alone will help alert you to clues of potential scamming.
Here are a couple of examples:
2. Did she ask you (or hinted) to send her money for one of the following:
* Apartment rent
* Visa or Tickets for trip to you
* Education
* Internet cafe expenses or/and telephone bills
* Illness in the family
* Anything else that asks for your financial support
5. Does her street address contain: “Lenin street”, “Lenina street” or “Sovetskaya street” ?
If you are communicating with a supposedly Russian woman and want to know if you might be being scammed, this free quiz is a “must do.”
Now, if the following piece isn’t enough to put you off those millionaire sites, I don’t know what is. This guy was able to swindle eight women by posing as a music mogul. It seems pretty clear that these women assumed that the guy was telling the truth. Likely, that he had presented himself as rich and that these women were looking for rich (since both were listed on MillionaireMatch) blinded these ladies. The guy was HOMELESS. They sent the money to his ex-wife’s address! A simple background search would have alerted a wise single.
I’m working all the time to help singles avoid being scammed. Take a look at my One Page $1 Wonders ... Not only will you be better able to protect yourself with my concise, digestible reports on scamming, but also, you get a 25% discount from my favorite background checking source, AssetSearchPros.com
Homeless man gets more than $100,000 from online conquests
By Sofia Diogo Mateus
Last updated: 1:17 PM BST 05/06/2008
A homeless man posing as a millionaire was arrested for scamming 13 women for more than $100,000.
Through the website MillionaireMatch.com, Paul Kruger, 50, met and convinced eight women that he was a Grammy-nominated music mogul who had worked with Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, amongst others.
He met the other five alleged victims through one of the women he met on the website.
Later he said needed money for a CD and DVD manufacturing investment, for which the women sent him a total $102,000.
One of the victims was even shown a false stock reports, the court heard, since the operation apparently involved group investment in stock options.
“He did have a good story,” said one victim, a sales manager in Costa Mesa, Calif., who records show gave him $10,000.
The website, which describes itself as the “number one dating site for succesful singles and admirers”, is free and unregulated and anyone can join and claim to be a millionaire, simply by saying that they win $150,000 or more annually.
Steve Kasper, the marketing vice president of Successfulmatch.com, the parent company of MillionaireMatch.com, both bases in Toronto, said it was up to users to self-police.
“We do tell all of our members on all of our sites that you have to take precautions when you’re on the Internet and looking at people that you’re going to meet,” he said.
Charges were filed in Souderton, Pennsylvania, because that is where he told women to send him money; it is also the address of the home of his ex-wife, authorities said.
The money was used to fuel his gambling addiction, since he had various VIP casino accounts, authorities said.
Mr Krueger declined to comment to reporters as he was arraigned on charges of theft by unlawful taking or disposition, theft by deception, deceptive or fraudulent business practices and Pennsylvania Securities Act violations.
The Californian woman said she was willing to be a witness but that the experience had not put her off online dating.
“You have to be careful whereever you go,” said the woman, who is in her 30s. “You could get scammed meeting someone at a bar. It doesn’t matter. You just have to do your due diligence, and I didn’t.”
Michelle Singletary writes an excellent article about the “Sweetheart Swindle” of which all singles need to be aware. See below, I have underlined parts of the article that I think are particularly relevant.
Online dating scammers will tugat your heartstrings and wallets
By Michelle Singletary
Thursday, February 14, 2008
If you’re looking online for a sweetheart, beware: You may find a new meaning for the expression “money can’t buy love.”
The National Consumers League has issued a warning to people looking for love on the Internet to watch out for con artists whose only mission is to separate them from their cash.
“Scammers lurk in chat rooms and on online dating sites, attempting to earn someone’s affections and trust so that they can persuade him or her to send money,” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League.
The league, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, is calling such scams the “Sweetheart Swindle.” It’s a simple scheme, really. The con artist spends time nurturing a relationship. The goal of this online courtship, Greenberg said, is to eventually get the victim to repeatedly send cash.
Greenberg said the group’s Fraud Center only began tracking this type of scam last summer. However, it’s become so pervasive that the organization says it has moved into its top 10 list of scams. Last year the average lovesick victim lost more than $3,000, according to complaints logged at the center’s Web site (http://www.fraud.org).
The scams vary but the typical swindler will begin to weave a tale of how he (or she) has gotten into a financial jam, Greenberg said. Feeling sorry for their online lover, the victim eventually sends money.
In one case, a woman gave $35,000 to a man she met on Match.com, who claimed he was from her hometown of Kansas City, Mo. He said he worked as an engineer in Nigeria. For four months the two had long online exchanges, much like you have at the beginning of a courtship. He even sent her flowers and professed his love for her.
Then the man began requesting money to pay for medical care for his 11-year-old son, whom he claimed had a congenital heart condition.
It was all a con. Eventually the woman took out a second mortgage on her home to pay off the credit cards she used to get advances to send him money.
“I’m not a stupid woman,” she told me in an interview. “I have a master’s degree. I hold down a good job.”
But, she said, she felt sorry for the kid. “That was where my heart strings were.”
If you’re inclined to be harsh on these victims, don’t be so smug to think this couldn’t happen to you, Greenberg said.
“Scammers are really good at figuring out and preying on the vulnerabilities of the people they are scamming,” she said.
The Consumers League said if you want to avoid heartache from a sweet-talking swindler, look for these red flags:
* You are being asked for money.
* There is a confession of love soon after you begin communicating.
* The person claims to be a U.S. citizen who is living abroad. Or they pump up their professional credentials.
* The person wants you to help with their business or get involved in a business deal.
Greenberg advises that you give money only to someone you’ve met in person, have known for a long time and can truly trust.
I would suggest that you make it a personal money rule not to give or loan a significant amount of cash to anyone you’re romantically interested in.
If your honey needs money, look at the situation as an opportunity to see how he or she handles a financial crisis. When faced with an unplanned expense, does your Pookey have to resort to borrowing the money?
Step back from your emotions and you will gain some important information about a person you may view as a potential spouse.
I’m not saying never give any money to your boo (that’s the hip way of referring to your romantic companion). Of course, you will trade off paying for dates or transferring a little money between the two of you. But I want to emphasize it should be only a little money.
Whether you are dating in person or online, you should not be paying the person’s rent, car note or any other bill. Don’t give her money to get her hair done. Don’t lend or give him money to fix his car. These are all expenses that your sweetheart should be paying without your help.
And certainly don’t ever borrow money to help out your sweetie, no matter how desperate the situation seems. If they need financial assistance, help them find another resource.
Don’t get a cash advance on your credit card. Don’t take a loan against your 401(k). And for goodness sake, don’t borrow against your home.
Bailing out your boo is not an indication of your love. It’s an indication you’re dating someone who needs to budget or get another job (or a job) or move back home with his or her mama.
When we got our new satellite tv system, we got a dvd recorder as part of the package, like a Tivo, and boy, do I love it! Finally, like the answering machine tamed the telephone, the tv is now our servant, rather than it feeling the other way around.
I set it to automatically record various shows like Nova and Nature that we like—and also, Oprah and Dr. Phil. I don’t watch all of the Oprah and Phil shows, just delete those that have no interest. And frankly, a lot more of Oprah gets zapped. Because I fancy that Dr. Phil and I are in the same business and I like to see how he handles things. Sometimes he is good, a few times, very very good. Often so-so (I feel good in comparison), sometimes down-right bad. Then I can’t stand to watch and just zap the whole business.
What I have gotten the most from Dr. Phil has been accidental: I get to watch show after show of people lying and evading the truth, close up. Sometimes Phil does pretty well at pinning those folks to the wall. It is impressive.
If for no other reason than to train yourself to spot liars, watch Phil regularly. Very cheap and effective training.
The best show I have seen yet for “putting pathology right on the screen” was shown on 12/31/2007. Probably a pretty dead day for viewers, but I taped it and watched a few days later. If you want to see a character-disordered con man, super-slick, you have GOT to see this show. The show is called “Faking it?” There’s a writeup and slide show available online, but if I were you, I’d buy the video for $29 which you can through the website. It’ll be worth every penny. The skillfulness of this guy does not come through in the write-up.
Being about to spot character disorders was the most difficult part of mental health diagnosis for me. (I’m a professional therapist, have been for 30 years.) The short definition that works for me is that “Normal neurotics,” folks like most of us, feel too much responsibility and too much guilt. Those who are character disordered don’t feel enough responsibility or enough guilt. The jails are full of character disordered folks: “I didn’t do it.” Higher functioning character disordered folks can do very well in things like politics, even get elected president (or in present case, vice president).
If you can get a copy of this show, just watch Fred slip and slide, or at least try to, while he evades getting pinned down in lies and inconsistencies. Phil does pretty well keeping up with Fred, but you can tell that Fred simply doesn’t get Phil’s side of the discussion, he is so character disordered and convinced of his view of the world.
Then, for dramatic contrast, stay tuned for the second guest, Linda. While Linda too is a con and deeply disturbed, she is not character disordered. She knows what she does is wrong, feels guilt, and wants to change. Far different than the way Fred presents. As crazy as Linda’s behavior is, you can feel some empathy for her.
Not Fred. People like Fred make the rest of us feel crazy. They are master manipulators. Watch Fred carefully to see how a good one does it.
Hey, I’m always looking for helps for singles looking for love, and unfortunately, that means alerting you to scams and how to report. Here’s the meat of the matter…
Internet Scam Reporting
Mark Brooks, Online Personals Watch
Users who have been scammed should report the crime to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Statistics on internet scamming are available here. Of those individuals who reported a dollar loss, the highest median losses were found among Nigerian letter fraud ($5,100), check fraud ($3,744), and other investment fraud ($2,695) complainants
If you lie, cheat, or mislead people via Internet dating (or if you are concerned that someone will do it to you), you need to go on over to http://www.playersnitch.com/ and see the newest trend: reporting on who did what, with pictures, sceen names, and even full reports with identifying information. I wrote about dontdatehimgirl.com earlier, which is a similar site.
Playersnitch seems less catty and maybe less likely to be abused by folks who are just mad about a relationship gone bad. I liked the reporting style—a whole list of possible sins: See list below this posting. I was impressed frankly by the “restraint” of the reporters. I think that the reporting style the site uses encourages preciseness and not just angry blasts.
The owner of the site sent me a video posted on YouTube that you might want to check out—to see if you are pictured, or anyone you are dating. I looked up some of the screen names of those identified as posting on Match.com. Some were still there, using the same screen name.
So fair warning: If you lie, cheat or behave badly, more and more ways are springing up for your behavior to be reported. If you don’t want your name and picture appearing on one of these sites, then keep your behavior impeccable.
It’s becoming clearer and clearer that lying and bad behavior brings daters no advantage at all, and in fact, is destructive to the liar themselves. Your best defense is absolute honesty, above-board, kind and responsible behavior. And insist on the same from others.
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
Married
In a relationship
Last relationship is not over
Only wants sex
Dates multiple people
Sleeps with multiple people
Lies about age
Lies about height
Lies weight
Lies about body type
Lies about grey or balding hair
Lies about having children
Lies about employment status
Lies about financial security
Lies about where they live
Lies about health
Lies about smoking
Lies about drinking
Lies about drug use
Lies about what they are seeking
Lies about education
Posted old or misleading photos
Overly secretive
Is moody
Has a bad temper
Is a control freak
Is overly jealous
Will not commit to a relationship
Is an active alcoholic
Is a drug addict
Stalking
Cyber stalking
Threatening
Is physically violent
Steals money or property
Commits fraud for personal gain
Forges signatures or documents
Improperly transfers assets to self
Sexual assault
Claim of sexual interference by a child
Here’s a chilling story that sounds like entrapment, but falls in the murky gray area of the law. Men all over the country were taken in by ads on Craig’s list that sounded like a young woman looking for a sexy, good time, but were actually written by a man. Nude photos of the guys along with identifying information were posted on a now-defunct website called craiglist-perverts. Spouses and employers were also notified of the men’s online activities.
Be very, very careful what you put out there into cyberspace. Remember, you do not know who these people are!
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
Ever since I started working to help singles find love using the Internet, I have been astounded at the numbers of people who get impatient at the process and try to hurry it along or quit altogether. “Three emails and then meet for coffee or I am done.” “I met three different guys and they all lied about their age, so I pulled my profile.”
Folks who rush the process are depriving themselves of one of the chief advantages of meeting online: The ability (if you use it) to prescreen potential dates.
Because you get information via a person’s online dating profile that you would seldom get before a traditional date with a relative stranger, and because you are meeting online rather than in real time and space, you can study what the other presents, ask questions, look for gaps or inconsistencies, and read the lines as well as between them. You can learn a lot by what and how a person writes, as well as what they don’t. And all without dealing with the nerves and worries of a first date.
You are bound to waste a lot of time (and drink a lot of coffee) if you move too fast from first contact to first “real time and space” meeting. You could also be inviting trouble. Move gradually, starting with emails through the website, then through a safe email address (Have you set up a Yahoo! or Hotmail email account that is not traceable to you? You can email me for instructions on how to do so). Then, phone contact: Use a cell phone, block your phone number using *67, or set up an anonymous phone number (see my blog piece on how to do so)
We all have the responsibility to prove that we are normal, real and truthful people to potential dates—and they have that responsibility to us, too. Regular, predictable contact over time will allow you both to build trust—or not.
From Your Romance Caoch, Kathryn Lord
The total dollars that scammers are getting are going up. First, a story out of Ghana where a man posing as a woman was looking “for a Christian man” to marry. The scammer knit a convoluted series of stories that eventually got over $150,000 from his American victim. Read the article to get a sense of what twists and turns were invented to keep the victim paying up.
Then, a Jacksonville, FL, lawyer (48) has made lemonade out of lemons with his new book “How Not to get Burned By Internet Dating and Mail-Order Brides: A Guide for the Potential Victim.” Anthony Penoso shelled out $75,000 in cash and gifts for his Romanian girlfriend, who literally ditched him at the alter and flew on to California with her new/old boyfriend. Perhaps the fact that the woman was 26 to his 48 ought to have been a bit of a red flag.
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
I’ve wondered about the scamming reports that I have blogged about here. I have worried that they are too scary for singles, but then I have gone ahead and posted what I have been reading about online dating fraud, because I want you to be able to protect yourselves. Here’s validation that I am doing the right thing:
This is a post that I put up last June, and then I just got a comment on it from Julie, who this same guy is trying to scam!
Anybody Can get Scammed
WYFF4 ran a story on May 10 describing a classic scam that I’m seeing lots of reports of out of Nigeria. See the Nigerian connection pieces I have written.
From YOur Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
Ben Coleman contacted Aileen Califano through a dating site. After spending some time to gain Califano’s trust, Coleman asked for money, which Califano rightly refused. Then Coleman sent her $3,800 in money orders, which he asked her to deposit in her bank account, then wire the money to Colorado.
Califano was not fooled. She was sure they were a fraud, and checked. They were.
Sending phony money orders and asking the receiver to deposit the fake checks and then forward the money to another address is a common scam technique. In the May 15, 2006, issue of the New Yorker, author Mitchell Zuckoff wrote about how John W. Worley, a Christian psychotherapist, was suckered into a classic Nigerian scam. If you want to see how a perfectly normal, bright man gets suckered, take a look.
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
posted by Kathryn Lord on 06.02.06 at 12.18 pm
permalink | Categories: • Dating Tips • Money Matters • Be Safe • Scams and Scam Protection • Beware! Bad Stories, Bad Advice • 2 Comments
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Comments
Thank you for your story. I have been talking with Ben Coleman for a few weeks now and he asked me for money today. I had searched for something on him on the internet for weeks now and found absolutely nothing. Then today I found your story. He is on singleparentmeet.com. He says he lives in Florida. There has to be some way to make this more public.
Posted by Julie on 02/06 at 01:59 AM
Wow, Julie! That was close, huh? I am so glad that what I wrote helped you. I encourage you to follow up with this guy: Let the dating site know, at the very minimum. Here’s a link to all my blog posts about scamming and scam resources: http://www.find-a-sweetheart.com/blog/C48/
Good for you for doing your research! And what gall he has, repeating his game, and using the same name! Hasn’t he heard about Google too?
Posted by Kathryn Lord on 02/06 at 09:56 AM
Now, let’s keep things in perspective. By far, most people on Internet dating sites are normal folks just like you and me who are looking for love and are honest, or at least basically so. But any technology can be misused, and scammers are figuring out that lonely singles are vulnerable to their whyles. Keep yourself informed. I have written extensively about scamming here. My blog entries are catagorized and you can read all my scamming posts here.
From an article in the Tallahassee Democrat about fraud, the part about Internet dating:
Overseas, and especially in Nigeria, thieves and scammers are joining Internet-based dating services that cater to American customers. The scammer will hook up and woo the suitor, then ask for money for an emergency, like a medical emergency or a financial emergency. Or they’ll ask to send a check for the American to cash at their bank, then ask the American to wire the money in cash back to them, Bierbaum said.
“We’ve had two incidents of this in Tallahassee where women sent money overseas to these people,” Bierbaum said. “I can’t tell you their names because they’re just so embarrassed that they fell for this, but they had to report it to police.”
The checks sent from overseas are counterfeit. The scammer will put some sort of time-sensitive urgency on the transaction so the victim will take it to their bank and get it cleared before the bank has had a chance to fully investigate the check, Bierbaum said.
“Let your bank protect you,” he said. “Don’t fall for this stuff.”
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
I wrote the article below about Cyber Lotharios several years ago. If it sounds like I know what I am talking about, I do: I ran into one when I was Internet dating myself. Unfortunately, these guys are showing up more and more on online dating sites. Just like crooks figured out how to use the telephone for nefarious purposes after it was invented (or any new technology, for that matter), so shysters are learning how to leverage the Net. Probably you, like me, get scads of emails from Nigerians who need you to help them claim their “inheritance.”
The Cyber Lothario though is much more sophisticated. He looks and sounds just like you and me: He speaks and writes excellent English, at least the seductive sort. And he is super smooth.
It’s pretty easy to detect a Nigerian scam. But quite a bit harder with these guys.
Unfortunately, I was inspired to dig out this article because one of my clients is currently being scammed. She and I worked together briefly last spring, but because of her tight finances, we hadn’t talked in quite awhile. She did email me and let me know that she had met a “wonderful guy” and was deeply in love.
However, she started getting suspicious, and we have talked several times as she has struggled to sort out the real truth. I emailed her this article a couple of days ago, and she says it describes him perfectly.
So in the interest of the safety of us all, here’s how to tell if a Syber Lothario is out to hook you:
The Cyber Lothario
Are you writing to someone who is romancing you off your feet? Does this guy seem to know just what to say or write that gets you a step or two further down the garden path?
Perhaps more dangerous than the notorious Internet rapists and murderers are the Cyber Lotharios. Maybe you know one. Smooth as silk. Seduction is his native language.
More dangerous, because these guys (well, maybe there are girls too, but I am more familiar with the guys) are GOOD.
These guys are the Internet equivalent of a Bill Clinton, if Bill Clinton hadn’t gotten caught. They are the cyber version of handsome—they write beautifully, know just what you want to hear and tell you. They POUR it on, and for a thirsty woman, it is nectar from the Gods.
These fellows post on dating sites indefinitely, waiting for the unsuspecting newbie to the dating site. You might contact him, he might contact you, but like a used car salesman, he knows a pigeon when he sees one.
Then slowly, softly, but determinablely, he has his way with you.
How do you tell if you have one of these guys on the wire? What if he is a really nice guy, really meaning every word he says?
Well, one thing would be if you find yourself agreeing to things that you never would if you were in your right mind. Particularly if that has to do with sex. Or maybe money.
These guys make manipulation feel like a warm bath. You just slide right in and it feels delicious.
But there is a certain vagueness, particularly about past relationships, and perhaps about future plans. They may also be vague about grounding their identity in reality: Perhaps you can only reach them on their cell phone. They avoid introducing you to real family and friends. Their relationship with you is kept away from their real life, in motels, your home territory and not theirs. These guys may reassure, they always have a good story, but they also will leave themselves a way out.
How can you tell?
Well, one thing you can do is ask for a relationship history. Then pay attention to how he responds, as well as what he actually says.
Does he groan and moan about doing the job? Is he grudging in what he tells you? Or is he open and serious, understanding what you are asking and why?
Does he seem to have trouble remembering his own history, what her name was, what order the different relationships came in? Is he reluctant to divulge, or does he sound like he is fudging?
Does he seem to be moving you fast towards a romantic getaway? Maybe he makes plans for the two of you to meet, and reserves only one room. Is he heavily sexually suggestive and titillating? Does he ask questions like “What kind of lingerie are you wearing?”
Even though a new and legitimate relationship can be highly sexually charged, a guy who is seriously interested in you and a possible future with you will be protective and understanding of you and your feelings.
Look for information that ties him to a real place and a real life. Where does he work? Call him at his workplace. Ask to meet his family and friends.
If you feel antsy, pay attention. If your hormones may be doing your thinking, put on the brakes and engage your critical brain. Better to let this dangerous Clark Gable type swim away than to be left flat and busted.
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
While men usually have less safety concerns than women, men are not immune to violence. Raymond James Merrill, 56, of San Bruno , California, wooed a Brazilian woman (Regina Filomena Rachid) that he met on an online Latin dating site. An article in the Mercury News tells the details of how Rachid and two men extracted several hundred thousand dollars from Merrill before strangling him and burning his body.
Beware, guys. Just because you are a man does not mean you are safe online or off. Read my warnings to women and be particularly suspicious of any requests for money.
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
Here’s Mark Brooks’ OnlinePersonalsWatch again, this time linking to a pretty far out article on how to do a background check on a date:
How to Perform a Background Check on a Potential Online Date
PEOPLE SEARCH NEWS—Nov 2—When executed properly, a background check can tell whether someone is married, real age and if they have a criminal record. Try to probe your date for specific information such as his social security number or date of birth. If you do need to obtain some additional or basic information from your date to perform your background check, there is no need to panic. Casually asking questions like, “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” or “Where are you from again…were you born there too?” If your date is hesitant to give you this type of information, you probably should look elsewhere for Mr. Right. FULL ARTICLE @ PEOPLE SEARCH NEWS
Mark Brooks: You’ve got to be kidding me. [Monty Python voice] “nobody expects the Spanish inquisition.” Your comments please…
And here’s comments posted, including mine:
Comments
What do you like to do for fun? Oh, and what is your social security number?
Too funny.
Posted by: Michael | November 02, 2006 at 03:48 PM
Not as funny as it sounds. I am consistently amazed at the sleuthing skills of my clients. One told me last week about going to the court house and having the names of her two current dates seached to see if they were really divorced. She didn’t guite have the guts to ask to see the actual papers, but did establish that one divorce suit listed eight counts against her suitor, all of which he acknowleged in the papers. Wasn’t it just a couple of years ago when Googling your date’s name was seen as rude and intrusive? Just part of the routine now.
Kathryn Lord, Romance Coach
Mark Brooks of OnlinePersonalsWatch posted the following a few days ago:
Online Dating Industry Deleting Scammers
CHICAGO TRIBUNE’s RED EYE—Oct 24—The online dating industry has learned to cut off scammers at the pass. Nelson Rodridguez, CEO LoveAccess, employs a full-time staff to look for suspicious behavior, like a member sending out hundreds of e-mails a day or posting the same photo on multiple profiles. The effort results in the removal of 20 to 30 profiles a day. Match (15 million users) has staffers personally review each profile and photo before posting them to the site. ~15% of profiles are rejected each month. A security team seeks and weeds out people who compromise the user experience for others. Some dating sites simply block all IP addresses from Nigeria, said Mark Brooks, an online dating industry analyst. But with scammers changing tactics, it’s a constant game of cat-and-mouse. 419eater.com encourages people to bait scammers. Romancescam.com, posts the photos, e-mail addresses and usernames that scammers have used. The FBI hopes to tackle the problem by educating people about scams, FBI spokesman Paul Bresson said. The agency helps fund a Web site called http://www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com and encourages people to report scams to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center, at ic3.gov.
Here’s the comment I posted to it:
I’ve written regularly about online dating scams in my blog postings on safety http://www.find-a-sweetheart.com/blog/C15/ I used to think that scamming was very rare, but I have been hearing more and more about it lately, and not just in the press (which I tend to distrust because of it’s “If it bleeds, it leads” mentality). In particular, my clients and newsletter readers have been telling me about getting scammed themselves. I plan to get much more vocal about scamming self-protection, but I certainly am glad to read that the dating sites are actively pursuing scammers. Even Western Union (often used by scammers to transfer money) is apparently helping out: one client told me of trying to send money to an online contact through Western Union. She was thoroughly grilled about whether she was SURE that the recipient was not a scammer. Yea, Western Union!
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
Here’s a recent posting on Mark Brooks’ OnlinePersonalsWatch.com:
CHICAGO TRIBUNE’s RED EYE—Oct 24—The online dating industry has learned to cut off scammers at the pass. Nelson Rodridguez, CEO LoveAccess, employs a full-time staff to look for suspicious behavior, like a member sending out hundreds of e-mails a day or posting the same photo on multiple profiles. The effort results in the removal of 20 to 30 profiles a day. Match (15 million users) has staffers personally review each profile and photo before posting them to the site. ~15% of profiles are rejected each month. A security team seeks and weeds out people who compromise the user experience for others. Some dating sites simply block all IP addresses from Nigeria, said Mark Brooks, an online dating industry analyst. But with scammers changing tactics, it’s a constant game of cat-and-mouse. 419eater.com encourages people to bait scammers. Romancescam.com, posts the photos, e-mail addresses and usernames that scammers have used. The FBI hopes to tackle the problem by educating people about scams, FBI spokesman Paul Bresson said. The agency helps fund a Web site called www.looks toogoodtobetrue.com and encourages people to report scams to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center, at ic3.gov.
And my comment:
I’ve written regularly about online dating scams in my blog postings on safety http://www.find-a-sweetheart.com/blog/C15/ I used to think that scamming was very rare, but I have been hearing more and more about it lately, and not just in the press (which I tend to distrust because of it’s “If it bleeds, it leads” mentality). In particular, my clients and newsletter readers have been telling me about getting scammed themselves. I plan to get much more vocal about scamming self-protection, but I certainly am glad to read that the dating sites are actively pursuing scammers. Even Western Union (often used by scammers to transfer money) is apparently helping out: one client told me of trying to send money to an online contact through Western Union. She was thoroughly grilled about whether she was SURE that the recipient was not a scammer. Yea, Western Union!
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
Here’s an interchange by email between me and one of my readers which I found scary and therefore worth posting here as a warning to others. My answers are in red:
Dear Kathryn,
Am getting marry soon this coming january am get nervous what
will happen to me next at the same time happy, we meet on chat
at first i ignore what he is saying to me cause on chat more lie
later he give me his password so i can trace his email at the
same time password in his yahoo messenger but the more we
communicate long the more love i felt for him, he will come this
november to set our seminar after that set our wed this coming
january, he is from nigeria,sango ota state.All i do from now
keep on praying that God lead us…
My question is:
Is that enough to trust person giving his password?
Am i going to ignore him forever cause we meet thru chat…
thanks…
Whoa!
Red flag #1: It looks as though the two of you have not met in
real time yet, and you are already planning to get married?
Way, way too fast.
Red flag #2: He’s from Nigeria??? Nigeria is the #1 location of
Internet scams. See my blog postings on staying safe on the
Internet: http://www.find-a-sweetheart.com/blog/C15/ You’ll see
several of my articles on Nigerian scams.
Meeting in a chat room is the least of your worries. But basing
trust on that he gave you his password??? Don’t do it. These
scammers are very smart, and likely that is part of his
technique.
More don’ts: Don’t send him any money or co-operate in anything
that involves money.
Don’t put much hope in this working out. Highly, highly risky.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this one is as clear as a
bell.
Best, Kathryn
There’s no money involve in our relationship despite he want
to sent me money but its delay cause he said EFCC is
monitoring every financial activities of individuals in
nigeria,also cause of high rate crime there,he said too much
of youngsters who engaged themselves in fraud, because of the
high rate of fraud there in nigeria they are trying to put an
end to FRAUD he said am not one of them and also he said he
is trying to work hard to earn his money, but thank very much
for the advice, but he is coming here on November so how can
i notice if he is member of this internet scam group…Please
give me some tips…so that am aware…
Thank you.
You’ll need to do some research. Here are some links for you to
check out. Do a Google search on Nigeria+dating+scams and trace
down the leads.
http://straightshooter.net/Combating_Romance_Fraud.htm
http://straightshooter.net/swindlersdatabase.htm
http://www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com/
http://www.datingnmore.com/fraud/scam_database.htm
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romancescams/
Be very very careful. Your situation does not sound good to me
at all.
Best, Kathryn
Dear Kathryn:
are you saying all negiria is bad?
No, but that’s where most of the Internet scamming is coming
from. You met this person on the Internet. He is from Nigeria.
So be careful.
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
Did you know that the Secret Service handles Nigerian scamming cases? The following information comes from www.Crimes-of-Persuasion.com
UNITED STATES ( and most other countries )
United States Secret Service,
Financial Crimes Division,
419 Task Force
950 H Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20001-4518
or telephone (202) 406-5850 fax: (202) 406-8203, (202) 406-6390
You can report this crime online to the U.S. Treasury Department Secret Service ( Nigerian Frauds ) e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) <419.fcd@usss.treas.gov>
A list of local Field Offices for the Secret Service.
Materials sent in should still be labeled No Financial Loss - For Your Database if that is the case and Loss - and whether or not there is a US Connection - if there was a loss. If you are from outside the US, you should also note the country you are from.
If you receive such a letter in the mail, do not respond. Send it to:
Inspection Service Operations Support Group
Two Gateway Center, 9th Floor
Newark, NJ 07175-0001
For more about Nigerian scams, see:
http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/
http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/nigeria.asp
http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/Business/nigerian.htm
I’ve written many times about scamming for money from singels, particularly the notorious Nigerian scammers. Read more of what I have written here.
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
On July 18th, two different TV stations covered Nigerian scam stories involving three separate female victims. Read about their experiences here via WESH News and and here from KUSA
I’ve written a lot about scams and bad advice. Take a look here. In a nutshell (accurate word, nutshell), never, never, never give money to someone you met online. Not for a long, long while anyway. And then think aobut it more than twice.
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
9news in Denver reported on May 17th about a woman in the area who had been scammed by a man she met on MySpace.com. Within months, he had moved in with her and even got her to pay for her own engagement ring. The gig was up when other women online got in touch and told her they had also dated the man. A simmple Google search (using “Colorado Court Cases” and “Colorado marriage” brought up evidence of criminal offenses pages long, including domestic violence.
In an unusual case of media reticence, 9News did not reveal the man’s name, though it did print two of the women’s. So what’s the big deal about HIS name, for heaven’s sake?
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
WYFF4 ran a story on May 10 describing a classic scam that I’m seeing lots of reports of out of Nigeria. See the Nigerian connection pieces I have written.
Ben Coleman contacted Aileen Califano through a dating site. After spending some time to gain Califano’s trust, Coleman asked for money, which Califano rightly refused. Then Coleman sent her $3,800 in money orders, which he asked her to deposit in her bank account, then wire the money to Colorado.
Califano was not fooled. She was sure they were a fraud, and checked. They were.
Sending phony money orders and asking the receiver to deposit the fake checks and then forward the money to another address is a common scam technique. In the May 15, 2006, issue of the New Yorker, author Mitchell Zuckoff wrote about how John W. Worley, a Christian psychotherapist, was suckered into a classic Nigerian scam. If you want to see how a perfectly normal, bright man gets suckered, take a look.
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
CBS3 in Philadelphia reported a story about an Atlantic City man who scammed at least 80 women through telephone and online dating sites. Paatrick Giblin (41) set up accounts all over the country and contacted women in different areas. He’d tell the women he was planning to relocate to their area and was looking for a romantic relationship. Then, down the road a piece, he’d say that he needed money for the move and asked for loans.
Whatever he got, he seems to have gambled away in the Atlantic City casinos. Giblin has moved, since he has been in federal custody since March, 2005.
Never, never, never give money to anyone you meet online!
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
The G-Men and G-Women are coming to the rescue of gullible singles.
LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com is a cooperative effort with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, the postal inspection service, and private firms. You’ve got to read the stories there: one is a duplicate of the scam run on the Maine woman I wrote about earlier. Yet again, the fraud was based in Nigeria.
Another site that’s started to help consumers is sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission: OnGuardOnLine.gov. Just as the Internet works so well to hook up singles with each other, it also works for nefarious purposes, hooking up scammers with victims.
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
In July, I wrote a posting here about Here’s another story about unsuspecting daters getting hooked for money from scammers with a Nigerian connection. Don’t, I repeat DON’T, get caught up with anyone who asks you to cash checks or money orders for them, ESPECIALLY if there is a Nigerian connection.
And for guys who usually feel safer, here’s an article out of Sydney, Australia, about a series of abduction/robberies of men. Apparently, these men (in their early 20’s) were lured to meetings with blind dates they had met on the Internet. When they went to the meeting, they were ambushed at knife point, kidnapped, and taken to the nearest ATM. After emptying theirATM accounts, the robbers took the money and drove off in the car, leaving the victim stranded.
I don’t know if Australian men are particularly over-confident,because this reminds me of another of my earlier postings about an Australian man who was particularly dumb about his own safety. But what I wrote there applies here too: Pay attention to basic safety rules. Arrange first meeting(s) in public places where there will be people around. Men, don’t assume that because you are a guy, you are safe. Don’t make stupid mistakes with your life. From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
Do you get loads of spam in your email box like I do? At least half of the emails I get are appeals from a Nigerian princess or ads for Viagra. I’ve learned to recognize that kind of spam on sight. But these scammers learn fast. Here’s an article from MSNBC that highlights a much more subtle twist on the email spam, especially designed to dupe those looking for love online. It seems that scammers haunt dating sites and chat rooms, spend months building trust with unsuspecting singles, then start asking for help complicated financial dealings that the recipient doesn’t question. Then, because the would business is crooked, the duped get stuck with a bill. EVERY online dater should read this article.
This is all right in line with the posting I made a couple of days ago: Neither a Borrower or Lender Be Let’s add: Never get involved in any kind of financial dealings with someone you have never met.
The MSNBC article points to a great resource, a Yahoo!Group for those who have been scammed: RomanceScams Here’s the description for that group:
Are you wondering if the person that you are talking to is too good to be true? Are there things that you are being told that just don’t make sense? Did the person find you on a singles site and start professing their love for you in a short time? Did they tell you that they were currently working in a foreign country, mainly Nigeria? Are they telling you that they are having trouble cashing their paychecks? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you need to be a part of this group.
I just scanned a few of the over 1000 postings, and this is a valuable source of information. Go visit, read what the contributors have to say, and bookmark this site for future reference. You may need it.
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
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