Yet Another Lover Scam

by | Love and Dating Scams, Most Commented

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Thanks to Debbie, attached below is the full article:

Just wanted to alert you to, what I believe, may be a different turn on a traditional scam.  Yes, through an online dating site, he started a chat with me, which proceeded to yahoo chatting.  We have/had been chatting for over 7 months ( which I was dupped to begin with).  I always figured the scammers were in a rush to make their kill and then move on to the next.  Oh, by the way, I have worked in the electronic financial industry for many years, so I do keep on top of money fraud & checks, etc…  So, prior to the holidays, he first says he wants to take me on vacation-meet him in Hawaii.  Of course, I have responsibilities here (several pets and a house to maintain, and, I am unemployed-therefore, no income), so I told him i was unable to go, in addition to being unemployed and having to save my pennies for my mortgage payments.


Next thing I hear is that he will be coming to visit me, because he is due 2 weeks vacation from his job as a satellite engineer/programmer. (Another engineer).  So, he tells me he will be sending me a check, in pounds (he was in England), and to see if my bank would cash it.  Up goes the alarm.  I played along, told him I would check with the bank, which I did.  They told me they would have to send it out somewhere, I guess for conversion.  So, he sends me the check for 4800 pounds.  I walk it into my bank, and ask the manager if she knows anything about internet check fraud or scams, because I thought that I may have one.  She gladly says she would send it to their fraud detection department, along with my concern of fraud.

Well, don’t you know, they tell me it is, in fact a scam.

Meantime, I had told this guy that I would not be depositing it into my account.  That I was having the bank check for fraud and funds, and if they said it was okay, then I would open an account for him, for his arrival.  Knowing all that information, he still pursued.  He would be here on the 25th; when then check got clearance, use that money to reserve him a hotel; make reservations for wherever I wanted to go, yada yada yada…

While the bank is checking all this out (they told me 7-10 business days), we’re chatting every night, and then he tells me he was in an accident.  He was fine, but the person he hit was hospitalized.  He was driving a friends car, no insurance.  The victim is willing to settle for hospital and injuries’ fees.  So, when the bank cleared the check, could I please wire $xxx to, and he gives me a name and address in London, to send it to.  He even had the gumption to find a place near where I live that I could send the transfer from.

When I finally hear from the bank, yes it was fraud, and no, they wouldn’t return the check.  So, I relayed the message to him.  I played stupid and suggested that he stop payment on the check immediately, just in case.

Needless to say, I haven’t heard from him since that last chat, about 4 days ago.  However, my bank has the name and address he gave me, so, hopefully, something can get done by them or the Feds.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

ps-He even sent me a picture of “himself”



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