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 Post subject: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:15 pm 
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A friend of mine has been dealing with a scammer for the past 5 years...unbelievable that it has gone on this long I know but with no one to look into what was going on prior to my involvement he had no idea that the girl that he was talking to that was in Florida and then was going on a "trip" to Africa and the plan was to come to him in Canada once her "trip" was concluded in 4 months.

(First off this was the odd one of the scammer stories since most of them go there for some business purpose and this one went for a 4 month "trip")

While that count have been Red Flag 1 I consider the first red flag was the fact that she had no family in her home in Florida and no one to return to there so she was going to start new in Canada with him!

At the end of the 4 months she had flight plans to come to Canada but when he went to the airport she wasn't there...red flag number to and several days later he got an email that she was here but returned to AFRICA not FLORIDA having not met up with him! And she sent him several pictures of herself around landmarks in our city.

This is where red flag 3 comes as the request for money I think started.

First asked for money because she had nothing where she was...possibly he sent her some then.

Flight arrangements were made again several months later...this time at the airport the red flag 4 came in the asking for BTA...a common scam story it appears. When he told me of this that was the second time I questioned if she was legit but he was really hooked on her and wasn't listening to questions. He sent her the BTA money ...maybe more at that time.

Well the day came for her to arrive again and he got a call or an email that she had been stopped at the airport and was arrested for gold nuggets in her luggage and she was now in jail and no way to know when she would be free. He got emails and contacted by friends of hers but he began writing her off as a lost cause.

A few months went by and then suddenly he got an email from her that she was free and clear and could make arrangements for another flight again.

She began working on some sort of farm to earn the money to be able to get another plane fare. I don't know if he told her he couldn't give her any money at that point and thats when the story to work on the farm came up. She must have convinced him to change his mind sometime later because I learned later he did continue to send money to her.

Since this time has been met with several attempts to come to Canada...all met with problems:
Got sick on way to airport
Accident on way to airport
Lost ticket on way to airport

As there are I am sure several reasons given more than this...each time she lost the plane fare or didn't get reimbursed for the ticket and so had to come up with funds again for the flight.

Finally he gave her a final chance to be here be the end of the season or that was it!

By this time I learned a little more and started investigating into who this person really is because nothing added up that this was either one really accident and stupid girl and my research led me to all kinds of scammer victims websites.

Just before the next attempts began I asked if he was still sending money and he said he was just getting ready to send her some more...I begged him not to and many times asking him after this he has said he hasn't sent any more money.

Then came the last few attempts:
#1 Aug 2012: couldn't take "arranged" flight by KLM because "problem with immigration it will take a few more weeks" as the excuse.
First off the problem with this is that remember 5 years prior she came here and went back...no immigration problem back then! and another issue was with information in hand I called KLM nearly 4 days prior to the flight to check if she was really booked on that flight. Wonderful workers at KLM gave me what I needed...A ticket was generated on the KLM website a few days before but was never paid for and was ALREADY cancelled out. I informed my friend was I knew but also that immigration doesn't take weeks it can take years!

#2 Sept 2012: Problem with immigration was resolved and a new booking was created. This time KLM gave me her confirmation # without my even giving it to them! and I followed it online as her booking went sour. But yet still days before she was telling him she was happy she was coming...ticket already cancelled though. Day came and another problem with getting on the plane...try again next week!

#3 Sept 2012 1 week later. A "friend/travel agent" went to the airport with her and make sure she gets on the plane. Then he emailed my friend to say that she was on her flight that night from Accra, Ghana to Amsterdam a lay over in Amsterdam in the early morning hours and then connecting flight from Amsterdam to Canada.

She never made her connecting flight and she lied about being on another later connecting flight that I found out was cancelled long before she told him that she would be on that flight. He even went to the airport to of course confirm what I already told him --- she wasn't there. Story now continued to her stuck in Amsterdam and now he beleived he wanted to know what happened to her. Although he finally listened to me and deleted her he didn't delete the friend though.

I do know he was asked again for more money and he told them no.

#4 Oct 2012: He gets an email from the friend that he can't let the girl stay in Amsterdam and its "cheaper" to send her on to Canada then go back to Africa...again questioned why not to Florida or somewhere in the US. But so this friend is paying the way.

I asked a long time ago also if the US embassy could help with any of this and have always been met with they wont help her.

Flight is planned for this weekend (Oct 27th).

I realize this is a long posting but please understand that it spans 5 years of craziness.

I know he is not dealing with a girl but a group of boys/men in internet cafes in Ghana.
He has finally agreed that if no arrival on this weekend then she is deleted, blocked and ignored from now on...so is anyone else associated with it that contacts him.

My question is what is this scammers next move? There obviously is no person going to be arriving on Saturday or is there? Has anyone ever got to this point of the scam?

Any help or suggestions is appreciated. Sorry If this posts twice.


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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 12:21 pm 
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Quote:
My question is what is this scammers next move?


Hoping, thank you for taking your time to post this. I am sorry your friend was scammed. The scammers may try to do what is know as a recovery scam. The scammer may send him an email stating he was scammed and he will be able to get his money back. Of course there are up front fees that must be paid first. Do a goolge search "recovery scam" to learn more about this type of scam. Best of luck to you and your friend.

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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:18 pm 
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Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:41 am
Posts: 11
Well we are down to the wire for this weekend wait.

2 flights come in this afternoon if someone is coming in on one of those flights then he will get a phone call that "she" is waiting at the airport. Then he will head to the airport to get her.

In the past there have been the fake KLM flight summaries but so far nothing this time and not even sure which flight they are going "pretend" this person is on.

I'll post an update when I know more.

Another weekend ruined thanks to this scammer!
:roll: :x


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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 5:51 am 
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Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:41 am
Posts: 11
5 year scamming nightmare comes to an end finally!

She didn't show yesterday and no call or email from her or the "friend". As promised he has deleted and blocked her and the "friend".

It's finally over and we can get back to our normal lives.

Hopefully this story might help others going through this and I will gladly be of help to anyone on here that is going through this.


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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 6:08 am 
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Posts: 123
I hate to tell you this, but it isn't over. With her and the friend blocked you can count on another "friend", or another girl. Your friend has proven himself as a real good source of income for them, so they will never let him go. They will keep on trying with alll sorts of schemes. Best thing for him to do is get a new mail address and never look back.

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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 7:24 pm 
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Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:41 am
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It's funny you should give me this response today of all days. Interestingly he got an email from her today that when she arrived here 3 weeks ago she was stopped at the airport and her passport was confiscated from her as her passport was expired. Then she was sent from here (Canada) to the States. Where only now she has finally contacted him that she is staying at some relative there.

I have some questions obviously the first one is if her passport was expired how would she have been able to fly from Africa to Amsterdam? How would she even get on a plane at all?
He already replied to her and its already in his mind to travel to where she is in the States! And he is planning on going alone ...people wind up dead doing things like that! What do I do? I'm completly lost. Is there someone I contact here in Canada (Toronto) that can help me?

What a nightmare!


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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 1:10 pm 
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Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:41 am
Posts: 11
One of my other questions I have had since I first started to question all of this. Maybe someone can tell me.

Is there ANY possibility this is a real person at all? Has anyone ever gone to the point that they go through this and meet an actual person?

More importantly I'm so affraid he'll make this trip from Canada to where she says she is in the States and be met with someone wanting to cause him harm. (steal his car, his wallet/money or worse harm or kill him.

I don't know what to do to stop this and its killing me in the process...I can't eat properly and I barely sleep.

Please someone give me an idea of what to do or how to handle this. :(


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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 12:09 pm 
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Location: Third Rock from the Sun
Read the following

http://scamvictimsunited.com/phpBB2/vie ... =17&t=1115

Quote:
Please someone give me an idea of what to do or how to handle this.


There are more up to date informantion. Do a Google search.

_________________
NEVER send money

Media Reporter for ScamVictimsUnited.com

Google is your best online friend. Google everything.
http://www.google.com/

For Romance Love scams
http://romancelovescams.mysubdn.com/forum/index.php


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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:53 am 
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Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:33 am
Posts: 123
The person is real. Just not the person he is expecting it is.

The chance he will meet someone is very slim. Meeting someone means it is over and there is no way they will let up on him. Much more money to gain by keeping him dangling.

Do you have any info on this person? Photo's, mail addresses, anything?

I can try to dig up some info on "her".

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Excuse me, ma'am. Is your refrigerator running? *gasp* It IS? Well, you better go catch it before it runs away! A-ha! A-ha! A-ha!


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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 9:50 am 
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Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:41 am
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Thats the thing I have been looking everywhere on the interent to find a way to help me with this. Kind of how I found this site. But no one can tell me they met a person online that took a trip (not a job or a contract), person planned to come to them after the trip was over only to be met with all the problems this scammer has come up with, wound up sending money to help them out and after especially this long a time frame have someone actually show up! I don't expect the story to be the same but I wish someone could give me an answer that all turned out ok and I'd let him go and forget about him. Until then I have to hope he gives up on this soon.

I'll post more on this later. Immigration Canada and the police last week were really helpful to me.


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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 8:49 pm 
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Quote:
Immigration Canada and the police last week were really helpful to me.

I am really glad you are getting help from immigration in Canada and your local police.

Quote:
I wish someone could give me an answer that all turned out ok and I'd let him go and forget about him. Until then I have to hope he gives up on this soon.

I have not heard of anyone showing up. Just what I posted about the victims going to meet the scammer. Then either being robbed or murder or both. You are a very good and caring friend. I hope one day he realizes just how much you really care about him.

_________________
NEVER send money

Media Reporter for ScamVictimsUnited.com

Google is your best online friend. Google everything.
http://www.google.com/

For Romance Love scams
http://romancelovescams.mysubdn.com/forum/index.php


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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Sat Nov 24, 2012 9:39 am 
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Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:41 am
Posts: 11
I realize this scammer has my friend hooked for such a long time and probably is the reason the scammer has chosen to claim that she has left Ghana, Africa and is now back in her home country USA (but in a different state than she was originally from). I've gone through a search of all the cases and victim's stories that I can find...I can't find any of stories where the scammer did this.

Is this a new tactic? but if anyone has gone to this point what happened? Recovery scam I don't think will work on him because he wont send money to someone other than the girl and I have done as much as I can to get him not to send any more at all.

Immigration Canada, local police, Canada/USA border crossing AND the airline KLM...i have explained the entire story to all of them and they confirm the same that there is no way this is not a scammer. Local police did a search on their system and gave me some information that I can't put on here yet...but I might later. Immigration Canada the first person I spoke to was rude but at least in her response to my question in regard to someone getting on a plane with an expired passport was up to the airline. Then like I said she was rude and quickly ended the call and I called again and spoke to a much "happier" man who continued to answer a few more of my questions...in this case I explained I knew not to ask about specific names and such but hypothetical and proceedural questions was all I asked. He was more than helpful.

In any case what it led me was to call the airline and ask if they would indeed allow someone with an expired passport to get on the first plane leaving Africa from the start of this thing. The very polite worker listened to my story and confirmed that they don't allow that and also she right away was telling my friend is being scammed...later I thought about it and heres the thing the immigration Canada to tell me it was up to the airline is rediculous to be begin with. ---If an airline allows someone on a plane with an expired passport then they know they are transporting a person that will be met with problems on the other end.

When all of this is over I will go after KLM and petition that they and other airlines that allow the flight summary to be "copied" or printed needs to show if it is paid for or not and if not paid for then a watermark or line stating "this is not a ticket and has not been paid for"

Meanwhile the scammer is still emailing my friend but "she" hasn't given him an address or any real information that he has asked for so for now the trip to the USA is on hold.

I was advised by Border Crossing when I spoke to the polite person there (also listened to my story and confirmed that none of her story is plausable and it has to be a scammer) my next option to the call RCMP but I am hesitant on that because the information I have is limited and its not me that is being scammed...I worry I would come off as a person causing mischief but It is my next step in putting an end to this.

I know this is long and so many issues and question in this but any advice or comments would help.


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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:20 am 
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Airlines do not allow someone with an expired passport to travel. That person will not be allowed to enter the country and if so, the airline has to take them back and that costs money.

Scammers can work alone, but the "better" scammers work in groups. Sometimes a member of the group is living in the US. It is possible that that person changed location.
Another option is that they made a mistake. Their knowledge of the US is very basic, so they could have mixed up the States. I once had a scammer writing me how she loved watching the Patriots. Obvious the letter she wrote was "stolen", so when I asked her about the Patriots she had to look it up and came up with the story of Patriot's Day. If you really pay attention to their letters you see they make a lot of mistakes.

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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:28 am 
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Seems another email was received from the scammer and i'm guessing she still didn't give my friend (my guy) answers he was asking for or an address to where she said she is. He told me something about that she was going to get a phone number for him to call (he wasn't very clear on this part).

But the good news is he has finally let this go. He told her to forget it and told me it is over with his interest in this girl and I think he will stick to it now...Which now leaves us getting back to normal lives!!!

(I think he has chosen not to beleive in so much that she is a scammer but that she just wont ever actually be available...maybe this is for the best. He isn't really the type to get into blogging and message boards and probably would not be interested in sharing his story. It was an expensive, tough and I know it would just embarrase him to admit he was scammed and at this point so long as the contact is stopped there is nothing more to be done.) I have had quite a journey through learning about all of this myself.

This is honestly the best Christmas/Chanukah present in the world :D :)

Here's to starting 2013 and a future without any more worries from this scammer!


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 Post subject: Re: Hoping 5 year scam coming to an end...Need help
PostPosted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 6:35 pm 
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hopingforanswers wrote:
But the good news is he has finally let this go. He told her to forget it and told me it is over with his interest in this girl and I think he will stick to it now...Which now leaves us getting back to normal lives!!!


I hate to tell you this, but him saying he let this go does not mean it is over. Scammers will not stop just because of this. They will keep trying to convince you how much they love you and they will never let go of a prey that has proven to be a goldmine.

He needs to cut all contact. Never respond to anything. If he does not do that he will get sucked in again.

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Excuse me, ma'am. Is your refrigerator running? *gasp* It IS? Well, you better go catch it before it runs away! A-ha! A-ha! A-ha!


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