my wifes friend was scammed

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Not quite a Newb Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 20

Last year a 40 year old man my wife works with was scammed by a lonely hearts scam. I remember when she told me that R. (I'll keep his name anonymous) was sending at least 50$ a week to his future "bride" in Romania. At the time I wasn't very familar with spam scams but I know a hustle when I see one. I told her it was a scam and when she told R. he laughed at her. She (the romanian,not my wife)strung him along for 6 months. Now R. isn't the crispiest chip in the bag so this may very well still be going on. Any suggestions ??

thanx von

Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 1:43 pm

Unless R is willing to share details - email addy, emails with headers, pics, money transfer details, and the like - there's not much we can do to show she's a scammer. Pointing him to romancescam.com and scamwarners.com might light a bulb in his chandelier, but infatuation can be blind.

Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 1:45 pm

Love scam victims can be hard to convince, especially without evidence which you don't have.
Without seeing the email correspondence, I don't see tha you can do much.
Paying a scammer weekly is rather unusual.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 20

I believe she was saving the money he sent her so she could eventually join him and get married, i'm a little fuzzy on the details I only know that after a couple months R. said she was coming to america in a coupla weeks ,Thats the last i heard about it. Maybe he realized at last it was a scam and didnt want to talk about. I'll ask my wife today when she gets home for any updates.
thnx von

Not quite a Newb Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 20

I just got the complete story of R. and "alexandra" from budapest.
He met her through a mailorder bride website 3 YEARS ago. He works with my wife in a large supermarket and sends Alexdranda money through the western union in the front office. He has sent as much as $500 a week, but often as little as $50, this has been told to my wife by the front end manager, it's no secret and everybody in the store knows it.He sent her a cel-phone and pays the bill, She was supposed to come to America twice so far but something always came up,He carries a picture of Alexandra that looks like the sort that comes with the frames that you buy. The wedding date is in early september of this year but first theres alot of paperwork to fill out with the consulate.
After 3 years he still sends her money. I think there is no hope for him.

thnx von

Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:39 pm

i suspect that many love scam victims are blind to their own situation.
i'm no expert, but does it help to show him case histories of others who were scammed?

scamwarners should have a few of those which he can read, if he can be persuaded to read them.
but i doubt it will be possible to help him until he acknowledges there could be a problem.

Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 8:25 pm

@ Vonfalk.

It is unfortunate and sad that scammers often target victims like R.

The support team at Scamwarners can and will help him.

If you will PM me R's mail address I will get one of the team members to contact him.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 26 Sep 2008 Posts: 689

Isn't there an obligation of "duty of care" on the Western Union agents/staff??????

Quote:

Because we care about consumers, Western Union urges you to protect yourself from fraud by considering the following:

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, please contact your local Western Union Agent.

Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:01 am

I don't think so.

Quote:

The duty of care is a general legal duty on all individuals and organisations to avoid carelessly causing injury to persons.

Nothing there about a victim harming himself.

Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 3:32 pm

N N N wrote:

Isn't there an obligation of "duty of care" on the Western Union agents/staff??????

No more than there is on sellers of lottery tickets to make sure you aren't recklessly spending your entire food budget and your own rent on scratch-offs. No more than there is on your bank to make sure you aren't writing checks so your deadbeat ex can go play the ponies when they claim they need it for rent. No more than there is on the postal service to make sure you aren't mailing cash to an unregistered charity.

In other words, none.

They kind of expect adults to be able to figure out what to spend their money on and who to send it to. It's your money. They can't tell you what and what not to do with it.

With freedom comes responsibility and all that.

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