Facebook scammer

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 27 Jul 2010 Posts: 3

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100001405980352

I'm 99.9 percent sure this is a scammer - does anyone recognize the picture? The funny thing is he's sent me several messages despite it being very clear that I'm happily married. His English is lousy, despite claiming to have a degree from the Univeristy (SP!) of Liverpool.

I'd like to warn off the women who've already friended him, but I wanted to see if anyone recognizes the picture.
Thanks!

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 15 Jul 2010 Posts: 5

Agree there are a lot of scammers not only in facebook.

Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:07 pm

TinEye brings up nothing on the picture

Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 6:31 pm

Hello harpie84, and welcome to Eater!

If you posted some of his messages to you, it might be clearer whether or not these are typical scammer messages. If he has emailed you at all, you could also do a googlesearch on his email address, plus post the headers of one of his emails, which might reveal his true location.

The 'friends' he has on Facebook might, of course, be fake people, including scammers and/or baiters. If you wish to warn other women about a scammer, it is therefore better to post the scammer's details on our sister site ScamWarners (there's a link at the top of the page). However, before you do that, you do need proof that the individual is a scammer, so not to falsely accuse an innocent person, or just somebody who tells lies in the hope of impressing others.

Sometimes this is difficult with 'friendship' (or love) scammers, as they may wait quite a long while before asking you for money. Yes, we'd like to be able to recognise them all, but we do have to err on the side of caution, and stick to 'if there is any doubt ... leave them alone'.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 27 Jul 2010 Posts: 3

Thanks for the welcome! I was on Eater a couple of years ago, dealing with another love scammer that hit me up on Lavalife. I got suspicious and found out the picture he/she was using was used by a lot of 419'ers, and luckily did not get burned.

Here's the message from "Daniel Reed":

Quote:

I was looking for someone on this site today and came across you. Your picture caught my eyes and i was interesting and felt you would be someone I would enjoy getting to know you .However, I know that I may be outside of your distance or age requirement ... so, if this is a deal breaker for you please, let me know ... if not, ... I do look forward to opening a line of communication with you.

To me, the English is suspicious; his citation of Univeristy (sp) of Liverpool is suspicious. He lists his hometown as the same city that I'm in, but despite having lived here for three years he doesn't show up in the directory or on any search engine. And here's his "bio"

Quote:

I am 100% GERMAN raised in an orphanage in BERLIN...Grew up and was never adopted studied and played flutes and saxophones in Bars and restaurant to support myself in school, I attended my college in Liverpool university after which i emerged as a Geologist ...i got married years after that to a school soul mate and had a son jeff ..I am currently working as an individual Oil contract for Various Oil companies across Asia .Sinopec PETROL & Chemicals for example.My wife died of brain cancer 7 years ago, that was really painful, you could not imagine watching someone you loved with your life dying and you can not do anything.. i needed to start a new life and that made me moved to the states with my son i have been in the states for 3 yrs now and have loved it so much here....I am naturally fascinated by truly i non-conformist artistic creative types or those with a passion for something which involves creating anything or helping others. I believe that opposites attract for a reason, and if it does not drive you nuts, you can truly enjoy being with someone very different in nature.

The whole thing screams scammer to me...

Removed quote of me, because as much as I'm worth reading twice, my post is actually just immediately above - Branwen

Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 8:26 pm

When I read the first message and saw the words 'deal breaker', I thought that that didn't sound like a scammer.

The second message, however, does:

- German ... to explain away the non-British accent?
- Need to support himself in school? School education is free in Germany.
- Has a tragically dead wife, and a son. You are supposed to feel sorry for him ... and his son could come in useful for an accident requiring hospital fees to be paid?
- Became a geologist .. and then went to work for an oil company?
- Now in the States. Can German citizens just move to the States, no problem?
- Likes people who help others. Anyone in mind?

There are still some unexpected parts:

- non-conformist artistic creative types
- if it does not drive you nuts

I would suggest that you move him onto email. Assuming that you already have an anonymous baiting account! And see what his headers have to say about him.

BUT .... in the meantime, do play it cool, be boring, talk about ironing and the weather, don't immediately fall in love. Wait to confirm him as a scammer first.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 27 Jul 2010 Posts: 3

Branwen wrote:

- Became a geologist .. and then went to work for an oil company?

Actually, that's exactly what a lot of geologists do - I graduated from a university with a pretty good geology program and most of the people I knew from there went into oil & gas exploration.

Otherwise, this guy comes up as a scammer.

I'm more interested in getting him off Facebook and telling the women he has befriended to watch out - I don't have an email from him - just several (!) friend requests that I don't intend to reply to.
Thanks, though, for looking at this in the same way I do.

Reduced quote to the part addressed - Branwen

Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 11:13 pm

As I said before, you don't know who his 'friends' are (or whether they are genuine people - or not), so it is not advisable to 'warn' them. They could be fake profiles that he - if he is a scammer - has set up.

And if your contact with him is through your 'real life' Facebook account then, of course, you should not consider baiting him at all. Just drop all contact. Even if you just have suspicions about him: drop all contact.

You have stated that it is possible for a geologist to work for an oil company, so that possibly eliminates one 'sign of scammer'. So there is also the possibility that he is not a scammer.

I do understand your motivation in wanting to protect women from scammers. I share that motivation.

But sometimes we have to say, 'Not enough proof' and let it be.

There are many many confirmed scammers out there. Let's concentrate on those.

Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 2:09 am

I think I recognize him.

This is a picture I have:

This is the picture on your guy's profile:

At this resolution, it's difficult to be 100% certain whether it's the same person or just a lookalike. However, my guy is also passing himself off to be a German expatriate, and also trying to meet people on the internet.

Too much of a coincidence for me. Even if he's not a scammer (which he most likely is), he's clearly a creeper since "he's sent [you] several messages despite it being very clear that [you're] happily married." That is, assuming his messages to you allude to romance, of course.

Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:25 am

While it is not unusual for geologists to work for oil companies, it is still very suspicious, because the top career choice of African scammers is oil contractor! It tends to be used to explain future trips to Africa. Overall, the English does look African.

Quote:

Have been widow for some yrs now and i need someone to love and be with me for the rest of my life.

This statement definitely reeks of scammer. However, as Branwen said, assuming it is your real profile, you shouldn't bait.

Not the same person as Nick's photo though--those are 2 different men.

Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 12:28 am

Quote:

"My wife died of Brain cancer 7 years ago"

Sounds INCREDIBLY suspicious, even for someone who may not speak english as a first language. I've received lots of emails from scammers whose wife/husband died of brain cancer... Added my fake African profile to his, we'll see what happens

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 30 Oct 2010 Posts: 1

I am trying to access the July 27 post with the facebook profile ID. I can't seem to get it to pull up. Can anyone help me. I have logged into my FB account, but can't figure out how to search by profile #.

That verbage is exactly the same as was written to me about 3 months ago.

Thanks for any help...

Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 10:20 pm

Just click this direct link...
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001405980352