Trying to help a friend !

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 26 Dec 2018 Posts: 1

Hello,
I'm new here and I am trying to help a friend that I think has fallen prey to a scammer, but not sure where to start.
My friend has been having a text only relationship with a woman that claims to be in the U.S. Army and is stationed in Nigeria. They are using "Whats App" to text and I have been suspicious since day one, they have been texting for approx. a year now. She has sent him multiple pictures which he has sent to me and I've done image searches and have come up with no matches ? The saga goes on and on.....
Does anyone have any tips for me to try and find out the truth about this person ? I have a Nigerian phone number for her if that helps.

Thanks in advance.

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 4:16 pm

You would be better off posting at our sister site www.scamwarners.com, they deal with assisting victims and will have more experience to be able to help you. Post all the information you have over there, including the pictures and any phone numbers.

The fact "she" claims to be in Nigeria is a good starting point though. There are no US forces operating in Nigeria, just pathetic scammers claiming to be US military. The reason for claiming to be in Nigeria is that is where the scammer is located and where he will eventually ask for money to be sent.

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 7:02 pm

Definitely go to scamwarners.com as suggested. But here are some things you might consider.

Can "she" give a rank, unit, and mos that make sense? Many times they will get titles, ranks, etc. Mixed up between one branch of the service and another or be unable to tell you what job they do (I had one insist he "does war stuff" when they should be able to saythey are a mechanic, radio operator, cook, medic, etc.)

Google "her" name, email, phone number, unusual phrases from chats, etc. See if its been posted somewhere before in reference to a scam. It is very unlikely that your friend is the only victim (though not finding it posted is not proof its legit - it just means no one has posted it).

Look for inconsistencies in the story. As noted the army is not operating in nigeria. Does "she" have an npo mailing address? Who did she vote for in the last election? Politics are great for tripping lads up. Where is "she" from? "Usa" is not an answer and neither is just a state. What city? What is it like there? See if things she says make sense. Ask about high school - what school, what was its mascot, colors, etc. This can be checked but its unlikely a lad would get it right.

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 7:19 pm

B8er wrote:

You would be better off posting at our sister site www.scamwarners.com, they deal with assisting victims and will have more experience to be able to help you. Post all the information you have over there, including the pictures and any phone numbers.

As B8er said, definitely go to scamwarners.com to seek advice. In addition to your being able to post information about the scammer, which will also help other potential victims, you'll find a section that deals with Romance scams and which has information specifically about military scams.

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 9:08 pm

ScamWarners is the place to be, for you and your friend.

Quote:

I've done image searches and have come up with no matches

Algorithms are different among search engines. I suggest using the images at all four of these sites, then adding to any details you post at SW:

https://yandex.com/images/
https://images.google.com/
https://www.bing.com/images/
https://tineye.com/

The U.S. Army gives this advice:

Quote:

"Red Flags" - some of the words/phrases used by scammers

Saying they are on a Peace Keeping Mission, looking for an honest woman, parents deceased, wife deceased, child being cared for by nanny or other guardian, profess their love almost immediately, refer to you as "my love," "my darling" or any other affectionate term almost immediately, telling you they cannot wait to be with you, telling you they cannot talk on the phone or via webcam due to security reasons, or telling you they are sending you something (money, jewelry) through a diplomat. Finally, they claim to be a U.S. Army Soldier; however, their English and grammar do not match that of someone born and raised in the United States.

Here are answers to some of the most common types of scams:

1. Soldiers and their loved ones are not charged money so that the Soldier can go on leave.
2. No one is required to request leave on behalf of a Soldier.
3. A general officer will not correspond with you on behalf of a Soldier planning to take leave.
4. A general officer will not be a member of an internet dating site.
5. Soldiers are not charged money or taxes to secure communications or leave.
6. Soldiers do not need permission to get married.
7. Soldiers do not have to pay for early retirement.
8. Soldiers have medical insurance for themselves and their immediate family members (spouse and/or children), which pays for their medical costs when treated at health care facilities worldwide - family and friends do not need to pay their medical expenses.
9. Military aircraft are not used to transport Privately Owned Vehicles.
10. Army financial offices are not used to help Soldiers buy or sell items of any kind.
11. Soldiers deployed to combat zones do not need to solicit money from the public to feed or house their troops.
12. Deployed Soldiers do not find large sums of money and do not need your help to get that money out of the country.

ETA: I have left this in the forum, as it is not a request for scambaiting help. There would be no advice given for that in this case.

Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2018 12:14 am

To add to what beware419 said. The reason no help would be given for baiting is because this lad already has your friends personal information. Revenge baiting is very risky and not allowed here for that reason. The best thing to advise your friend to do when he realizes it is a scam, is to cease all communication. Block the email or chat profile, phone number, etc.

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