romance scam? where to post chat logs?

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Not quite a Newb Joined: 30 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

Hi Im new to this site.
Just thought Id share my experience with you, and maybe someone will recognize this man..

A friend of mine was on a dating site and was contacted by a man, claiming to be from edinburgh. He was very sweet at first, and she gave him her mobilephone number. he sent her endless txts. He told her he was a us marine serving in afghanistan. and that he really wanted to get out of there. and could she please email the us marine and ask for a leave-request on his behalf. Obviously HE gave her an email adress, and she sent an email saying due to family crisis, they needed him home. (at this point they had only known each other for 4days.)
Only minutes after, she received an email with something looking like a official us document, a request for leave form. where she would have to put in a lot of her private details. She told him she felt very uncomfortable with all this and he started sweettalking her again. Saying he needed to be home with her.

Anyway, we agreed that I would join the same dating site and email him on there, to see if he would give me the same story.
So I started talking to him on IM, and he doesnt know we know each other. Surely hes giving me the same crap as he does her. I have a long log I would like to post, but where is the right place to post it?
It would be really helpful if anyone recognizes the chat. We know hes a fraud cos hes been asking us both for money.
We also feel that we are talking to more than just one man. Its just the way he talks. Seems like a different person every day, and his english is pretty bad. He does not sound like a man born in Edinburgh Scotland.
He also doesnt know his adress lol. My friend thought it was fair to ask, since hes asked her for money and personal info, but whenever she asks for his adress, he doesnt understand the question.

If anyone wants to see the chat logs (its quite amuzing actually) please let me know. Also where to post them..
Thanks ,
DG

Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:56 pm

Hello Ms. Dawn, and welcome to eater!

Yup, all signs point to him being a scammer. Since this is the romance subforum, this is the right place to post your logs. You can just do this in this thread. Congrats on finding out he is a fraud! The odds of us recognizing him are quite small, since there are thousands of fake lovers around the world. What would help us alot are the emails, and the headers. A helpful thread on how to find headers can be found HERE. Also don't forget to edit out your personal details. I would also suggest you go to our sistersite, www.scamwarners.com and post up all the details there.

A few things though: Obviously, don't send him any money. And second; since you both are mailing him from your personal accounts I'd advise you to stop communicating with him at once. After all, he is a criminal. Just stop replying and delete his emails immediately. He'll get the idea.

Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:54 pm

Hi and welcome dawngeorgina to Eater.

Caligula has given you sound and sensible advise.

I have noticed a scam concerning "request for leave" at Scamwarners.

http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=3673

Not quite a Newb Joined: 30 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

Thank you.
This is the email my friend got with the form he wanted her to send to the usmc.

From: [email protected]
> To: XXXXXXXXX
> Subject: Re: Request leave of absence
> Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:12:20 -0400
>
> Dear Ms.XXXXXXXXXXX,
>
> Ref to your leave request for Sgt.Craig Dawn,we have sent you a copy of
> LEAVE REQUEST FORM.
>
> You will have to complete the form and send it back to us for authorization.
>
> We shall advise on next step in the transit processing.
>
> Kind Regards,
>
> Lt.Col.Robert Friedman
>
> Processing Officer in charge.

(I dont know how to add the picture of the form onto this post.. )

Oh and I forgot to say...when my friend first started chatting with this guy, she thought he was sweet, but he was a bit "too much" so she copied their chat to me. Thats when I recognized he was actually typing song lyrics to her!! To try and get her to fall for him. Mariah Carey, celine dion etc...

DG

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:27 am

Can you add the headers too please? If you don't know how to get them, I've put a link in my previous post about it. We can extract alot of information out of them.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 30 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

Hi again.
I got her to copy the headers to me, and I found out that this guy is not in afghanistan as he said. The IP came up as London, uk. And the email she got the form from, came from fort lauderdale, usa.
So hes obviously not in Afghanistan.
The London IP came up with a name, number and adress. I wonder if they can use other people's IP? Cos the name I got up was british. And the guy(s) we're talking to is not. His english is very bad.
DG

Not quite a Newb Joined: 30 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

Hi again,
I was wondering if anyone knows where I can create an email adress they cant trace my IP?
Thanks,
DG

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:34 pm

Hi, Dawn!

Gmail and Hushmail strip IP's.

Have you been reading stickies, etc.? Wink

Not quite a Newb Joined: 30 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

Thanks, Just signed up for a hushmail account. Yes Ive read through lots on here. Its brilliant. And my scammer is falling for it big time. Im tempted to post the IM's but is that cool? or do we keep it to ourselves?
DG

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:03 am

Hi DG and welcome. Very Happy

You can post IMs/chat logs here.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 30 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

Hi again,
Im about to try out one of the fake forms from western union. To send to my lad. He wants me to scan it and send the receipt to him. I just need advice from someone whos done that before.. cos what if he asks for a ref.number? or something... He totally believes im gonna do it, and i dont wanna ruin the fun just yet lol.
So some advice would be much appreciated!
DG

Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:39 pm

Hello DG

Have you played the totally 'blonde' female?

http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=150757

some cool stuff here. You can delay for ages before using the generator, and if you get really clever you could get a bank account and 'piggie' the secret is don't rush, he'll stay as long as he thinks he might get sopme money.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 30 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

Just got an email from him this morning. To my hushmail adress. Some stolen love letter from the internet lol. The funny thing is he sent my friend the EXACT same email, only minutes apart. I traced his Ip to London uk.
Now, I thought I had lost him for a while, cos I hadnt heard from him in a few days. But he's back.
Heres the email he sent us both lol:

I miss you, my darling, as I always do. I can almost feel you beside me as I write this letter, and I can smell the scent of wildflowers that always reminds me of you. But at this moment, these things no longer give me pleasure. Your visits have been less and less frequent, and I feel sometimes as if the greatest part of who I am is slowly slipping away. I am trying to hold on, though. At night when I am alone, I call for you, and whenever my ache seems to be the greatest, you still seem to find a way to return to me.Last night, in my dreams, I saw you on the pier. The wind was blowing through your hair, and your eyes held the fading sunlight. I was speechless as I watched you leaning against the rail. You are beautiful, I thought as I saw you, a vision that I could never find in anyone else. I slowly began to walk toward you, and when you finally turned to me, I noticed that others had been watching you as well. "Do you know her?" they asked me in
jealous whispers, and as you smiled at me I simply answered with the truth, "Better than I know myself."I stop when I reach you and I take you in my arms. I long for this moment more than any other. It is what I live for, and when you return my embrace, I give myself over to this moment, at peace once again. I raise my hand and gently touch your cheek and you tilt your head and close your eyes. My hands are hard and your skin is soft, and I wonder for a moment if you'll pull back, but of course, you don't. I know that this is the moment I have been waiting for, and I pray that the moment never ends.....here is my mobile number...0780XXXXXXX.............craig

I googled the first line, and the whole poem came up. So I guess its not "from his heart" like he tells me. lol Smile

His english has never been better though!! Very Happy

DG

Not quite a Newb Joined: 30 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

Before I post my reply, I have to apologise for stealing a few ideas from some of you. Ive been reading a lot of what others have posted here, and I especially loved the one where he/she used the lyrics from "daniel" and sent it to the lad, so i decided to try the same. Hope you dont mind...

Heres my reply:

Craig,

Thank you for the beautiful email. I must say I was a bit
surprised. I thought you had forgotten about me. Cos I havent seen
you in so long. At least 4 days. Oh How I have missed you. Are you
safe?
I have been busy working, and taking care of my little boy.

I have also had my brother visiting. Its been so nice. His name is
Daniel. He lives in Spain but has spent a week here in Scotland
visiting family. I wish he could stay longer, but Daniel is
travelling tonight on a plane. Heading for spain. They say Spain is
pretty though Ive never been. Oh Daniel says its the best place hes
ever been.

Maybe you, me and Michael can go visit him sometime. Maybe we can
come and visit you too soon.

Michael is very eager to get his drawing sent to you. So I will
help him with that tonight, if you are online. Last night he
couldnt sleep. He was missing his dad. I heard him crying as he was
saying his goodnight prayers:
Oh God our heavenly Father. Oh, God and my father, who is also in
heaven. May the light of this flickering candle illuminate the
night way. Your spirit illuminates my soul. Papa can you hear me?
Papa can you see me? Papa can you find me in the night? Papa can
you help me not be frightened?

It was heartbreaking Craig. So I let him stay home from school
today. We have talked and talked and cried together. But he is
feeling better now. He is going to my parents for the weekend, so
im dropping him off there on my way to work soon. And then
hopefully I will see you online when I come home around 9 tonight.
I hope you come online.

Love and love,
Michelle ,

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 1:30 pm

Hi Dawn

Using other peoples emails / ideas is never a problem here, so long as it isn't the same lad of course, that might cause some problems, but other than that the only important thing is taht your pet is wasting his time on you.

If you would like to send a poem to your pet we have lots posted in The Spooners thread that you are welcome to use, the good thing about the poems in there is it is actually a good thing if the lads decide to use them, in fact, I hope they do, most of them have little hidden delights that would make vics suspicious if they were to receive them.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 30 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

ok i used one of the fake forms on here. money gram.been stalling for ages, and finally i sent it to him.. with the number he needs torn off:D
it was good fun lol.
anyway, he wants me to get the number. and im running out of excuses... how do you get a fake ref.number?? or what do you do?
He thinks I have a son (i dont really..) so maybe my imaginary son gets ill tomorrow? Any ideas? lol.. id be grateful if anyone can help me .
Thanks,
DG

Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:16 am

Getting a fake number is easy

Western Union has 10 digit numbers while moneygram uses 8 digit numbers, give you pet a 9 digit number, just make it up Wink

946364983

He will of course complain there is a number missing / extra number then try again.

The major difference between the 2 is that Western Union can be checked online which the lad will be doing, moneygram requires your pet to actually go into teh MG outlet to find he has no money.

Good tip for next time Wink

You can also go back to you MG outlet and reverse the transaction and try again.

Once you have exhausted all avenues then you can suggest this money transfer is just too hard and it is costing you a fortune in fees, then insist on sending the money to his bank account

Not quite a Newb Joined: 30 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

Great!!! Thanks a lot:)
Just one more thing (for now) .. How much is the fee for moneygram? I want it to look belieavable lol.
Thanks again. Youve been very helpful Smile

DG

Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:46 am

I dont know but I believe it is a set rate plus a percentage, to send $1,000 could end up costing $16 to send from US to Nigeria.

I just looked it up
http://www.moneygram.com/eHowMuch/howMuch.do?countryCode=US

In contrast is costs $60 for the same WU online transaction
Long link to WU price calculator

Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 8:34 am

^^^ Just a note about WU ON LINE from UK they restrict to about £500 every 30 days, but in agents no real limit! Just an example of their compliance with scammers!!

Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 8:57 am

devil_woman, your numerous posts regarding WU being compliant with and aiding/abetting scammers are getting a bit tedious.

***WESTERN UNION IS A SERVICE THAT SCAMMERS ABUSE. PERIOD, THE END***

If you have any evidence of Western Union or its employees' direct involvement in advance fee fraud, then please either submit it to the proper authorities in the appropriate jurisdictions (IE Law Enforcement) or write a letter to Western Union's complaint department, corporate headquarters, sponsors etc, but do not continue to disseminate this nonsense in every thread where Western Union is mentioned.

Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:23 am

If you were to send money via WU online, you would need to go past a page that has this warning;

Quote:

Protect Yourself from Fraud Don't Send Money
To someone who you don't know
To claim lottery or prize winnings
Based on a promise to receive a large amount of money
Because you were "guaranteed" a credit card or loan
In response to an Internet or phone offer that you aren't sure is honest
These are common fraud scams. Stop your transaction and contact us at 1-800-325-6000 for more information.

If You Already Sent Money
If you suspect fraud on a money transfer you already sent, contact us at 1-800-325-6000. If your money has not yet been picked up, it will be returned to you.

Other information on the same page

Quote:

Related Questions
Where will my money be picked-up?
See answer
Once your money transfer has been sent, it can be picked up at any participating Agent location.

Are there any restrictions on sending money?
See answer
Yes. The maximum amount you can send varies by country and how often you use our service. Also, online service is not available to all the countries. Keep that in mind if you don't see your country in the list.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 30 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

Thank you for your advice. Im using (fake) moneygram, so it should be ok.
I just sent him a new form with a number missing lol. Will let you know how it goes when I get a reply Smile

When he got the form with the number torn off, i must say he took it well. I played dumb and didnt know how that had happened obviously. Today I emailed him the new form, saying how glad I am to be done with the form, as the woman at the post office didnt know how to get me the ref.number from yesterday, so i ended up having to pay another £850! But at least I kept my promise to him. lol.
DG

Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:11 am

Thanks for the info on Wu AND mG, having never used either one will be a big help if needed in the future and by the way welcome Dg and playing "dumb" has worked for me so far!

Juan's stalker Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 1423

It's really great to see new members doing so well and joining in on the fight against scammers.

A big Welcome and Hello to you both janeegrl and dawngeorgina !! Very Happy

Playing dumb and sweet has always worked very well for me in the beginning of the bait and then I become more demanding and grouchy when it is time for the money request.

You are getting excellent advice and good luck!

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