UK landline

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 07 Feb 2011 Posts: 2

I was probably scammed last year.

In many ways it was a typical rom scam - good looking girl on dating website, we traded emails, then she had to go abroad before we'd had a chance to meet up, then she's madly in love with me, then she urgently needs money to return to the UK.

I told her I couldn't afford the 500 she was asking for. Then she said that she could get an airline ticket with just 200, so I sent her that WU. Then she said she needed more. I didn't send any more, and the emails dried up soon afterwards.

So was I scammed? Here's the rub.

Before she went abroad, I spoke with her twice on a UK landline. Now four possibilities occur to me.

First, she was a UK resident who then went abroad to scam me - not very plausible.

Second, she was two people really. One woman in the UK took calls, while another woman in Africa went to the WU outlet to get the dosh.

Third, she lived in Africa and had a landline which she managed to dress up as a UK landline.

Fourth, she was telling the truth.

Here are a few more facts. I phoned her on her landline after she wanted more money, and got the call minder, which is what you'd expect if she was out of the country. I then called her landline again a few months later, and found it no longer active, which is what you'd expect if she were trapped in Africa and unable to pay her phone bill. Also, I cannot remember any overseas phone calls being listed on my phone bill at this time.

Is it possible to disguise an African landline as a UK landline?

If it isn't, then I conclude she was genuine, and that I was not scammed.

I still lost over 200 quid though, but I'll put it down to experience.

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:09 pm

Sorry you got taken, but at least it wasn't for too much.

Yes, you were scammed.
And yes, you can get a fake phone number to make it look like you're in UK or anyplace else you want. That means your option 3 is the most likely.

Elite Baiter Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 1693

You could put the number here
http://www.numberingplans.com/?page=analysis⊂=phonenr

More likely the number was a redirect number with a uk number which will redirect to the mobile and could be any where in the world
Like these
http://www.ttnc.co.uk/phone-numbers/01-and-02-numbers/
http://www.pickaweb.co.uk/020-london-numbers.htm

http://www.worldnumbers.com/

Quote:

Phone Numbers from over 4,000 locations in over 60 countries around the world and to redirect them to your office, home, mobile, email. The list is endless.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 07 Feb 2011 Posts: 2

Thanks.

Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 4:55 am

I'm really sorry that happened to you, peltast. It would be great if you would head over to Scamwarners.com and post her details there. You could possibly save another person from falling for her scam.

** SUSPENDED ** Joined: 12 Feb 2011 Posts: 27

The number was spoofed, I do it all the time.

I can even bounce numbers off of other people's phone lines to make it look like a friend is calling.