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Web scam: R you the one? Con artists troll dating sites
The Boston Herald ^ | 08/08/2006 | Jessica Fargen

Posted on 08/08/2006 4:18:27 AM PDT by Panerai

Like a lot of the women on dating Web sites, Lynn divorcee Carol Cormier was looking for love.

What she found turned out to be too good to be true, and now she’s on a mission to save other singles from being ensnared in a shockingly widespread online romance scam.

“The only thing I tell them is you opened up your heart and a jerk fell in,” said Cormier, 57, who almost lost thousands to a Nigerian who used a phony model’s photo to woo her and then tried to bilk her out of her savings.

Cormier says she’s one of countless lonely hearts on sites like match.com and eharmony.com who have been taken in by a pretty face. She moderates a Yahoo.com member site for singles slammed by the scam.

The site has 4,500 members, said Barbara Sluppick, who lives in Missouri and started the online support group after she was almost taken in by the same Nigerian scheme that Cormier fell for.

“Every single one has scammers on them,” she said. “It’s very widespread - more than people know.”

For years, people have been duped by e-mail and Internet flimflams that typically involve a man from Nigeria who claims he needs the recipient to wire him money or cash a check.

But this one is far worse, Sluppick said.

“This is dealing with a person’s heart and person’s emotions,” she said. “The emotional devastation is even worse than the money loss. They join the dating sites thinking this is a good way to meet people.”

Cathy Milhoan, an FBI spokeswoman, said the Nigerian rip-off is well-worn and has many faces.

“Every day we get complaints about the Nigerian scam in some form or another,” she said.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bostonherald.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: fbi; internetdating; nigeria; nigerianscam; onlinedating; scam; singles

1 posted on 08/08/2006 4:18:28 AM PDT by Panerai
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To: Panerai

Looking for love in all the wrong places.


2 posted on 08/08/2006 4:25:47 AM PDT by battlegearboat
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To: Panerai

I signed up on Match.com and have met some very nice ladies. I also got messages from women in Nigeria, Central America, and Brooklyn who found me interesting and would be more interested with a few grand sent to them. Hell, I I wanted that, I could talk to my ex!


3 posted on 08/08/2006 4:35:03 AM PDT by pikachu (Be alert --we need more lerts!)
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To: pikachu
entral America, and Brooklyn who found me interesting and would be more interested with a few grand sent to them. Hell, I[f] I wanted that, I could talk to my ex!

LOL!! Been there!

4 posted on 08/08/2006 4:36:25 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Creation "science" has a final answer--adherence to the scriptures. All other data are discarded.)
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To: Panerai

I actually received what surely sounded like a Nigerian 419-Scam come-on a few weeks ago through a Genealogy research site where I'd posted some family tree information.

"My father's late business partner may be related to you..."

How nice. Now go away.


5 posted on 08/08/2006 5:03:29 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: Panerai

How can people be so freaking stupid?


6 posted on 08/08/2006 5:18:02 AM PDT by butternut_squash_bisque (The recipe's at my FR HomePage. Try it!)
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To: Panerai

Shhhh, listen. The sounds of dupes in their natural habitat:

"So I wired the money to Nigeria."


7 posted on 08/08/2006 5:28:18 AM PDT by Sax (You Done Tore Out My Heart And Stomped That Sucker Flat)
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To: Panerai
...Cormier, 57, who almost lost thousands to a Nigerian who used a phony model’s photo to woo her and then tried to bilk her out of her savings.

To paraphrase Ben Franklin, a fool and her money are soon parted.

There are simply too many gullible people, lacking the common sense, skepticism, cynicism, and paranoia they need to avoid being duped.

Cormier says she’s one of countless lonely hearts on sites like...eharmony.com who have been taken in by a pretty face.

But... but... but... they match you on 47 points of compatibility!!! </sarcasm>

8 posted on 08/08/2006 5:37:15 AM PDT by holymoly ("A lot" is TWO words.)
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To: Panerai

I was never 'net-centric' when it came to love. That's why I hang out the grocery store and the gym.


9 posted on 08/08/2006 5:46:17 AM PDT by Perdogg
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To: Panerai
Words of wisdom regarding the narcissistic types of people you will find while trying online dating:

"Women in America can get laid any time they want. So why are so many of them on the Internet pretending they can't?" -- Stephane Hemon

The whole thing is best avoided, IMHO - because without face-to-face interaction you miss the whole point.

Most of the scam artists are obvious: a picture of a very pretty man or woman with a minimal profile. Sometimes they use porn stars' photos. I think the most common scam is simply to harvest e-mail addresses for spammers - but I have to admit I didn't think anyone was still vulnerable to the Nigerian scam after all the publicity it has gotten.

10 posted on 08/08/2006 5:53:24 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ("When the government is invasive, the people are wanting." -- Tao Te Ching)
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To: Panerai

I receive emails from Nigerian "barristers" every day. Seems I have a lot of long lost, wealthy relatives who died in plane crashes and traffic accidents and I'm their only surviving family member.


11 posted on 08/08/2006 5:58:48 AM PDT by Drew68
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To: Panerai

Of course, when grown people can't seem to outgrow their need for "romance" and don't know what it involves to really understand the idea of actual love, they're just sitting ducks for this kind of stuff. It doesn't matter whether it comes via the internet, the health club, the guy or gal you met at church. As a side note, one of the most dangerous places for it may be AA meetings.


12 posted on 08/08/2006 7:10:51 AM PDT by Emmett McCarthy
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To: Panerai

Rule #1 for women who are dating a guy...never give (or lend) him a nickle...regardless of how many of his relatives need cancer treatment or how great an opportunity he has with that liquor store across town.


13 posted on 08/08/2006 7:33:15 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative
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To: butternut_squash_bisque

Reminds me of a relative - they were always on the look out for a get rich quick scheme... they turned liberal... go figure... they now wear a Che Shirt.


14 posted on 08/08/2006 8:51:12 AM PDT by chris_ab
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