I have been on a few different dating sites and have found most of the scammers tell a story to woman that makes your heart melt and you want to help. Here is what I have heard for the past year -
Widower having to travel and has one child normally a son living with family members. The man wants to get married and have his son live with him. He calls you baby dear or love so he does not have to remember your name. He is talking to lots of woman and they are all baby etc.
His profile is one that shows him to be highly educated, earns a high salary and the picture is normally from a magazine and scanned into his profile. The picture shows a handsome man and a face most woman find appealing.
Most of the scammers want you to communicate on yahoo IM and all have yahoo address. Most want your credit card details, have some kind of emergency and will pay you back asap but that is all lies.
Please do not give out your last name, address, bank details, credit card info. Your name and address alone will allow the scammers to look you up on people search.com and attempt to steal your ID. They will open a credit card in your name and before you know it you are in thousands of dollars debt and there is not much you can do about it.
I had a friend that was banking with wells fargo and online. A web page appeared asking for password and account verification. They put in the details thinking it was from the bank. The page looked just like wells fargo. The next day $990 was stolen from them.
These people are very clever so please protect yourselves and your ID at all times. Dont give out home phone numbers, personal email addresses - use yahoo and have an ID without your name - no home address, no personal info like where you work, and please never ever send money to anyone. They all want to use western union and you will never see a cent again. Most of them live in USA and travel to London, Paris and africa on regular intervals. Never communicate with a person who has a sick mother father in africa and they have to go home to help out. Never communicate with a person who has no family and wife died in child birth. Please guard your hearts and do not fall in love with a person you have dreams of becoming your partner for life.
If you meet someone, ensure you meet them in person, in a safe place before you start giving too much information to that person. Remember when you say no to money they will move on.....
God bless and may the spirit of God protect you and send you the person He has for you....
This is a very useful information. Specially for a new member like me. I've got 2 letters from the same person, calling me dear and baby..asking my YM and phone number, but i dont even know him well. He put a handsome Caucasian man picture,but i'm not sure that he's truly American,because his grammar isnt good.
So, i just delete it and ignore it.
I agree with hedgeweller,wotever68,and paytreet. Don't ever give personal information and don't ever send any money to the person that you've never met before. Friendship isn't always about money.
Brother paytreeit, im sorry that you lost $3,000 and get scammed. God will provide you.
We are indeed like sheep gone astray. Sheep are often curious, sweet, trusting, and very often oblivious to danger and are as meek as doves. The shepherd has his hands full keeping them out of trouble, until they learn to hear His voice and trust Him in His leadings. Once learned the sheep follow Him wherever He takes them. It just takes time for us to learn.
I agree with the brother, we must be wise as serpents (always aware and on guard) but meek as doves (ready in season and out to love). Pray for those who despitefully use you and forgive that you may be forgiven. This too He died for. May God grant us the ability to turn the other cheek and to pray for our enemies as we all once were His enemies, yet He died still, for us.
Blessings, to all Nigerians Lord, those who are our enemies and those who are being stereotyped and lumped together by undiscerning and gullible people. Build us all up into an expression and habitation fit for your Glory to dwell. You who are able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think Lord, glorify your name in us all, burn away the dross. Let the cleansing fire of your wrath of love burn away all that is not of you for none but the righteous shall stand in your presence. Let judgement begin in your house oh Lord. and let no one find peace until they find peace and contentment in You. Help us to love not our lives even unto the death Lord that we may rise in and with You. That the greatness of your love that dwells within us may combat the hate that abounds throughout the land. The gates shall fall Lord and have already fallen for You live forever. For you died and rose and have covered us in your blood that we might be conformed into your image. Thank You Lord for I know You hear me always. In your blessed name Jesus I pray, Amen.
PS: I too have many Nigerian friends and know firsthand that not all are snakes. There are snakes in all nations and races. The church that i meet at is represented by about 28 different nations and is truly a picture of heaven.
Okay Dude, I am going to say something that will more than likely step on toes. I am going to say it anyway, not because I am opinionated, but it is the truth.
The way most Nigerian scams work is based off greed. Not so much the Nigerians themselves, but also the person they scam. Most Nigerian scams start with something that reads "if you help me cash this check I will give you part of it". So you think you are getting money for what??? Cashing a check? Then they say the part about how they can't get it out of their country or cash it where they are for what ever reason. Yadda yadda yadda. So somehow you have to put up the money to cash their check, and somehow you will get money out of it.
Rule of thumb.....there is no easy money so do not be greedy!!!
Take that money and invest in gold.....for yourself if you want to make money. (I do not advise the stock market at this time....too shaky)
As for helping a friend in need....yes that is the Christian thing to do. A person you met online, do not know well, should not ask you for money. That is just common sense.
As for Christians asking for money...for a church or mission...they should be registered at the Secretary of State in the state they live. All charities who accept/ask for money have to register with the SOS, so ask for their documentation. If they say they are not registered, or have no clue what you are talking about....I have a feeling they are fake. Be sure to report them to the SOS in their state too.
Thank you for sharing your story. I have not been as unfortunate enough to lose any momey in that way but I have seen many lives destroyed by these scammers. I have and am constantly accosted by scammers online. Thereare all over the internet on every dating site out there. They come on very strong, professing love and concern when they know absolutely nothing about you. It is quite scary, and they don't take long before they invent some sob story to ask for money. They change the story based on what you may have told them about yourself, they try to target you based on what they anticipate is your greatest weakness. Unfortunately most of them that I have encountered are Nigerian. Most of them pose as people living in other countries, even the USA, but it doesn't take long to find out that they are African. I know many Nigerians personally, so I recognize the accent and the mannerisms. Besides, a Nigerian friend warned me many years ago to beware, because many of these scams originate there.
These people are evil, they prey on the weak and trusting and they destroy people's lives.
Boy is there a lot of scammers out there. Anytime I am new on a site, I have several to jump right in there telling me how beautiful I am and all that garbage. My intuition always tells me that they are scammers. I just don't even bother with them. They usually post fake pictures making them look like very handsome and wholesome guys. I had one that I talked to for a while and was going to meet him. He had a picture of him and a nice motorcycle so he looked harmless. When I let him know that we wouldn't share rooms, he suddenly couldn't understand what I was saying. He didn't understand English. Go figure. Do not let anyone and I mean anyone talk you into giving them money. Especially if you do not have it to lose. Because that is what inevitabily will happen. Even a nice country boy from good old USA wil have a proposion for you. Remember God said have patience. If you wait long enought to get to know someone, you will probably not lose anything and gain the world. And remember pray about what ever you are doing.:prayingm:
