| Oct 13, 2007 @ 6:45 PM |
Scammed????????????
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Georgia_Girl2007
Posts: 16
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I'm in a total state of shock...........I thought I could detect the scammers on dating sites, but guess I was wrong about that. Guess I didn't think it would take 3 months for one to make a move.
I have been emailing and talking to this guy for about 3 months. He lives in another state. I didn't realize he had my address but I had given him my yahoo email and forgot that it had my phone number in my signature (and guess he got the address from the phone number). He send me roses - he sent me a purse from Victoria Secret.
He said he was planning on coming here to meet me last week, then at the last minute called me and told me that he had to go to Africa on business. Just now while we were chatting on messenger, he asked me to "lend" him $4000 and got upset when I said no. Well yesterday he said he needed $12000 to pay customs on some business stuff he was doing, and today he said his mom sent him $7000 and he had $1000 in cash so just needed me to send him $4000.
Now I'm worried about his having my address.and phone number. Guess it just goes to show, some people can take their time when trying to get money!
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| Oct 13, 2007 @ 6:50 PM |
Scammed???????????? |
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Loreli
Posts: 20,319
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Turn him in then 
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| Oct 13, 2007 @ 6:52 PM |
Scammed????????????
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Georgia_Girl2007
Posts: 16
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I met him on another site, and I just checked - he has closed his account! Imagine that!!
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| Oct 13, 2007 @ 8:39 PM |
Scammed???????????? |
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Angel54214
Posts: 14,066
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You never, ever give out any contact personal information to strangers! Learn girl!!! this is the world wide web!
You think your the only one in line of a scammer? Heck, you probably were the 20th in line! He probably was from Africa. Country to Country scammers are much harder to catch. The FBI go through this every day trying to catch them.
Don't be nieve, be street smart online...Read more about the chaos, pain, child abductions, date rapes and personal losses people have gone through from scammers.
BE SMART!
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| Oct 13, 2007 @ 9:12 PM |
Scammed????????????
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Georgia_Girl2007
Posts: 16
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When you have talked to someone for a month on the singles website and they seem perfectly normal, how do you ever go any further, meeting, etc, if you don't give personal information? I just gave him my cell phone, but then I also gave him my yahoo messenger info after we had been talking for a month. My email he got from that and I didn't remember when I responded to his email that my signature had my home phone number in it.
Well I will certainly be more careful in the future! In fact I may never respond to anyone ever again!!!!!!!! But then, what is the point?
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| Oct 13, 2007 @ 9:33 PM |
Scammed???????????? |
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ToucherinSparks
Posts: 6,701
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Ladies, you have to be REALLY careful online. Between the scammers and the booty hunters, it's really dangerous!
However, there is some good news! After much research and in the field testing, it has been determined that there is ONE and only one safe area that you may respond to without fear.
That area is SPARKS NEVADA. It has been proven beyond a doubt that men from this area are, in addition to being marvalous lovers, completely safe and trustworthy.
So, go ahead ladies, be safe, have fun, and experience the best life has to offer.
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| Oct 13, 2007 @ 9:35 PM |
Scammed????????????
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BandTMom
Posts: 28,446
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Just remember what else is in Sparks, too! 
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| Oct 13, 2007 @ 10:00 PM |
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Georgia_Girl2007
Posts: 16
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I'll have to get on out to Sparks then!!!!!
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| Oct 13, 2007 @ 11:15 PM |
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Angel54214
Posts: 14,066
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There you go Georgia! Didn't mean to sound so bold, but we ladies have to be safe in this world. If you choose to meet someone in person, which is a great idea btw. Choose safety! Go as a 4sum for the first time. Nothing wrong with safety in numbers.
If you choose to converse with an out of state recipient, be sure you undertand the reality of it all. You can't get to know someone out of state unless you travel or he travels and you spend time together every week. Your future is what you are planning Georgia...It is the rest of your life! You deserve your life to live in honesty.
Being lonely can cause us do and say things out of emotions. Love is an emotion and to keep Love where it counts with all it's values, is best. Attraction with words on email or I.M. is a like a fishing line to our emotions.
If the recipient is truely on the up and up, he will make every effert to meet you on the emotional scale of values that you seek. If he does not, then he is not the one for you.
Recognize Co-Dependancy!
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| Oct 14, 2007 @ 8:59 AM |
Scammed???????????? |
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Georgia_Girl2007
Posts: 16
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I've also decided not to post my picture on this website. And probably anyone out of state is off my list!
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| Oct 14, 2007 @ 9:21 AM |
Scammed????????????
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Angel178
Posts: 22,954
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Geogia....posting your pic if fine. Just be careful! 
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| Oct 14, 2007 @ 12:32 PM |
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capitalview
Posts: 675
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Wait a minute...what makes you consider yourself "scammed" ?
I take it - you are not scammed out of anything just yet - not out of money and not into sex with the guy in question, right? You did invested some valuable time of yours , indeed, but what you've got for it is a skill of detecting scammers , which might turn out to be quite a useful experience, especially for surviving on dating websites. You might as well consider the time invested as "tuition expense" .
As for "leakage" of personal information of yours - that might have been a problem if the guy was really form US. Phone number is relatively easy to change and , in the worst case scenario , there's always the option to look at your caller id before deciding to answer the call or not. Mailing and physical address info leakage can get dangerous if the scammer is after sex and will be stalking his "mark" . But in your particular case it's obvious that his goal is strictly to GET money out of you , so it would be naiive to expect him to SPEND the money he is getting from the other American women on numerous international calls to you , let alone international air tickets. Scams are BUSINESS , and no businessman would spend thousands of dollars on the trip for the slim chance to get some money from you. Especially considering the fact that his appearance/race hardly matches the picture he sent you. 
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| Oct 14, 2007 @ 12:38 PM |
Scammed????????????
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carpediem48
Posts: 3,138
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You've obviously taken your phone no off Yahoo right?
I can see how you would be anxious about his having your address
I would be too even if I knew that with so many other victims out there the chances of him following up are not likely at all
Thanx for sharing this with us...there's lots of new people who need to become more aware,
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| Oct 14, 2007 @ 1:20 PM |
Scammed???????????? |
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Angel54214
Posts: 14,066
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We as humans do have a couple neat valuables; one is "desire" and the other is "common sense." We make mistakes in both choices of these throughout our life time. It is more essential to recognize the causes and the effects as we journey in happiness. And our strength is in "self awarness", to defend from harms way.
Many times, we don't ask enough questions and weigh the answers as they come, or even evaluate the answers given. Sometimes we don't exercise the answers that we in turn can question.
Ask the recipient for their phone number if he doesn't volunteer it. If they deny they have one, then offer to call them on a pay phone (phone cards are cheap).
One thing to really evaluate is the differences on the intentions of why someone chooses to contact a significant other on the internet. The majority are ligit; searching for their soul mate in the comfort of their home. The great abundance of access to online date sites; free or with a fee. Others are not ligit-Scammers; searching endlessly for finance illegally for personal gain, searching for an escape goat for co-dependancy (this happened to me a few years ago btw). Another which is the worst of the worse; criminal intentions.
I have learned personally some very valuable lessons in online contacting of the heart and mind. I learned safety is my best friend; it will not fail you and it will protect you. And a ligit recipient would honor your respectful value of self, for they could ask the question to themselves, if my recipient has no value of self, how would he/she value me throughout this journey of happiness I seek.
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| Oct 14, 2007 @ 2:01 PM |
Scammed????????????
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newlife2006
Posts: 613
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I agree with capital,
the simple fact that scammer had a nerve to bother you doesn't make you "scammed". Welcome to md cyberspace , and get ready to deal with scammers of all sorts on daily basis  You may have lots of fun observing them , they are s-o-o resourceful in their "quest" , there's nothing like having them to get into their own "traps". I described the technique I use while dealing with Nigerian "diggers" ( I mean - with those pretending they are Americans "on business in Western Africa" ) in some other thread.
The point is - "money" for them means "untraceable cash" , so they don't see the "catch" when their "mark" eagerly agrees to send them money. And just imagine their frustration when they are informed that "money" is waiting for them ....in the from of CHECK WRITTEN IN THE NAME THEY CALLED THEMSELVES IN THEIR INTRODUCTORY MESSAGE. And all they have to do is - to appear in person in US embassy with their US passport to get their "money" ( also, the embassy secretary was sent the picture which was attached to the scammer's introductory message - "so she can recognize him" )
It makes my day every time I imagine the scammers wandering around US embassy trying to figure out how to make themselves look like white male's picture they were stupid enough to send me and how they can get US passport IN THE NAME they were signing their "love letters" with 
[Edited on 10/14/2007 2:58 PM]
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| Oct 14, 2007 @ 3:12 PM |
Scammed???????????? |
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Georgia_Girl2007
Posts: 16
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Ok so since I didn't send him money I guess "scammed" isn't quite the right word, but I did invest time and energy. (And I did put all those question marks! - as I wasn't sure scam was the correct term here). He definitely TRIED to scam me out of $4000! But yes, I think I have learned some valuable lessons here. I have deleted my signature (which had my phone number on it) from my yahoo address, and I will never have the same email name as my profile name on dating sites.
I guess what really blew me away was that he did spend money - sending me roses and a purse. Everything he ever said seemed normal, he had even sent me a date that he was going to come to my area and meet me. I had given him some hotel suggestions of where to stay and he claimed to have made a reservation on one of them. His claim that he traveled with his job didn't seem unusual either, I know plenty of people who travel all the time with their jobs.
I think it was quite an eye-opener - I have not used online sites much so I think I got quite a lesson this time! And since I told him that there was no way I was going to send him money, I haven't heard a word from him. If this type thing happens again I might just try that "sending a check in your name to the American Embassy" line.
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| Oct 14, 2007 @ 3:31 PM |
Scammed????????????
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Angel54214
Posts: 14,066
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Good for you Georgia! But from what you have been saying, he seemed ligit....until he asked for $4,000K...Oh My! You were smart girl Georgia.
Another idea for a I.M. signature, is use a favorite short saying...think of an original one that fits your personality and charactor. People like that!
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| Oct 15, 2007 @ 8:17 AM |
Scammed???????????? |
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cookies1234
Posts: 98
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I just reported my second one this week. They are so obvious. Like use spellcheck el dorkos lol and they seem to always want to IM on Yahoo and they are always abroad and always make mention of money...
Oh and of course never a picture on here lol
I would love for the tables to be turned on their scrawy butts 
Sorry for the rant...It just somehow happened lol...
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| Oct 15, 2007 @ 9:46 AM |
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daisy315
Posts: 4,337
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I got an email from one dipwad last week.. he's done his homework!.. his profile was well written.. with humor and proper English.. and his emails were in proper English.. but.. when we went to IM.. his way with words was severly lacking, it would take him 20 minutes to respond to my message.. .. guess he didn't have time for spell check in IM.. he left me hanging in IM twice.. once without saying he would BRB.. when he got back on.. he told me that he had to go outside.. and for a supposedly 47 year old man.. the only word he actually used was "cool".. I'm wondering if it wasn't a 17 year old kid trying to pull the wool over this old ladies eyes.. so.. I blocked him and sent him a very informative email from here.. he hasn't been on in a couple of days.. can't wait for him to read it tho..
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| Oct 16, 2007 @ 8:43 AM |
Scammed???????????? |
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Georgia_Girl2007
Posts: 16
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I think they must be getting smarter! This one certainly had me fooled. Generally they ask for money much sooner, and also their verbal skills are very much lacking. With this one, there wasn't any of the "usual" warning signs.
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