i need help says the scammer! beware!!
By attente
@attente (986)
Philippines
August 2, 2010 3:10am CST
I joined a group of poem writers here online. I have been a member of this group for a year or two. Last week, a girl send me a personal message. Knowing that she's a member of the said group, I entertained her.. I talk a lot when it comes to writing of poems. Then she asked for my email ad so that we can exchange emails. She told me she's from Africa and a daughter of a colonel who died because of the war there. She even sent me a picture of her, which I find beautiful.. She has lots of stories to tell, so she really caught my attention. To be honest, I was happy knowing her because she's fun to talk with.. But I don't really trust easily so out of the blue, I copy pasted a part of her message on google search. I was shocked that there were results for the said message, meaning she only copy pasted her message somewhere.. I've discovered that she's only a scammer. Asking for help, asking to send you money there in africa.. She hasn't asked for money from me yet but the last message she sent me, she asked me to call her.. there were numbers of victims already.. they even posted the picture of that girl which I know as Monica. Her name isn't Monica, well apparently, she's a swindler.. I am very disappointed because I really thought I found a new friend. tsk tsk tsk..
Well do you have same experiences as mine? beware of such people guys! be blessed!
2 people like this
15 responses
@lindaharding627 (1442)
• United States
3 Aug 10
My husband had someone ask him to add them as a friend on yahoo chat. He added them. One was a man. One was a woman. They sent him emails saying that their country is in a crisis and if they sent him an investment check could he cash it and send it back to them by Western Union. When he said that he has paypal and they could deposit the money there they insisted it be by Western Union. He got suspicious and dropped them as friends.
@attente (986)
• Philippines
3 Aug 10
wow! good to hear that you are cautious. well, that is their strategy, very apparent, saying that their country is in crisis, or war, or anything that can gain sympathy. we really have to be careful to whom we share our personal informations because spammers are everywhere. there's this anotjer incident, i got an email from a professor saying that he's in another country and he wants to borrow money from me because he lost his wallet, he can't go home. I was really about to send him money that time because I thought he really needs it. good that i saw him in school the day after and asked him what happened and to whom he borrowed money. he said he never emailed us nor gone out of the country. well, we realized that a spammer used his account. tsk tsk tsk.
@macdingolinger (10386)
• United States
2 Aug 10
I haven't had this exact thing happen but I've met some scammers who set themselves up as friends through various sites. Then I would find the same thing, basically that they were telling everyone the same thing for their own benefit!
@attente (986)
• Philippines
3 Aug 10
yes, their pattern is now apparent since they are saying the same thing. good that i had copy pasted a part of her message, letting me know that she is saying the whole same thing on other people. well, we really have to be careful because scammers are everywhere.
@maylaine (441)
• Philippines
2 Aug 10
actually i always received emails just like that..almost everyday but i knew it from the very start that is was just a scammed!so i never wasted my time reading it or communicating the sender, i automatically delete it!as of today a lot of scammers are really prevalent online so we have to be careful with dealing someone we do not knew.
@RachelleNH (1396)
• United States
2 Aug 10
My mother had this with a Nigerian..he was on a dating site...she fell for it and sent him a good sum of money in the hopes of love..I was enraged when she told me what she did..4 weeks later-he admitted who he was and said that he'd gotten over 10 grand in a month from 15 different women. ARGH! Well, if that wasn't enough for him-he actually tried it on me! LOL I told him off...this is not cool! I'm a single mom who gets no child support and here's some dud that doesn't want to work trying to scam me after he already got my mom?! Shame on them all!
@attente (986)
• Philippines
3 Aug 10
ooh. sorry to hear that. no you learned your lesson. yes, that's really common in Nigeria, because they don't have police thingy for the spam messages. well, you can enjoy chatting with a stranger online but don't send them money unless you really know that person. some people would do anything just for money. tsk tsk tsk.. too bad! take care friend! :)
@RachelleNH (1396)
• United States
3 Aug 10
Where are you all getting the idea I gave him anything? No way Jose! My mom who's a widower)(did give him money which really made me angry. Like she can afford that! But not me. I'd never give anyone a penny because I need it too badly myself. I was really angry at him for asking me.
@BStuff (495)
• United States
2 Aug 10
I get scammers a lot of times from craigslist who want to pay me by using Paypal then I mail them the item. The pay pal message they send it a fake payment but it takes hours to design the message so most of the time I play along. I let them waste their time designing the message then call them out for it later or I send them a box of crap 
I'd say just string her along. Let her play it up big time and waste her time then right when she asks you for money tell her to get lost or tell her you cant/wont. Then send the girls info to everyone in the group you're apart of to make sure no one else falls for her bull. Heck maybe even call her to tell her on the phone shes full of it. 
I'd say just string her along. Let her play it up big time and waste her time then right when she asks you for money tell her to get lost or tell her you cant/wont. Then send the girls info to everyone in the group you're apart of to make sure no one else falls for her bull. Heck maybe even call her to tell her on the phone shes full of it. 2 people like this
@attente (986)
• Philippines
3 Aug 10
Haha! lols. cheers for that! they weren't just caught, they were also bullied by you! HAHA! wasting their time and effort! now they know how it feels. but i know it isn't enough to stop them, no one can stop them either. so the least thing we can do is to be careful, not sharing personal information to them. be blessed! :)
@Memnon (2170)
•
3 Aug 10
This is not something that I have been personally subject to. I've had invites from people on various sites, but do not respond.
These people prey on the susceptible.It's a real shame, as I know some genuine but easily led that have fallen into similar traps.
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
3 Aug 10
attente,
Being wary is one thing, but don't let it cloud your judgment by jumping into conclusions. I think we have learned enough from others where we should never abandon safe practices online which include never open attachments sent by them which are executable files or some questionable websites.
Personal information should never be accessible other than yourself from today. I know about social networking sites i.e. Facebook and etc., that requires our personal details but take a step back and ask just why do friends need my address, zip code, telephone numbers or alumni when an email address should suffice.
I hope that she will not turn out to be a scammer but if you had been cautious in the beginning I don't suppose you need to worry.
Take care and have a nice day.
@attente (986)
• Philippines
3 Aug 10
thanks for the advices skysuccess! well now i've learn my lesson, to be careful to whom to share my personal information. well in social networks, I don't really post my personal information because I know that even if you already deleted those information, they will remain in their database, which means, they will forever have those informations.. stay safe sky! :)
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
2 Aug 10
attente is is always said to encounter what we thought sincerity to be a scam. Sorry hon you experienced this as it sounds like you were just be a caring friend. Ironic how scammers make us so vulnerable, as with people like this person you mention we end up not wanting to trusted even the most sincere and needed person.
I would say do not allow this person to change your character you continue to be the sweet caring person you are, just be cautious on sharing any personal information as yes even the most innocent can turn out to be the worst con artist. 
@attente (986)
• Philippines
3 Aug 10
Yeah right, those kind of people are testing my character. Don't worry workinggurl, I won't hate the world just because of scammers. There more things I am thankful of rather than thinking those kind of people. That incident actually taught me a lesson, that I have to be careful to whom I ma sharing my personal information. hehe. be blessed hardworkinggurl! :)
@vhings_88 (294)
• Philippines
3 Aug 10
I have lots of emails like that girl you mentioned and every time I got one, I don't bother reading it. I know its just wasting my time and they'll just fool me. Actually there are lots of scams out there just finding their victims so beware.
I hope there's a computer program that would filter such mails from getting into our inbox. Its a bunch of trash.
@attente (986)
• Philippines
3 Aug 10
Hi there vhings! It was my first time receiving it and the message was personalized so I really thought that it wasn't a scam. how sad she disappointed me, I thought I found a new friend. Well now that I know her, I won't waste my time to her. I'll be more careful next time. be blessed! :)
@attente (986)
• Philippines
3 Aug 10
same here, you are a lucky man! cheers for us for knowing their intention early. their pattern is now obvious to everyone, but still there are lots of people who are unaware of this so we reallly have to be careful. another incident was my teacher emailed me that he wants to borrow money because he is in another country and he lost his wallet.. i was really about to send him money, good that i saw him in school the day after, I asked him about the incident, but he said, he never gone out of the country. it was a scammer.. tsk tsk tsk..
@aaronfyzeon (1920)
• Philippines
2 Aug 10
Well for me I haven't experienced that kind of scenario yet but then i talk to a lot of people thru chatting. I have a profile in a popular social networking site and it states there that i am a working student so they probably would think that i am just a poor person but with good heart as what my profile states. I have already posted this kind of discussion here several days ago and it was about my mom who was scammed. Those scammers would befriend you. they even courted my mom while chatting with her. Then telling her that they have a big money problems. then that's the end of it. There are lots of schemes these scammers are using or doing right now and we should always be aware of it. Let's just not give money to someone we really don't know.
@attente (986)
• Philippines
2 Aug 10
aaronryzeon, does that mean that you're one of those people? no offend my friend, but that's how I get your message, pretending to be someone who is not.. hehe. but i know you won't ask for money.. lols. you look decent. be blessed!
noobsy123, you gave me an idea specially now that I need money! hahaha! kidding! be blessed! :)
@mabey1 (334)
• Romania
2 Aug 10
unfortunatly some people would do anything for money. you just have to be verry careful whom you are ginving your personal information. sadly you can't truste even in your own friends. a few weeks ago i heard of a girl who's best friend stolled her identity, went shopping, and spent a lot of money on her freinds expense. that sad thing beside that she stealed from her best friend is that even bank workers who have to check and double check every personal info didn't discovered that she is tief. so you have to be verry careful whom you trust.
@parrot2010 (812)
•
3 Aug 10
lol I don't care how desperate seems but I would never give away money to someone online as I don't know who the person is and the likelihood of someone having an internet when they are desperate for money is pretty low if you ask me :D
@nobbsy123 (851)
• Australia
2 Aug 10
I've had multiple emails from people who sent simular messages to me. I even received one here on my lot who isn't on my friends lists. Most of these emails are from nigeria and they don't police spam laws, that's why so many of these are from there. They just want your personal information and they can even be trying to steal your identity. They can do anything and maybe even get you into some legal trouble. I don't even bother to open the emails now I just delete them.
@attente (986)
• Philippines
2 Aug 10
I'm afraid they might use my identity. have shared some on that girl about my life.. and have sent him one picture, but not a solo though, it's a group picture.. I'm afraid. :( well you're right, that girl's from nigeria.. tssss. now I don't reply to her..
