Do you think this sounds like a scam?
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
March 2, 2013 2:45pm CST
Tonight I received a phonecall from one of my friends. We were going meet on Wednesday and when he called me he said: "I can't meet you on Wednesday because I get a visitor from UK". We agreed to meet on Tuesday instead and then I asked him who his visitor was. He said: "It is a woman I met online and she is going to stay in my apartment for a couple of days" and then he continued: "she has asked me to help her transfer some money and that is the reason why she is coming"
To me that sounds very suspicious. My first thought was that the woman was a scammer because he talked about the money that he was going to help her transfer. I warned him, but he said that the woman was honest and that he was going to help her.
I start this discussion because I would like to hear what you think about it. Do you think that is sounds like a scammer? Or do you think that I worry too much?
5 people like this
13 responses
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
2 Mar 13
Oh noooo! That sounds exactly like a typical scammer and I can't believe your friend is falling for this. There is no logical reason why she needs him to transfer money if it was on the up and up. If he doesn't watch it, his money in his account is going to disappear to nothing. I hope he doesn't go through with this, it's way tooooooooo suspicious.
AND, he's never even met her? And he feels she's honest? How in the world could he possibly know?
We'll probably be reading about him in the paper a few months from now on how he lost all his money.....it's only a matter of time. 
Scam all the way as far as I'm concerned.
Scam all the way as far as I'm concerned. 1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
3 Mar 13
When I read the responses in this discussion I can see that I am not the only person who thinks that it sounds very suspicious. I am afraid that my friend could an easy victim at the moment because his girlfriend recently broke up with him and he is lonely. I think he overlooks the red flags because the woman tells him the things he wants to hear and I worried that he will get into trouble. I agree with the things you wrote - Why would she need his help to transfer the money, that doesn't make sense. I think that it is risky to trust a stranger from the internet the way that he does. He has a positive impression of her through their convesation on the internet, but he has never met her, and maybe she hides her real intentions.
1 person likes this
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
3 Mar 13
I have only one suggestion which probably won't work, but it's worth a try. What are you doing on Wednesday?
Tell your friend you are very worried about this and think there is something wrong and you are only looking out for his welfare. Ask him if he would "mind if you tagged along" on Wednesday. I don't know if you can or if you're working or what, but if you are available, it would be worth it. Then you can see what's going on. I'm really concerned about him.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
4 Mar 13
I thought about you suggestion and I think that it would be a good idea, but unfortunately my friend doesn't share that opinion. I talked to him again and he told me that he wants to meet her alone. In a way I do understand that he doesn't want other people there when they met for the first time, but I think that I might be able to get a more objective impression of the woman since I am not in love with her and I would be less worried about my friend if I was able to meet the woman. When my friend and I meet on Tuesday I am going to talk about this topic again and I hope that he will listen to me and be very careful when he meets the woman, but he seems so sure that he can trust the woman, so I am not sure that he will listen to things I say...
1 person likes this
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
2 Mar 13
Many people do that online here. Once they get your money you never hear from them again. I hope he doesnt send her any $$$.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
3 Mar 13
I also hope that he doesn't send her any money, lets her transfer the money to his account or agrees to cash a check that turns out to be fake or something like that. I don't know the woman of course, but based on the things that my friend has told me about their correspondence and their meeting I think that it sounds suspicious and I worried that he could get in trouble if he decides to help her transfer the money.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
3 Mar 13
This scam goes on all over the world. Ive seen shows on dateline nbc about it. Very sad...
1 person likes this
@MoonGypsy (4606)
• United States
2 Mar 13
wow! i have heard about these kinds of scams online, but never offline. that doesn't mean that i don't think your friend is not being really careless with his money..could even be his life. he met this woman online you say? that's no good. sigh. oh well, there's nothing much you can do about it but be there for him when things fail.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
2 Mar 13
Yes, he met her online and they have never met in a real life. He invited her to stay in his apartment for a couple of days and I think that is risky when he has never met her before. When I heard about the money that she wanted him to transfer I got even more worried, because to me it sounds like a scam. Why does she have to come to Denmark to transfer the money, that doesn't make sense and I am afraid that she has bad intentions. I told him my thoughts, but he is convinced that she is honest and he wants to help her.
@MoonGypsy (4606)
• United States
2 Mar 13
hopefully, by some slight chance it may not be a scam, but i doubt it.
1 person likes this
@checkmail (2039)
• India
3 Mar 13
Hello Porcospino this is checkmail and definitely it sounds like an scam do ask you friend to pullout of this mess.If he's not listening than you may take necessary step to prevent your friend form getting scammed.If not scam thing than you may allow him to do some good work for society.But check every time about this scamming policies
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
7 Mar 13
When I started this discussion my friend had only told me certain things about his relationship with that woman. I thought that it sounded like a scam, but I hoped that I was wrong. Unfortunately I wasn't wrong, and when my friend told me other details about their relationship it became obvious to me that the woman was a scammer. My friend has sent her money and he has also paid for a suitcase full of cash that they have promised to send to him. I don't think that he is going receive the suitcase or if he receives it is probably full of false money. My friend has paid some fees and in exchange for that the woman has promised to share her inheritance with him. It definately sounds like a scam 
@ARIES1973 (11426)
• Legaspi, Philippines
3 Mar 13
Hi porcospino!
There are just people who talk so sweet maybe that is the reason why your friend was somehow convinced by this woman. Just advice your friend to be watchful.
Have a great day!
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
7 Mar 13
Yes, that is true. Some people know what they have to say to convince other people and it sounds like my friend has met one of those people. The person he has been in touch with has told him that she was in love with him and wanted to get married to him. My friend is lonely at the moment because he his girlfriend ended their relationship, and I think that the woman (who is probably a man pretending to me a woman) has told her the things that he wanted to hear and that person has managed to scam my friend. When I started this discussion I didn't know that my friend had already sent her money. He told me that some days later and I became very worried because now I am convinced that it is a scam.
@chateldon (2)
• United States
3 Mar 13
definitely sounds like a scam.but you have done what you have to do to warm your friends.you also can collect information about the girl which you can help the police if everything goes wrong.If the whole thing is not a scam.everyone is happy.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
7 Mar 13
I have warned my friend, but unfortunately it was already too late. When he told me about the relationship and the woman who was going to visit him he had already sent her money, but he didn't tell me that at first. I have told my friend that I think that he should report the scammers to the police, but doesn't want to do that, because he still believes in the things that they have told him. He believes that the woman that he has been in touch with is in love with him and wants to visit him so that they can be together. I don't think that the woman is real, it is probably a man who hides behind the profile and just pretends to me a woman, but my friend doesn't believe me, he thinks the woman is real.
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
7 Mar 13
I would trust very few people to come stay at my house, let alone have anything to do with transferring money. It sounds fishy.
1 person likes this
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
3 Mar 13
I think you have good reason to feel suspicious but without more details it is really hard to say. It is a lot harder to scam someone in person, but I suppose it could be done. Of course a pretty girl can talk a guy in to doing just about anything. Hopefully none of his money or accounts are being used in this transfer, if either is then I would certainly think it was a scam.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
4 Mar 13
The fact that the woman is going to visit him surpriced me a little, because it is my impression that most of those scams happen online. I am not sure what her intentions are but I doubt that she is coming to Denmark just because she is in my love with him friend, because she talked about transfering money during her visit. My friend says that she has asked him for help and that he has help her transfer some money, but I think that sounds strange. Why does she need his help? I am afraid that his or money or his account will be used in the trasfer, and he couldn't get in deep trouble if he lets her do that.
@tkonlinevn (6438)
• Vietnam
15 Mar 13
I can't confirm anythings now. However, you should warn your friend again. He should ask her sign a debt paper or there is a witness person.
1 person likes this
@violann (436)
• United States
2 Mar 13
definitely sounds like a scam to me. first of all why would anyone need someone else's help to transfer money, unless of course they are doing something illegal. I used to work for a bank and you can make wire transfers into anyones account as long as you have the account number you just can't take it from someone else's account.
definite scam.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
2 Mar 13
That was also one of things that I thought about - Why does she need help to transfer the money and why does she have to travel from the UK to Denmark in order to transfer the money? I think that sounds suspicious. He has never met the woman but he is going to pick her up at the airport on Wednesday, and I worried about him, it just doesn't sound right. I tried to warn him, but he is determined to help her.
@airkulet (2700)
• Philippines
3 Mar 13
Even I also suspects that is something fishy going on. First why trust someone to transfer your money, and if ever I will find some relatives to help me do it. Second why transfer personally if you can do it online or in your own bank.
Let me guest that the money were supposed to be transfer in your friends account, if that happen the woman will have access to your friends account, but oh well since your friend is confident about it then its not your problem anymore at least you were able to warn him.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
4 Mar 13
I have thought about that, too. Why does she have to travel to Denmark to transfer the money, that doesn't make sense. Today it would be easy to tranfer the money on the internet or if she doesn't use net banking she could transfer the money in her local bank. You don't need to travel to another country and ask a person from that country to transfer the money. To me it sounds like there is something illegal going on and that she wants to transfer the money to my friend's account or something like that. I don't know what her intentions are, but the thing about the money transfer sounds suspiciuos...
@joanamarienieva (160)
• Philippines
3 Mar 13
If he really know the woman, maybe she's not a scammer,but if he don't know that much tell him to be very careful with what he is dealing with.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
3 Mar 13
My friend and that woman have exchanged messages on the internet, but they have never met face-to-face. You are right, it is best to be careful in that situation. The woman is going to visit him and they will spend some days together, but it sounds like the woman doesn't visit him just because she wants to meet him. She has already told him that she would like him to help her transfer some money, and I wonder what kind of money she is talking about and why she can't transfer the money from her own country. It doesn't sound like a legal money transaction and I afraid that she has bad intentions and wants to scam my friend. But he believes her and intends to help her.
@Nandita2013 (132)
• India
3 Mar 13
Yes i think this is scam. They met online and now when she is meeting your friend for the first time she has money issues. Your friend believes her blindly but tell ur friend to be more careful whle dealing with online friend.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
3 Mar 13
I also think that it is a scam. That was the first thing that I thought about when I heard his decription of their meeting. He is really excited about meeting her, but the thing about the money transfer does sound pretty suspicious to me. He only knows her from the internet and I think it is possible that she has hidden her real intentions. You are right, he believes her blindly and that is reason why I am worried about him. I hope that he isn't going to let her transfer the money to his bank account or something like, because he could get in deep trouble. I am not sure what her intentions are, but it just doesn't sound right to me.
