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Welcome to Romance Scams

Take the Romance Scams Quiz Are You Talking to a scammer?

Wondering if the person you are talking to is too good to be true? Are some things just not making any sense? Did this person start professing his or her love in a short time? Is he or she currently working in a foreign country such as Nigeria? Is he or she having trouble cashing a check? Answer yes to any of these questions, you need to take our Quiz.

Romance Scams Quiz	Yes	No
Have you been on a dating or social network site in the past 6 months
Has someone fallen in love with you quickly
Do they immediately want to leave the dating site to use IM or email
Do they claim to be from the US but working overseas; Nigeria or UK
Has someone asked you for money or to cash a check
Are they coming to visit you soon but a event prevents them from visiting
They have no close family or friend or business associates to turn to

Frequently Asked Question Common Questions Regarding Romance Scams

After you discover the scam you may have questions regarding the person you were talking to, the money you may have sent, the checks you may have cashed, how to report the scammer or just how the scam works. This is a section that can answer those questions and direct you to other areas on our site that will have more details on how to understand aftermath of a romance scammer.

What is a Romance ScamHow The Scams Work

Scammers are on dating sites, and social networks setting up fake profiles. Scammers will pose under the disguise of beautiful pictures as either male or female claiming to be from the United States. The scammer weaves a story of a successful business person working over seas, having no family; they present themselves as a thoughtful, caring and loving individual who is looking for their soul mate. The scammers are good at what they do; they ask lots of questions of the victim regarding what they want in their lives.

The scammer then takes the information and turns it into a dream that becomes a reality to the victim. They use words we all like to hear to woo our hearts so they can burn our souls. They use psychology to hold you in their spell. Once they have established a relationship then the scamming begins. In all cases the plea for Financial assistance is the key to the scam. This can be for assistance in cashing a check that they are unable to cash themselves and also asking for financial assistance to help them out of a difficulty they are having. They have landed in a hotel and now cannot pay the bill so the hotel is holding all their papers so they cannot leave. They are desperate to come to you but need your help with the money to manage that. They were mugged and are in the hospital and need you to pay their hospital bill as they are being held hostage until it is paid.

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After being scammed you are put on a “contact” list by the scammers. You will be receiving random instant messages and emails from people you do not know. These are scammers trying to scam you again. Please tell them you know they are scammer and block them. You will know within 5 minutes if it’s a scammer by looking at the profile, how they write/speak, their picture, they state they live in Nigeria, they confess their love in the first meeting, they claim God brought you to them etc. After you keep blocking them, they will stop and you will be placed on a “NO” contact list .

Airline Information and Fees Scammers Use The Airline Scam To Defraud Their Love Victims

An employee for an International Airline which does a huge volume in and out of Africa, via London has stated the airlines do not collect fees for anything except excess baggage, tickets or change fees.

The taxes scammers claim they have to pay do not exist. There are departure taxes in certain countries (like Aruba for example), they are paid to the Customs Officials at the departure point in the airport.

Customs Officials do not fine the passenger for not having proper documents. Customs Officials will deny admission and declared them as "inads". The individual will be returned to their point of origin on the next available flight.

Fines for Nigerians and Ghanaians are $2,500-$4,000 USD so before anyone gets on a plane for anywhere, you had better believe their papers are in order.

The Airlines are heavily fined for allowing people to board without proper documentation, meaning Visas, Transit Visas, etc. A Nigerian passport holder must hold one of three visas to even land in the UK:

(Airside transit visa) allows individuals to remain on the plane same airport without leaving the transit area (no clearing of immigration)

(24 hour visa) which means individuals can "be" in the UK for up to 24 hours. This allows them to connect to another flight within 24 hours as long as their bags are thru checked and they have been checked into their connecting flight. They can go from terminal to terminal or change carriers.

(Leave to enter visa) which means they can "see" London. Anyone who tells you they hold a Nigerian passport and is staying with friends or family in London a few days must have this document in a valid passport, a return ticket and adequate funds to care for themselves.

Steps To Take When You Have Been Scammed

1. Immediately cease all contact with the scammer! Block their email address, ignore their instant messages, ignore their phone calls.
2. Contact Western Union to see if the payment has not been picked up yet.
3. Make copies if your email conversations, and instant messages. Keep originals for yourself, give copies to the various reporting agencies, and keep all receipts and envelopes, anything that can be used as evidence.
4. Report scammer to dating site you were contacted on, Yahoo Profiles, the FBI IC3 , police department (make a report) and our Database.
5. Contact the bank fraud department and make payment arraignments if a check/money order has been found fraudulent and you owe money to them.
6. Contact your Postal Carrier/Post Office and ask that no packages to be delivered at your home/ work. Also bring checks and Money orders that you received to the Post Office to make a report and turned them over.

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