Want to avoid online romance scams?

MANY of the current scams are already reported, online.
Victims often tell me 'I didn't know this happened....'.
The information you need to understand you are being scammed is probably online, now, if you know to look!
GOOGLE the email address of that new person you meet, online. The email address may have been reported in use in scams, already.
Learn to use Google Image search. Many of the pictures used by scammers have been used over and over, for years, with different names, and different locations, and stories.
Always expect to see a face on webcam, and not just once, for a few seconds.
Don't send money! PERIOD. There is no reason to send money to somebody you only know from the internet, or phone calls. Real people in danger do not sit in front of a computer, asking strangers for help.
Keep your expectations for online relationships based in reality. If you manage to avoid the scammers, you will then have to wade through other ladies (Or men) who are only after financial support, or immigration to your country. Most guys seem to think the promise of sex with a young lady is worth the risk of future financial and legal problems, and heartbreak. If you are looking for a a serious relationship, there is no 'magic' online. Most of the same rules for relationships apply, and you have the additional problems of cultural differences.
These scams are not very sophisticated. YOU have made a decision to accept the fantasy they offer.

Search anybody by name, e-mail address, phone number, online username or even friends in your address book and instantly return lots of info.

b.money13@yahoo.com Eric Wise West African Scammer

Hello My Name Is Eric Wise from United State of America I am a dealer of crude Oil and Gas with the west African Government and We are looking for real buys who are interested should contact me Via Email: b.money13@yahoo.com for more Update.

This african PIG is using a stolen picture of a US Army soldier, who is not involved in this scam.

sarahdickson440@Yahoo.com Scammer from Ghana

Using stolen pictures, asks for $200 for food during Yahoo chat. Claims to be a 34 year old nurse from Toronto, Canada, with one child, who is 'studying' in Ghana.

Don't send money!

Catch of the day from fishmeetfish SCAMMERS

These are all west african scammers
opeyemidavid42@yahoo.com
jenniferjames59@yahoo.com
loveisgood2003@yahoo.com
t_theresa35@yahoo.com
d_andrews34@yahoo.com
beth_jenny@yahoo.com
lisagirlb@yahoo.com
maria_brooke30@hotmail.com
maria_brooke30@yahoo.com
lawson_dwilliamson@yahoo.co.uk
ennyjacob02@yahoo.com
princess_betty10@yahoo.co.uk
Rosemaryharrison99@yahoo.com
clarascott955@yahoo.com
lamidosanusilamido105@yahoo.com

joyanita68@gmail.com SCAM

West African scammer using stolen picture of Taiwanese model.

Basic Internet Dating safety

My background as a scambaiter, webmaster of an anti-scam site, and contact with scam victims has allowed me to formulate some very basic guidelines for safe online dating.

Safeguard your personal details!
There is no reason to let a stranger you met on the internet know your full name, address, phone number and other details that may fully identify you
If you are online hoping to meet somebody different, and special, you need to be sparing with your personal details, and only lower your guard a bit after you can independently verify who this person is.
Real people who may care about you will understand.

Use a 'throwaway' email address for contact with unknown or new friends.
Some people turn out to be jerks, and if you are online, you are prone to run into them, as well as scammers.
If you use a 'throwaway' email address, (Easily obtained Gmail, yahoo, hotmail account you don't use with known friends, family or personal business) you can easily close or ignore that account, if or when you run into a problem person.
If you were careful, and did not give them other means of contacting you, you are safe, and they are gone.
You can also consider using SKYPE or a prepaid calling card to avoid exposing your cell or home phone number to a stranger.

You don't know who you are really in contact with on the internet!
You may run into a jerk, pervert, scammer, or that 'single' person you are interested in, is actually married.
PICTURES alone do not establish who you are really in contact with!
Scammers frequently use stolen pictures of people ranging from supermodels, to ordinary joes, and claim to be 'that' person.
Demand to see a face on webcam, and often, (More than briefly, and a few times) before you let your guard down, a bit.
Remember, it's also very easy to feed a recording of a person, over a webcam, making it appear that the person is 'live', on webcam.
You'll have to be careful to spot this. Scammers are using recordings over cams more frequently. Pay attention to the clothing the person wears, the room setting, and the lighting. Is it appropriate for the time of day for where they claim to be? Are they wearing the same clothes for every cam session? Do they only sit and smile at you, and maybe wave, occasionally?
Spotting a 'fake' webcam can be easy sometimes, difficult, others.

Your webcam may be recorded by the person viewing it! I do it all the time to document scammers!
Scammers do it all the time to collect footage of people to use in scams.
Do you really want your image, fed over a webcam, to scam people?
There are also increasing BLACKMAIL scams, where a person is coaxed into appearing nude, or performing sexual acts by a scammer, who has professed love and a desire for a real relationship with the victim.
The nudity and/or acts are recorded, the recording later played back for the victim and demands for payments of large sums of money are made, or they video will be sent or played for friends, family and co-workers.
This is happening frequently on FACEBOOK, where the scammer becomes a 'friend', and then has access to the other friends on your list.
KEEP YOUR CLOTHES ON WHEN THE CAM IS ON!

Google or do other searches, on the email address any new friend you have met online gives you, as well as any phone number they give you.
Search anybody by name, e-mail address, phone number, online username or even friends in your address book and instantly return lots of info.
I use Spokeo, and recommend it!

West African scammers pretend to be anyone, both sexes, any race...but they have some persistent tidbits they use in 'stories', and some quirks in the english they use.
If all the 'white' people I've run into online, were actually in Africa, or had to go to Africa for a job or an emergency, there would be no room left for real 'Africans'!
People who travel the world for work or business do not need strangers to rescue them by sending them money by Western Union!
There are webcams everywhere. Most laptops produced in the last few years have them built into them. Internet Cafes are everywhere, even in third world countries.
'Sorry, I don't have a cam' or 'I am in rural area, no cams' is bullcrap!
If they have the means to be online, there is a cam, somewhere.

Never send money to somebody you only know from the internet, or phone calls!
There is no way around this. Nobody you are in contact with from the internet is actually going to die for lack of medical treatment, or is being held hostage by an angry Hotel keeper, due to a stolen wallet and unpaid bills.
One of my favorite stories is one the West African scammers use with stolen pictures of pretty girls, who they claim have gone to Africa for 'model shoots' or some other temporary employment.
The 'girl' will claim her passport and money have been stolen, and the person who brought them to Africa has abandoned them.
"I have no money and am afraid! Please help me! The hotel won't let me leave until I can pay my bill!"
When you ask to see them on cam.....
"I'm sorry, I can only use the computer in the lobby, and there is no cam. PLEASE HELP ME!"
Later you will get an email that says something like....
"PLEASE HELP ME!! THERE ARE MEN WAITING IN THE HALL OUTSIDE MY ROOM AND I THINK THEY ARE GOING TO RAPE ME!"
What happened to the only computer she can use, is in the Lobby? Did 'she' climb out of a window to sneak to the lobby, to use the computer to send this email?
If so, why the hell doesn't 'she' just sneak away from the hotel?
Because it's a scam, she is fake, you are a fool, if you fall for it and send money.

Don't cash or deposit checks or money orders for somebody you only know from the internet!
Sometimes, your 'international businessman/traveler' will claim he did some work in your country, and has some uncashed checks to take care of.
The checks or money orders are fake, or may be funds scammed from other victims.
Usually you are asked to forward the proceeds from these checks to the scammer, by Western Union.
If the checks are fake, you will be on the hook for the funds payed out, and may be prosecuted.
If the checks are real, you are essentially participating in 'money laundering', and may be prosecuted.
The same fake checks and money orders may appear in a 'work from home' scam. You may answer a classified ad, or email that offers a job, 'processing payments'.
The scammer is far away, and safe from prosecution. Guess who is easy for find and prosecute? You!

Are you suspicious about who you are in contact with? Do you have questions about internet romance scams?
Romancescam.com can help you with internet romance scams, from the former Soviet Union, and West Africa.
This will include most white or black, men or ladies you suspect may be fake, or trying to scam you.
Dragonladies.org can help with female internet romance scammers, from Asia.

myinternetdetective.com

I'm working on a new site with another scambaiter, which will have content that is somewhat derived from scambaiting, but is also applicable to 'real' life. Most people are clueless about personal internet safety, as well as some basic techniques and services that let you find out what other people are up to on the 'net, as well as information about you, on the 'net. myinternetdetecive will contain some information on email tracking, IP identification, personal data searches, as well as some more advanced 'net snooping' stuff and resources for getting help with internet scams. Myinternetdetective.com

lovingj01@yahoo.com

Scammer, from GHANA, using stolen pics of a hispanic looking woman.

   This picture is stolen,and in use by a SCAMMER from GHANA.

Yes But My Mum and dad Were dead so i came to Ghana and i will be going back to Texas and i will like us to know each other well and i will like you to give me your yahoo id or if you have a gmail or hotmail and i can add you