#Romance scammers

[lgbtq-archives]

Avoiding Marriage Fraud & Romance Scams | LGBTQ

[gkscanonline]

'Como perdi R$ 600 mil em golpe de namoro virtual'

Kirsty, florista britânica, conheceu na internet um homem que a enganou com um site falso, levando-a a transferir dinheiro para ele. Criminosos usaram bancos falsos para roubar 80 mil libras (cerca de R$ 600 mil) de uma mulher em um golpe de namoro, segundo uma investigação da BBC. A britânica Kirsty, uma florista de Harrogate, no condado de North Yorkshire, na Inglaterra, conheceu na internet…

[reasoningdaily]

Ghanaian influencer charged in $2M romance scheme

A Ghanaian social media influencer has been extradited from the United Kingdom to the US for allegedly swindling over $2 million from older, single American men and women in a twisted lonely hearts scam, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Mona Faiz Montrage, 30, of Accra, Ghana, appeared in Manhattan federal court Monday for her alleged involvement in a series of romance schemes targeting older people who lived alone, prosecutors said.

Montrage — who had around 3.4 million Instagram followers of her page Hajia4Reall at one point — from at least 2013 through 2019 was involved with a group of con artists from West Africa who assumed fake identities to trick people into thinking they were in relationships with them using emails, texts, and social media messages, the feds said. Mona Faiz Montrage was extradited to the US on Friday in a romance scheme.Instagram / @hajia4reall

The scammers would then get the victims to transfer money to them under false pretenses — such as to help move gold to the US from overseas, to resolve bogus FBI investigations, and payments to help fake US Army officers in Afghanistan, court papers allege.

Montrage, in one case, allegedly duped a victim into sending her $89,000 through 82 wire transfers on the pretext of helping her father’s farm in Ghana, the court documents claim.

She tricked the person into believing the pair were married by sending them a tribal marriage certificate after a series of phone conversations using her real identity, the filing alleges. Montrage’s Instagram profile was among the top 10 most followed in Ghana.Instagram / @hajia4reall

Montrage also received money from several others who were swindled by scammers in her network, prosecutors allege.

In total, Montrage netted $2 million in funds the group ripped off from victims to bank accounts she had in the Bronx and elsewhere, including one opened in the name of 4Reall Designs, a supposed clothing company.

She then allegedly laundered the stolen money to other members of the enterprise, the indictment charges. Montrage allegedly tricked one person into thinking they were married to her and then got them to send her $89,000, prosecutors claim.Instagram / @hajia4reall In total, Montrage received over $2 million in stolen funds in the scheme she carried out with others, prosecutors claim.Instagram / @hajia4reall

“As alleged, Mona Faiz Montrage was a member of a criminal conspiracy that specifically targeted older Americans through romance scams,” Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. “These scams can be both financially and emotionally devastating for vulnerable victims.”

“Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners, Montrage was arrested abroad and has been brought to the United States to face justice,” the statement continued.

The social media influencer — whose Instagram account was among the top 10 most followed in Ghana –was arrested on Nov. 10, 2022, in the UK for the alleged conspiracy and brought to the US on Friday. She was arrested on Nov. 10 in the UK.Instagram / @hajia4reall The scheme allegedly went on from at least 2013 through 2019.Instagram / @hajia4reall

She is charged with wire fraud, money laundering, receipt of stolen money, and conspiracy and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the top charge.

Montrage pleaded not guilty during her court appearance and was set to be released on home detention to her aunt’s New Jersey residence in the coming days on $500,000 bond, with GPS tracking via an ankle monitor, her lawyer and the prosecutor’s office confirmed.

“At this time all we know is that there are six alleged victims and only two dealt with a woman and only one of them claims that he dealt with Ms. Montrage,” her attorney, Adam Cortez, told The Post:

Cortez said that his client can only travel in certain parts of New York and New Jersey pending her case.

The lawyer said he couldn’t comment further until he receives more information and evidence from prosecutors.

[atavist]

A romance scammer conned my mom. I went to Nigeria to find him.

“The Romance Scammer on My Sofa,” issue no. 140 from The Atavist Magazine, is now available:

In Nigeria, Yahoo boys are online fraudsters. Their nickname comes from the email service Yahoo, which became popular in Nigeria in the 2000s, and they are descendants of the infamous 419 scammers, who, first with letters, and later in emails, promised to help strangers get rich for a nominal advance fee. (The number is a reference to a section of the Nigerian criminal code pertaining to fraud.) Biggy is a particular kind of Yahoo boy: a romance scammer who pretends to be other people online to seduce foreigners into trusting him and giving him money.

Biggy’s game is all about intimacy. He invests time in building what seems like a real relationship with his victims. He flatters them, tells them jokes, asks intimate questions. “The most important thing about being a Yahoo boy is keeping the conversation alive,” Biggy told me. “Dating is all about patience. It takes a long time before a client starts trusting you.”

Yahoo boys, I was learning, love euphemisms.

Biggy estimated that over his ten years—and counting—as a romance scammer, he’d lined his pockets with $30,000 from people he conned. People yearning for love. People like my mother.

[quotidian-oblivion]

Friendly Reminder:

If you feel uncomfortable with any conversation with someone online...

Block them.

If you receive very suspicious and unappreciated messages.

Report then block them.

This is the line you must not cross. For your own safety. For the safety of others.

You don't even have to say anything to them before you block them. They're not your responsibility. Their feelings do not matter when compared with your safety.

Block. Report. Do not budge from this rule.

[saoirseronanswife]

my uncle got into a staggering amount of personal debt so my cousins restructured it into an IVA so he didn’t lose his house through bankruptcy only now he really needs to sell his house and move into some kind of assisted living facility but he won’t because if he does he has to repay the full IVA which means “the man” will get his money whereas if he waits another two years they write off the remaining balance . he has been an alcoholic for more than forty years and has had multiple health crises including two episodes of acute kidney injury requiring hospitalisation in the past six months

[erraticfairymagic]

B keeps insisting she's not giving money to scammers anymore and then she walks around the living room on the phone saying things like "if i send you this money, will you come home?" (there's also the never ever ever having any money at all. that's also a good hint)

like. she's not sneaky! is she really trying to be?

it's been THREE YEARS of giving every cent she has to strangers every month and not being able to afford food or pay bills. surely she's noticed that she's never met a single one of them? she thinks we're just trying to keep her from Experiencing Romance but like. that part! is that part not even slightly suspicious to her?

[music-for-them-asses]

Watching 90 Day Fiancée to remind myself that there are much worse things than being single

[thelowerdecker]

🚨(POTENTIAL SCAM ALERT)🚨

OK, I’ve noticed that there seems to be a sudden influx of Romance Scammers flooding Tumblr recently, or at least flooding my account.

These accounts have NOTHING on them, have pictures stolen from other sites and were created on the day they follow people!

Watch out, do not engage! They just want to STEAL MONEY from vulnerable people!

[inkandpaperqwerty]

Well, guys, I’ve done it! Not only am I dealing with spam on Facebook because I got past 1,100 followers, which draws all the scammers, but ALSO, I have suddenly started getting spam on fanfiction.net. I guess I’ve finally made it as a writer.

I wrote the above paragraph yesterday, when my body wasn’t in severe pain and I had high hopes for the productivity I would achieve today. I managed to get everything in order as far as formatting my book goes. Uploaded the final manuscript (which didn’t change other than copyright, dedication, etc.) for all formats on KDP and D2D, and my sister sent me the final covers, so I updated those on all formats/sites, too. I also ordered a proof from D2D (which I am only doing this one time because yikes it’s expensive), which means once I approve that, if no changes need to be made, everything is ready for 09/15/2024! Yaaay!!

Also note that I’m still allowing people to download the ARC, and you don’t have to finish/post your review before the publish date. I just like getting the support and feedback!

I didn’t get as much done on Through the Gate as I wanted, but I am going to do everything I can to get the next chapter posted on Wednesday, 08/28/2024. We’re doing some time jumps to show the highlights of Ed’s stay while they work on a solution to get him home, so it’s not like I can get one idea and run with it for the whole chapter. I’m excited for it though! Especially… October 3rd.

Thanks for reading, guys! I always appreciate the support!

[gkscanonline]

Aposentada de SP perde R$ 238 mil ao acreditar que ajudava Arnold Schwarzenegger

Por meio das redes sociais, o falso ator disse à aposentada que estava passando por necessidades e pediu ajuda à idosa Uma aposentada de 74 anos entrou na Justiça tentando reaver valores que repassou para um estelionatário que fingia ser o ator Arnold Schwarzenegger, astro de “Exterminador do Futuro” e “Um Tira no Jardim da Infância”. Segundo informações do colunista Rogério Gentille, do Uol,…

[priteva-blog]

Be careful Maryland ladies.

Two women have filed a lawsuit against a businessman, Zacharia Ali, also known as Antoine Dominique Warren. The plaintiffs allege that Ali defrauded them out of over $150,000 through deceptive business ventures and romantic manipulation, leaving them financially devastated.

zacharia ali, fraud, scammer, business, entreprenuership, maryland, dmv, CBD

[kamyarm007]

Meh, I feel like I only attract romance scammers.

[pwrn51]

Consequences of Falling Victim to a Romance Scammer

  In the most recent episode of Scam Dam Nation, host Lillian Cauldwell delves into the consequences of being trapped by a romance scammer, highlighting the significant distress and upheaval it causes. Drawing from personal experience, Ms. Cauldwell recounts the resolution of her case by the PA Office of Aging and warns of the potential repercussions. For further information, visit the Federal…

[djdemmernecks-blog]

[kristancannon]

The Romance Scam: It's Never a Happy Ending

Romance scams - even when you know they are one, they're far from harmless. Know the signs and stop them in their tracks.

The internet has made it possible for people to connect with each other and form relationships. Still, it has also given rise to romance scams. These scams can leave victims devastated, both emotionally and financially. To better understand how these scams work and how to avoid them, let’s take a closer look at their structure. The Deceptive Dance: Anatomy of a Romance Scam Romance scams often…