Online Dating ABC

A male victim of a fraud, Terry (not his real name of course) contacted us recently following a “meeting” from a dating site with Lady E  (let’s call  her that because it isn’t her real name and neither is the name she gave the victim).  In fact they never actually met, as all their ”meeting” was done online, via emails. After exchanging emails for all of two weeks and telling Terry she needed an honest man in her life who would be a good father to her daughter, they arranged to meet. Lady E could not make the arranged physical meeting because someone important in her life had been taken ill. She had to travel out of the country urgently to visit this person who the following day died leaving her over €1.5 million. Suspicious?  Maybe when she wanted to share the €1.5 million with a man she had never met and only had online contact with for a couple of weeks alarm bells should now be ringing. The rest is the same we have heard time and time again, Lady E needs money wired to her in order to pay for a lawyer, then she needs money to pay tax on the inheritance, then she needs money to bail her out of jail where she was being held on illegal charges.

Terry having sent initial money, eventually got suspicious, thankfully. His losses were not dented as much as his ego and his pride.

These fraudsters are clever using practised ways, in Terry’s words, that could be made into a movie. In fact his advice was that if Lady E and her friends are that clever thinking of this form of deception and orchestrating the next scene they should write a movie and make some honest money.

Therein is a word of warning for all those using online dating. Money is replaceable the risk could have been so much worse.

Therefore be safe

A = Accept nothing as true

B = Believe nothing as face value

C = Check everything