fullofhearts68@yahoo.com

[a040345]

Thanks group, I appreciate the feedback. I always thought I wasn't being scammed because his written and spoken English is perfect (I had caught a couple guys on match.com before I met this one). Then I listened to the podcast with Ruffled Feathers. Her story is exactly like mine. In Istanbul on business, the Turkish government won't release payment until income taxes are paid in full, personal accounts in the states are frozen due to his identity being stolen in the past so he can't access them from abroad..

My jaw dropped when I heard her say the word Istanbul. Then I knew.

It really sucks that even as I compare his passport to mine and see the differences, the little voice in my head still says "what if you are wrong?" I can't get my brain around the fact that there are people out there that don't have that voice and scam others.

I suspect that someone else he was trying to scam found the passport I posted here and confronted him. Or maybe he sent it to many others and one of them also posted it online somewhere. Who knows how many he has on the hook, he may be sending them the same texts he is sending me.

[firefly]

a040345,

The scammers are all the same: a bag of lies and bullshit. No matter the fake names and email addresses they are using, no matter whom stolen pictures, despite all the proxies and redirected phone numbers, they have all similar stories, copy-pasted, because they are unable even to think alone and to develop their own fantasy - scenario. Stolen quotes from love quote sites, stolen lines from movies and songs - just a single original thought: how to get your money fast and how to do it again.

And yes, even if they change the character, they are using the same story again and again.

Sorry you found on this way you were dealing with a scumbag. The real person in that picture has nothing to do with the scam. Even if right know, you really don't know who was, for real, on the other side of the screen, you may have a general idea if you look here: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1861.

Behind stolen images and stolen words, it is the same type of person: lazy bastards, unwilling to get a real job to pay for their life, believing it is the right God give them to get their money in this way and destroying other people life.

[a040345]

I refused to send money via moneygram, thinking it was safer to put the money in a Bank of America account in the states and let someone else pay the moneygram fees. I am wondering if I should report this to B of A? I still have the person's name and account info.

[Big Al]

If you sent the money by Bank transfer then yes, I would go to my bank ASAP and give them the details and that you were scammed. The Sooner the better.

ETA: If they say they can't do anything (Which I doubt) then let me know. A USA account probably means that this scammer is using that person as a "Money Mule". If Bank of America or LE contacts the account owner and warns them that they are helping a Scammer then it will help other victims or at least give the Scammer one less account to use for his scamming activities.

[a040345]

Ok I will call B of A tomorrow. Will I be putting the owner of that account in any danger or do you think they already know what's going on?
The threats of suing me and things like "I have your address, I will send your money" have really got me scared. I guess I'm not really in any danger but right now, it feels like I am.

[Wayne]

They may or they may not. Either way it needs to be dealt with.

[firefly]

You are in no danger, a040345, as long as you really cut the communication with the scammer. Delete his messages without reading it, block his phone number in your phone, ignore anything he is trying to do.

Maybe the owner of that account is just another victim having no idea what's going on, falling for the same lies...

[a040345]

Ig Al - I googled his email and the first return was a link to this site and the post of his passport. i didnt find anything else.

[Ruffled Feathers]

Hello Again, we have been corresponding today, the others Big Al, firefly, Wayne, slaphappy are are telling you what I have said, stop all communication with this person now - no more contact under any circumstances. they lie, they use fake identities and they steal facebook personalities. You must believe what we are trying to tell you. There are many years of this type of experience here, Scamsuvivors is a knowledgable group of people regarding scams. Please listen to what they are telling you.
RF

[Big Al]

a040345 Wrote:

Will I be putting the owner of that account in any danger

No more danger than you are. In fact, if this other person has been laundering money for the Scammer and quits because of your actions you might actually save then from a hefty jail sentence.

The chance of the Scammer or an associate of his actually knocking on your door is very slim. We can't guarantee it won't happen but it's not very likely. All the scammer cares about is getting your money. If you knuckle down and stop contact with them they'll probably go away. Do be careful of people contacting you saying they can help you recover your money though. Those are just scams too.