CannGiovani@yahoo.com - Orobordiegbe@yahoo.com

[Sunnybear]

Hi. I have spent a lot of time reading your posts, and now feel compelled to share my story....which is still ongoing, and I'm not sure what to do.
My scammer contacted me on a dating website, and I fell for his charms and promises of undying love very quickly. Though, I did keep an open mind, and was always aware that he could be a scammer. He promised me the world, and also sent me a copy of his flight itinerary for him coming to visit me.
After around a month of contact, including daily phone calls, and emails, and around a week before he was due to arrive here, he called me one night to say he needed some financial help from me, by way of me sending him $2000 via Western Union to his 'agent'. I spat the dummy, got very upset, and told him he will never get any money from me, and asked him not to call me again. He didn't call, but continued to send emails to me, apologising profusely, and telling me had fallen deeply in love with me. I ignored him for a few days, but my heartbreak was so awful that I ended up emailing him, asking why he did what he did to me, and I accused him of being a scammer. He said that he was in genuine need of help. He also admitted to me that he was in fact a black man from Africa, and he told me his real name, and he begged me to get on Webcam with him, via Yahoo, so that I could see him for who he was. He told me a lot of stories, none of which I believe, but out of curiosity, I have been in contact with him via cam a few times. He is, actually, who he says he is, and we have spoken for hours, but I am still aware that he is a scammer. He has tried to get me to take my clothes off on cam, but I will not do that, though I have previously emailed him a photo of my 'top half', which I am now kicking myself about. He took his own clothes off on cam and has been very lewd in front of me. I was sickened, and am now trying to stop contact with him. I have viewed his real Facebook page, which has his real photos on there with lots of friends, and also photos of a woman I believe may be his girlfriend. And when I google his real name, there are several entries for him, none of which he would be proud of.
I don't know why he has given me his real name, nor why he has revealed his true identity to me on cam, I think he thinks I have believed his stories, and I think he is trying to get me to take my clothes off on cam so that he can blackmail me maybe. He is still professing his undying love for me, and says that he is going to come and visit me soon.
I do not believe a word he says, and thought I could have some fun with him, ie, by going along with him, but its not fun anymore, and I'm worried that if I stop contact with him, that things will turn nasty. I am no longer in love with him, and can see him now for the evil person that he is.
My Facebook name is not my real name, so he can't do anything to me on Facebook, and he does not have my address, all he has is my phone numbers, my email address, and a few photos of me and my daughter, and also that other photo that I now regret sending to him.
I think I need some moral support, and can see that the staff on this forum are so kind and helpful. Please can you offer me some guidance here? I don't want to post his details on here yet, as I'm worried that he will read it and get nasty.
Thank you so much.

[Wayne]

Firstly, be sure to break off all contact with him. Supposedly admitting he's in love and revealing his real identity is actually a very common scammer trick. You can even see how another member here was scammed the exact same way at http://www.scamsurvivors.com/forum/view ... f=3&t=6558

Don't be afraid to post his details here. What's the worst he can do, especially if he can't contact you to tell you he's doing it? Scammers love to threaten people when the game's up, but they're all bark and no bite. And that's assuming he can even access the forum. We block entire parts of certain countries from being able to access any part of the site. It doesn't stop all scammers, but halts a good 95% of them. Post up his details and help warn others about him. Just be sure to remove any of your own details when you do it. I'm sure other members will come along to offer you support too. That's one of the elements of this site. It's a place where you don't have to feel alone.

[Sunnybear]

You may be talking about blocking countries such as Nigeria, which is where he is from, but he isn't in Nigeria at the moment, he is in The UK, and I know this because he showed me around his house, including the outside, which was snowing at the time. I will reveal his details here.....his initial contact with me was made via CannGiovani@yahoo.com, his name being Giovani Cann. The online dating site had his location as Aberdeen in Scotland. His real name is Orobor Diegbe, with the email address of Orobordiegbe@yahoo.com., somewhere in Scotland probably. He apparently used Giovani Canns papers to travel to Scotland. God I hope he doesn't turn nasty towards me now, but I shall begin the process of severing all contact with him. Thank you.

[Sunnybear]

I wanted to say thank you, too. I really needed to hear what you said. These scammers are so good at what they do, and even until recently, despite my non belief of everything he was telling me, I still thought there may have been a hint of truth, or I really wanted there to be a hint of truth. Why are they so good at this?? I consider myself to be an intelligent woman, and yet he had me so hooked and missing him so much that I was still wanting to keep in touch with him, even though I know he was scamming me. I'm just glad I kept my sanity enough to not send him any money. Plus, the wealth of information on your website has been a huge help for me to make this move of severing all contact with him. Despite not loving him anymore, I will still miss him for a while. I liken these feelings to the feelings where victims of kidnappers start to sympathise with their kidnapper, and even develop feelings for them. It's a very hard emotion to explain, and not something that people would understand if they hadn't experienced it.
I have deleted him from Yahoo IM, but I can't see how to block him. Is this possible?

[Ruffled Feathers]

Hi Sunnybear,

I so sorry to learn you were scammed by this lowlife --- please for your own health and mind, do not have any further contact with this person. They know what they are doing in the romance scam--- they are out for money, they are fake, their profiles are fake, it is your bank account they are after.

Please post as much information as you can about this person, emails with headers/IP's, pictures, phone numbers everything you have on him. Block him entirely from your computer, do not open anything you receive from him, block him - period.

These people are out to hurt others only because they see a chance for money. Their so-called love for you unfortunately is not real and that is what hurts the most.

Emotionally now, you have to get rest and good food to regain balance in your life. This is a difficult situation to recover from, but I can tell you, you will recover and you will heal and be a much stronger woman for this experience. It is a hard life lesson to learn, but you will be healthy once again. Please trust the people on this site, we are all experienced and are here to help you through this nightmare and the nightmare will end, that is a certainty.

Anytime you want to talk with someone, please come to our chat room, there is always someone there to listen and help you. We do not sit in judgement as many of us have walked in your shoes and know the pain of what you are going through. You must remember at all times, this is NOT your fault, these people are out looking for vulnerable people to prey upon, do not be embarrassed or ashamed, they are the ones who have to someday account for their actions.

I wish you well, and please do not hesitate to ask for help --- know there are people here to help you.
RF

[Sunnybear]

Thank you so much Ruffled Feathers. I really appreciate your words of support. I'm really struggling with no more contact with him. I don't understand these feelings, and thought it would be easier than this. He has such a strong hold over me, and for some stupid reason I feel I am letting him down....go figure! Well, I have switched off my mobile phone, unplugged my landline phone, switched off Yahoo IM/cam, and have not emailed him today, all in my effort to prevent him from being able to contact me. Usually, if he doesn't hear from me, he tries all of the above until he finds me. He is very persistent.
I'm not sure how to send copies of his emails here, or pictures. I only have pictures of his alias, Giovani Cann, none of the actual scammer, though he is easy to find on Facebook. His phone number is +491577852139, which is current because we spoke regularly. He did have a different original mobile number but he changed it and I deleted it, thinking I wouldn't need it any more.
It's going to be so hard for me for the next few days....I already miss him, and I feel so stupid and embarrassed to admit that. I am glad, though, that I was able to meet the real person behind that voice and those emails, all 500 of them! It has enabled me to find some sort of closure. It was actually harder for me when I didn't know who he really was. I am also feeling a little bit smug, knowing how much time, effort, and money in phone calls he has invested in me, and knowing that he will never hear from me again...

Thank you again Ruffled Feathers. I shall indeed try to look after myself now, and focus on the real things in life instead of that creep! I will update this post over the next couple of days.

[Shinigami]

You're doing all the right things now, Sunnybear. Drop off the face of the Earth for him and let it be like you don't exist. Exist for us here, your new friends, who are here to uplift and support you.

[Sunnybear]

Thank you Shinigami, for your kind words of support. It's so comforting to know that this website exists, with so many friends here who can relate to what each person is going through. I have not told a soul about what I have been going through, and have had to do it all alone, but I don't feel alone anymore. In particular, having to go through the pain, heartache and grief of learning that the person that you loved and trusted has scammed you, was horrific, and it has taken me a long time to even start the recovery process. I remember reading somewhere that the pain associated with this kind of event is likened to that experienced when losing a loved one through death. I totally agree with that. My heart felt like it had been torn in two when I found out he was scamming me.
But now....today...I am thinking that this may be a bit easier than I thought....I am actually feeling OK, and comfortable with my decision to eradicate him from my life. He has not tried to contact me that I know of, apart from a couple of those cheesy love poem emails last night that he has been sending me every day. Hopefully with me ignoring him now, he will just give up and disappear as well.
Thanks again everyone. It's good to have a place where I can talk about this, and feel safe in doing so, without fear of being judged for my mistakes.

[Tomi]

Sunnybear, sorry for what you went through but like what others said, we are here for you and you don't need to feel alone. You're doing great by stopping all the contacts with him---be super strong with this. Don't open or read any emails from him as it will only prolong your hurt. Please bear in mind that scammers don't have any emotions to you, they lie---you are only seen as a source of income to them---nothing more and they don't feel guilt or remorse at all for what they do.

And please post details of your scammer---pictures, details of where to send the money, sample of his emails to you (same scammer usually recycle the same script). You don't need to be scared by posting his details, as long as they cannot contact you anymore, they cannot do any harm to you. Not posting his details is like sort of aiding this scammer to continue to scam. Posting will help warm others. And now is the right time to post, you may be in right time to save some innocent victim from being scammed and brokenhearted. And believe me, this will also help with your healing process.

Again, we're here for you. It may be hard for now but the pain, the hurt will eventually go away. Just be strong and take good care of yourself.

[firefly]

About

he isn't in Nigeria at the moment, he is in The UK, and I know this because he showed me around his house, including the outside, which was snowing at the time

On Facebook,

Orobor Diegbe aka orobor.diegbe - no pictures with him on his profile
Studied at AAU EKPOMA
Lives in Abuja, Nigeria
From Abraka, Rivers, Nigeria
Male
Active since April 23, 2011.

About +491577852139
Number billable as mobile number
Country or destination Germany
Original network provider* E-Plus Mobilfunk GmbH & Co. KG

Sunnybear, did he sent you pictures with him? If yes, can you post them, please? Any details about the scammer will be good, so long are reported here.