Hello Fellow FB Members - I'm back!

Yes, I was taken in by a scammer!
Who knew that I was quite as stupid as that - stupid I knew, but that stupid ... well, I guess that we all learn, at least I didn't actually give him any money, but the minute he asked for some, the game was up!!

I thought that having been through that experience, I could possibly offer some sage advice to others:

1. NEVER give money to anyone you've only met online

2. No matter how dire the emergency may sound, NEVER give money to anyone you've only met online.

3. Even if the person online sounds as though they have lots of money and promises you that you will get it back - NEVER give money to anyone you've only met online.

4. If someone tells you that they are well off, then believe that there is some way that they can find to get the money they need - there actually is, believe me. Having worked in various financial institutions, it is a fact that if people/businesses have money in banks/financials institutions, they won't have to resort to asking someone like you (who they've just met online recently - i.e. someone they hardly know, even if they have told you that they love you dearly) to get the money that they so desperately need for whatever their emergency is.

5. When you meet someone online - test everything they say to you from day one. If the person is genuine, they won't mind, they'll understand that there is a possibility of scams and they'll won't feel threatened by your asking questions about where they live and where they got their qualifications from because they know that all these things are genuine anyway. When someone starts getting annoyed - alarms signals should start going up in your head anyway! (This understanding should go both ways by the way - you shouldn't mind if someone you meet asks whether they can check your information either!)
This is the age of technology - you can google just about anything and what you can't google you can email and ask about. Universities will answer questions for you too - if you ask them the right way!

6. Be careful if someone volunteers too much information.
What kind of person is willing to send you a copy of a "contract" that has been awarded to them stating the amount that the contract is worth? Isn't that just a bit over the top?? Think carefully - isn't it likely that at some stage in the future that person may just come back to you and ask whether he/she can have some money from you and remind you about that BIG contract that they have "in their pocket".
Again - check whether the contract is valid - no city / state / country gives out big tenders without making a big song and dance about it - check on their website or send an email to someone in an office there - check all this information before you fall for it. Remember that this is the age of technology - it's all here at our finger tips. You've decided to go for online dating - so use the same method to check up on you potential partner.

7. What about their photos? Is the person you're chatting to giving you a story that corresponds with the photos that you're being sent? Is he / she talking about a child of the same age? If not, why has the photo not been updated?

8. Insist on webcamming. Don't fall for the "there's something wrong with my webcam at the moment" story - webcams cost next to nothing - if this person can't afford a webcam - do you really want to be involved with them? They're bound to be asking you for money sooner or later anyway.

9. Save everything you have. Whenever you chat or mail them or receive a mail from them - save it! Make a point of saving it under the name that they give you because if ever you discover that this person is not for real (and let's hope that doesn't happen, but so far, of the five I've chatted to on more than two occasions, four have been scammers!)at least you will have evidence to give to the relevant authorities. And believe me, there is no better feeling than having all the evidence to hand these individuals over to the guys who can go out there and get them!
If you suspect that the guy/girl might be a scammer and you feel like a bit of revenge, play along, get a cellphone/mobile number, get them to call you and make a note of the times of the calls and also get a bank account number and name of the account holder and then report all the information to the relevant authorities (also to be found through a search engine online).

In conclusion - just as a reminder - don't ever give any money to anyone that you have only met online!

I hope that helps a little.

That's good advice for the newcomers having to deal with scammers, personally I think the romantic scammers are the worse as they take people's heart and soul aswell as their money and trust.
I'm all for the webcam before a meeting.
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