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While it isn’t always obvious at first there are usually some tell tale signs of a scammer.
What is a Scammer?
A love scam is where a “scammer” pretends to be in love with someone in order to extract money or expensive gifts – purely profit motivated. These people have no intentions of ever meeting the object of their affection and only want to get as much out of them as they possibly can. This is a criminal act in most countries, but it is prevalent because the chances of getting caught are very low, largely because most scams are not reported.
Types of Love Scams
There are a couple of different love scams. One is where there is a woman (usually) who claims that she is trapped in a hotel because of bills owed and she can’t get home (usually the UK, USA or Canada), and needs your help to get her passport back. She promises to repay you when she gets out. If you see this, report the scam to any scamming sites and your local police. All western countries will help their citizens if they are in such a situation, and all that the person has to do is contact the embassy.
The other, more dangerous, kind of scam is where there is a correspondence between two people that can go on for months, and the scammer at some point asks for money. Usually this money is asked for in order to pay for travel expenses, including visa, train ticket, plane fare, bribery of officials, and any other expenses that can be thought of. Often the woman (usually it is a woman doing the scamming) will have already professed her love for the man and they have both said they want to meet.
Other things that can be asked for are medical expenses, help for parents or other relatives, and money for living expenses (rent, clothes, etc.). The simple way to avoid these is to never send any money to someone you have never met in person.
Some Tell Tale Signs
If you are suspicious of a woman trying to scam you, there are some things that can give it away. The first of these is the asking for money from a stranger. Her letters may be long and drawn out, but they never really address the questions that you ask, and don’t mention the issues in your life. Often her letters will be filled with fluff about the future and love and a relationship with you, but nothing about your daily life (and very little about hers). It’s important that she address your directly and answer the questions you ask directly.
Another thing is if you have kids and she never mentions them in any of her letters. Scammers also tend to get really upset if you challenge them in any way on their claims. If these signs are all there, then the chances are pretty good that she is a scammer. You may want to report her to [enter scam site affiliate link here]. And if you are sure she is a scammer, or you have been scammed, then report her to your local or federal police
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