Do you know anyone who has fallen for any romance scams? I've known a couple of people who have, although only online people. No one I've known in real life. In both cases they handed over thousands of pounds, dollars or whatever their currency has been.
Day 1
I assumed these things were fairly sophisticated things designed to draw people in and part them from their money, but I wanted to see how they worked for myself. So I updated my virus/malware protection, I did a quick search, selected the first "dating" all that was free and created a profile of someone who was just looking for casual sex. I didn't bother uploading a photo and sat back and waited.
Well when I say waited, I mean I had messages pinging in my inbox instantly. All from incredibly hot women. One of them asked if I'd mind switching to Whatsapp. I said sure (since it is a messaging app I rarely use anyway and don't have many contacts on it, even if they were able to access my list they wouldn't be able to blackmail me). We started chatting. The first few lines were standard stuff, then she told me she works as a can girl in Elgin and asks if that bothers me. Telling her that didn't bother me might have been the first honest thing I'd put down since starting the project. Anyway, she tells me she is forced to work 12 hour shifts and has to meet a quota, but she'd always been turned on by the thought of doing a show for a guy and then meeting up with him afterwards. I mentioned at some point that I was a lot older than her and got told age was just a number. Oh, speaking of numbers, her phone number has a prefix of +63 which I believe indicates its from the Philippines rather than Elgin.
I was feeling a bit grossed out by the thought of having someone half my age to be honest. Anyway, she asked me to register on some website. It would cost £1 and then she could give me a private show. She sent me a link. I waited a few minutes and then said I'd tried to register, but the website had tried to charge me a lot more. I then said that I'd to cancel my bank card to stop them taking money and wouldn't be able to register on any other websites until I received my replacement card and that would take a week to ten days. she sent me a bunch of photos, some clothed, some nude during all this, including some that were clearly a different person, but most of them were of a dark haired and dark eyed woman.
Well, at least they managed to get the kind of girl I prefer. Still hadn't seen a picture of me for all the declarations of how desperate she was to meet me. I'd made up a job where I worked on civilian aircraft. Figure I know enough about planes that I could answer any questions that might come up from that.
Day 2.
Anyway, my night shift finished and I went back home for a sleep. When I got up there were lots of messages asking where I was. She had another suggestion for how we could meet up. If I sent £150 via Western Union, she could have two days off work and we could meet up. I mentioned I could do that later as I'd be in town, but I wanted proof that she was real. I got sent this:
My first thought was I've never seen a printer using lined and margined paper before. I guess it isn't impossible, but if I'd been looking for reassurance that this person was real, it wasn't going to provide it. An image search confirmed that it was another picture that had been altered. We discussed going on a date in Elgin and I mentioned I'd like to go to the Greek restaurant (true I would, but it closed 8 years ago), followed by us walking to Elgin beach (Elgin is inland. It would take two hours to walk to the nearest beach). It is also bloody cold right now so this would not be a romantic option. Ever stood on sand with bare feet in the middle of a cold winter? It is worse than going into the ocean. I was also asked if I'd do her a favour and log out of the website we'd met on. I said I would but didn't. I got a lot more messages from other Philippine numbers. I replied to one and was asked if I'd like to chat more on WhatsApp again but declined. I had enough info on how they operated.
Having seen enough of the operation so far I did consider ending the project at this point. I felt the whole thing has been fairly crude. At no point did I really think that the person I was talking to was who they claimed to be. I wasn't even 100% convinced it was a woman, or even a person rather than a chatbot, or many a couple of scam artists working in shifts. I blocked the account and went off to bed.
Day 3.
I would have left things there, but the woman (Alexa Carter) was now messaging me on a separate number asking why I'd blocked her. Ok, fair enough. I have nothing else to do in the middle of the night, so during my next quiet time I unblocked the original account and replied that I knew the picture she'd me was fake and includes the search link. Told her that unless she could prove she was real and in ElginI had nothing else to say etc. Had to pretend to be offended because after all I had went in to this looking for a fake person and we'll let's face it, I was lying just as much to her as she was to me. Anyway things went quiet for the rest of the day.
Day 4.
I got an apology, admitting the picture had been faked, but that it was still one of her. She'd only did It because she was so desperate to meet me. It was only at this point that she asked for a picture of me (Something still haven't provided). I gave it another dismissal and said repeated the line about prove you are in Elgin.
Day 6.
I thought 'Alexa' had given up, but this day I received this:
Figured this was an ok cut and paste job, but wouldn't fool anyone. Plus that Starbucks closed down a few weeks ago and reopened in a larger premises on the other side of the street.
Day 7.
this has now went on much longer than I expected.
Alexa messages me asking if I was still looking forward to meeting her. Have her a simple 'No', that another fake picture wouldn't cut it, but I offered her one last chance. I said that if she met me with her supervisor in town I'd hand the supervisor £500 to give her two days off.
Then I did start to worry a little bit just in case she did live in Elgin and I'd have to hand over £500, but then again I was still more than 99% sure I was safe. The reply I got that was that they couldn't receive money that wag. It would have to be sent by Western Union (the account is in Manilla btw). I
I think the conversation between us has fizzled out. What has surprised me is now crude the whole thing has been. No part of the scam survives even the most cursory check. I find myself having less sympathy than I had previously for the people who have fallen for these things. It was just a parade of red flags that I might as well have been in Moscow for the May victory parade during the height of the cold war. It requires more than just desperation to fall for this inept a level of a scam, you'd need to be willfully idiotic.
Anyway, how do you keep yourself amused during boring downtime?
