I Never Thought This Would Happen to Me..!!! Scammed by Confidence Tricksters.!!
By Marja
@buenavida (9985)
Sweden
January 16, 2010 6:22pm CST
WARNING - This could happen to anyone with a mail account!!
A few weeks ago I saw a message in my mailbox. It was from a friend who was in big trouble. She was on vacation in UK and had been robbed and lost almost all her money and all credit cards. 
She needed to borrow money to get back home and the flight ticket was really expensive.
Of course I wanted to help her, but I have very little money so I managed to send her about 70 pounds. She would try to get more from other friends.
Then I heard nothing but went to Facebook and saw that she was writing about the weather in her home town.
I tried to write to her with email but the mail bounced back. So I tried Facebook and told her where to send back the money.
It was here when things started to be confusing..
She had no idea what I was talking about. Had never got any money from me and she had not been in UK by the time I got the letters. Her mail account had been hacked and she had closed it.
So I had been writing to the hackers and sent them money...
They seemed very convincing and acted like my friend and had different suggestions how I could get money to send them. One was about a friend - a business man visiting Africa who needed an European bank account to change his big check to money and I was supposed to use my bank account to do that for them and then send part of the money to my friend and the rest back to Africa.
I should have started thinking this is a scam, but I was not suspecting anything but still am rather careful, so I told that I could not handle such a big amount of money - the bank staff would think I was up to something illegal.
I have not heard anything from them since then. I wonder how I can go further with this. Whom shall I contact? They might continue scamming innocent people and should be stopped.
Have you met confidence trickters and/or been scammed?[u][/u]
She needed to borrow money to get back home and the flight ticket was really expensive.
Of course I wanted to help her, but I have very little money so I managed to send her about 70 pounds. She would try to get more from other friends.
Then I heard nothing but went to Facebook and saw that she was writing about the weather in her home town.
I tried to write to her with email but the mail bounced back. So I tried Facebook and told her where to send back the money.
It was here when things started to be confusing..
She had no idea what I was talking about. Had never got any money from me and she had not been in UK by the time I got the letters. Her mail account had been hacked and she had closed it.
So I had been writing to the hackers and sent them money...
They seemed very convincing and acted like my friend and had different suggestions how I could get money to send them. One was about a friend - a business man visiting Africa who needed an European bank account to change his big check to money and I was supposed to use my bank account to do that for them and then send part of the money to my friend and the rest back to Africa.
I should have started thinking this is a scam, but I was not suspecting anything but still am rather careful, so I told that I could not handle such a big amount of money - the bank staff would think I was up to something illegal.
I have not heard anything from them since then. I wonder how I can go further with this. Whom shall I contact? They might continue scamming innocent people and should be stopped.
Have you met confidence trickters and/or been scammed?[u][/u]3 people like this
10 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
17 Jan 10
Unfortunately, it is likely that you have lost your money. How did you send it? As cash via registered post? Via PayPal or through a bank?
The correct thing to do is for you and your friend to first contact the mail provider and to send them the FULL details of the correspondence - including the FULL headers of the mails which purported to be from your friend. The information in the headers would allow someone to trace which machine the mails were sent from (though it might only be as specific as one of many machines in an Internet cafe) and they also contain the exact date and time the mail was sent.
If the mails were sent from the UK, the UK police would, I am sure, do what they could to help. If the mails were sent from elsewhere in the world, it would very much depend on police operations in that country.
It's almost certain that you are not the first or the last person to be scammed in this way. I know that this kind of scam is big business for these people. The information that you can provide may lead to the identification of the criminals, so it is worth your time letting people know. Even if the criminals are caught and brought to justice, however, it is very unlikely that you will get your money back, I'm afraid.
3 people like this
@buenavida (9985)
• Sweden
17 Jan 10
I sent the money with Western Union and I had to make a phone call to verify that I know this person. The money was collected in UK - but it could be anywhere there.
I have to do some research how to contact the email provider. Maybe it is possible to at least prevent these things to happen to many others. 
I have tried to follow the rule that not invest more money than I can afford to lose and it was a good thing that I had so little in my bank account. 
I have tried to follow the rule that not invest more money than I can afford to lose and it was a good thing that I had so little in my bank account. @owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
21 Jan 10
You are a remarkably positive person, Buenavida. You are right, of course: we should all try to see the good that can come out of something bad (sometimes we have to make good from bad). It reminds me of Samson's riddle (in Judges 14) where he killed a lion and later found that bees had made a nest in the carcase. His riddle was (in the NIV translation): “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.” (NIV: http://niv.scripturetext.com/judges/14.htm .) I find the story itself bizarre and a conundrum within a conundrum, as it were!
1 person likes this
@34momma (13882)
• United States
17 Jan 10
wow i am so sorry that happened to you. that is a shame. i guess it's a lesson in being more careful. and to check, check and double check every single thing that people send to you in a email. even if it's your friend. what a damn shame...
@buenavida (9985)
• Sweden
17 Jan 10
Double checking would have prevented this scam, but I learned a lesson and maybe that is worth the money I lost.
If life gives you a lemon, make lemonade!! 
@buenavida (9985)
• Sweden
19 Jan 10
Yes, it was, but due to this discussion I have got new friends, and that is worth more than money.
I might also put a link to this discussion to Twitter and Facebook and see how many contacts I get that way. Who knows what good things this will bring in the end!
I might also put a link to this discussion to Twitter and Facebook and see how many contacts I get that way. Who knows what good things this will bring in the end!
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
17 Jan 10
My daughter did with mystery shopper.
Of course the bank had to help her out but she had to pay back the $1400 dollars and the bank sent in the info to the feds.
Alot of these scams come form Nigeria .
I watched on the news where about a dozen phone rooms were raided and they all got put in jail BUT they never got the head person .
There are so many scammers out there ya just dont know whayt to trust but if my gfriends need money they call me on the phone that way I really know its them!
2 people like this
@buenavida (9985)
• Sweden
17 Jan 10
Yes, this was a business friend from Internet so I did not know her well enough. Now I know her better and that is great..
And we both learned something that will help us to avoid scams..
I have seen those Nigerian scam artists, but it is easy to recognize them. This person who wrote to me, would have done a fortune as actor and would not need to do illegal things..
And we both learned something that will help us to avoid scams..
I have seen those Nigerian scam artists, but it is easy to recognize them. This person who wrote to me, would have done a fortune as actor and would not need to do illegal things..
@kellyjeanne (1576)
• United States
25 Jan 10
Those e-mails are ALWAYS scams! Most of the time, if they are from Africa, they are from Nigeria. I get them all the time and immediately put them in my spam folder. I NEVER take them serously. I don't know these people. Why should I give them money? You have to be very careful with your money. Don't give your money to anyone. The next time you get such an e-mail put it immediately in your spam folder without giving it a second thought. I would NEVER give anyone my bank account # even if they were my friend. There is NO REASON in the world that they would need to know that information about me.
Purrs,
Catwoman=^..^= & Mija
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
17 Jan 10
Hello, Buenavida. What a dreadful thing to happen. I know all about the scams with the European bank accounts, but they usually give themselves away with the language they use. This one sounds more convincing. I don't think you'll get your money back, but the sad thing is, if you ever have a genuine request for help, you'll probably turn it down after this experience.
If you ever get any email purporting to come from your bank, but addressing you as 'dear client,' that will be a scam, as banks always address customers by name. Forward the email to your bank so they can deal with it.
I had one last week supposedly coming from my email server saying that unless I confirmed my password and other details immediately, my account would be closed. I sent it to my providers to investigate. Funnily enough, my email account is still active. If you're ever in doubt, always contact the institution who supposedly sent the email - but not through a link in the email as that may take you to a fake site. Better to bother someone unnecessarily than lose more money.
Never, ever disclose passwords or account numbers in response to a request in an email. Genuine emails will never ask for this information. Hope this helps you to avoid the scammers in future.
@buenavida (9985)
• Sweden
17 Jan 10
Yes, I have seen lots of those scam mails, from Nigeria and Paypal and other places. They are too obvious scams.
But this one was unexpected - well, if I get another request for help, I will probably double and triple check the person.
The confidence tricksters chose a wrong person though, my income is very low so they had to work rather hard to get the £70 I sent them.
My mother used to say that you have to pay for the learning, and I sure did. Perhaps it was cheap. There are people who have lost millions to crooks like this..
1 person likes this
@KompitaPita (2051)
• Bulgaria
17 Jan 10
How you send the money? I think you could do something to take your money back. I know that if you send the money via PaypaL or via your bank you can stop the money, just call to your bank, or contact to PayPal and try to explain what happens to you.
I am sorry for this - it's awful and I hope that you will get your money back. Try any ways to take back your money. 70 pounds is a big sum. And better be more careful when you recieve an e-mails like this in the future.
Good luck.
@buenavida (9985)
• Sweden
17 Jan 10
It was via an International bank - Western Union. I even made a phone call to verify that I knew this person I sent the money.. At least the bank is doing its best to avoid scams..
Well, at the moment it is a lot of money for me, but now I know how to earn on the Internet, so I will earn it back after some time.
I just wonder, the people who scam others must be very intelligent to manage to do it. So why don´t they see the many - rather easy business opportunities on the Internet and get their money in a legal way?
I would be glad to help them to become honest business owners and cash in profits without being afraid of the police!!..
Well, at the moment it is a lot of money for me, but now I know how to earn on the Internet, so I will earn it back after some time.
I just wonder, the people who scam others must be very intelligent to manage to do it. So why don´t they see the many - rather easy business opportunities on the Internet and get their money in a legal way?
I would be glad to help them to become honest business owners and cash in profits without being afraid of the police!!..1 person likes this
@buenavida (9985)
• Sweden
19 Jan 10
No, I definitely won´t and it will take some time and work to earn the money back but I hope my business will start off ground better than before.
At least there are honest people that pay me without problems and have done that for almost two years. They have just made improvements to the sites, so it will be easier to get referrals.
The earnings still go to make my business grow but I really appreciate the persons that are honest even more now. - You meet some on my website.
The earnings still go to make my business grow but I really appreciate the persons that are honest even more now. - You meet some on my website.@KompitaPita (2051)
• Bulgaria
18 Jan 10
Oh...I see... Well there is nothing else for me to say. I wish you to make 70 pounds easy and fast and soon to forget about this bad situation, but don't forget the expirience.
I wish you to make 70 pounds easy and fast and soon to forget about this bad situation, but don't forget the expirience. 1 person likes this
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
18 Jan 10
That is too bad. These scammers think of ever new methods to get money out of us. Beware also of the ones that want you to depostit cheques into your bank account in exchange for a share of money. These scams are very prevelant and you could get in trouble with the laws as well as loosing big money. What usually happens you deposit a cheque in your account and then send part of the money via Wetern Union or other means to a foreign country. After a few weeks you get a notification from the bank that the cheque was no good and your account has been charged with the amount. So what could you do? nothing! the scammers are long gone.
I get proposals like this in my e-mail almost on a weekly basis. I just delete them. I am sorry you lost some money.
@buenavida (9985)
• Sweden
19 Jan 10
Yes, I have got such proposals too, and would not even think of having anything to do with them.
The tricksters just came up with a different approach by pretending to be my friend who desperately needed help. I felt sorry for her and wanted to do something for her.
So this was a new lesson, and I am glad I had no more money to spend that time..
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
17 Jan 10
This happened to me and my family but luckily, we knew that the person didn't have the money to be traveling and besides, she was disabled!
Report this to your local authorities, they will know who to contact and maybe you could even get a little of the money back although it's doubtful. Never believe anything like this until you verify! Remember this if it ever happens again so convincingly--there are places a person can go in every country like their embassy if they are in trouble. If in doubt, make them call you collect after you check with the person's home and family because they will have gotten the same email.
The people who tried to fool us even knew my cousin's son's name because they'd gone through her emails.
1 person likes this
@buenavida (9985)
• Sweden
17 Jan 10
Thanks for your advice, I might talk to the police here and ask what to do. I doubt I will ever get the money back though.
Anyway, this is one lesson added to my Internet career..
Most scammers are so easy to recognize but I have never experienced a thing like this. Yes, double checking is always a good thing to do - and why not triple check..??
Most scammers are so easy to recognize but I have never experienced a thing like this. Yes, double checking is always a good thing to do - and why not triple check..?? 
@kingparker (9673)
• United States
17 Jan 10
Uh, I had received tons of such email scam monthly. And I simply ignore them. Luckily, my friends didn't get hacked on their email account. So, I knew that they are ok. So, don't recklessly send people money without knowing what really going on. Take an extra careful step to examine the situation.
@buenavida (9985)
• Sweden
17 Jan 10
Yes, that is a good advice, I hope I have learned the lesson and that is worth a lot..
A good thing in this is that I have no money to send, so I cannot lose anything more. The scam artists made attempts to make me ask my friends if they could borrow money to send to them. But I would not make my friends to take such a risk - If I lose money, it is my problem, but I will not mix in other people..
A good thing in this is that I have no money to send, so I cannot lose anything more. The scam artists made attempts to make me ask my friends if they could borrow money to send to them. But I would not make my friends to take such a risk - If I lose money, it is my problem, but I will not mix in other people..
@buenavida (9985)
• Sweden
17 Jan 10
Good for you that you did not know the person.
The one who scammed me was in the UK since the money went there, probably in London, but it could be anywhere in the country.
I just hope these people find such a powerful knowledge that makes them to become honest. It has happened many times before..
Nobody is born criminal - it is our choice what to do with our life and take the consequences. I don´t feel any bitterness, just feel sorry for them.
Nobody is born criminal - it is our choice what to do with our life and take the consequences. I don´t feel any bitterness, just feel sorry for them.