Love is Cruel XIV

Well, we have seen the dangers of the "sweetheart scam."  People looking for love or companionship, online, find (usually) a "dating" service that offers a wide variety of beautiful women, each looking to find an American boyfriend (or husband).

The mark, after introductions, will find that the scam works generally in two ways.  The first, like the 419 scam, attempts to keep the mark going as long as possible.  The "girlfriend" first asks the mark for some money for basic expenses.  Then, as the relationship proceeds, the "girlfriend" attempts to visit the United States but needs money to get to the Embassy, money for interviews at the Embassy, money for transportation, money to stay at a hotel while in town, etc.

The second method is where the mark travels to the "girlfriend's" country.  He finds himself threatened with bodily harm unless he turns over money.  Sometimes, the threats involve the mark turning over credit cards, bank account information and other financial matters.

There are other ways in which the "sweetheart scam" unfolds, but these two methods are the basic ones.  Readers can view the previous two posts for advice on how to minimize the risk.

    This brings us to the end of the "sweetheart scam" for now.

    And, as promised, I don't like the term "Russian Mail Order Bride."  I lived in Moscow for a number of years and yes, while the "sweetheart scam" is employed in Russia, it is also employed in many other countries.  Let's just call it the "sweetheart scam" and leave it at that.

http://www.tauskvega.com

As always, have a great and fraud-free day.

--------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk