Man loses $200,000 to fake 'girlfriend' met online

The Chicago Sun-Times posted a remarkable blurb this week, one in which a man from Naperville, Illinois was conned out of $200,000 by his "online girlfriend."

Last week, the 48-year old man called Naperville police because he believed his girlfriend had been kidnapped somewhere around London.

In explaining the situation, the man told police that he started the online relationship 2.5 years ago, and over the course of the relationship he wired over $200,000 to the woman's bank accounts.

The bank accounts were in England, the U.S., Malaysia, and you guessed it, Nigeria.

When the police asked for any pictures or ID to help them find her, the copy of a driver's license he produced turned out to be a sample ID from Florida.

When officers told him he had been conned and his girlfriend did not really exist he "was in disbelief."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 26 Feb 2011 17:44

mike.m

Lol, now that's a news story.

26.2.2011 18:10 #1

Mysttic

never meet people online and give the $. Even after you meet them in person don't give em $. Let them give you $, then at least you know you ain't conned. Or at the very least ain't conned first.

26.2.2011 19:37 #2

toked

26.2.2011 19:48 #3

SomeBozo

P T Barnum said it best...

There is a sucker born every minute.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There%27s_a_sucker_born_every_minute.

Seems it as true in the 1800' and still holds true today...

26.2.2011 20:22 #4

Razengan

Ouch!!! That must have sucked.

Razengan!!!

26.2.2011 20:26 #5

ivymike

Seems he has lots of money to spare considering he's from Naperville. Serves him right.

26.2.2011 20:26 #6

KillerBug

Quote:
When officers told him he had been conned and his girlfriend did not really exist he "was in disbelief."
How does someone with the IQ of a humming bird get $200K?

26.2.2011 22:34 #7

Jemborg

Originally posted by KillerBug: Quote:
When officers told him he had been conned and his girlfriend did not really exist he "was in disbelief."
How does someone with the IQ of a humming bird get $200K? That's what I was wondering! lol

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

27.2.2011 06:35 #8

dEwMe

Wow what a moron...

Just my $0.02,

dEwMe

27.2.2011 10:19 #9

SomeBozo

Originally posted by Jemborg: Originally posted by KillerBug: Quote:
When officers told him he had been conned and his girlfriend did not really exist he "was in disbelief."
How does someone with the IQ of a humming bird get $200K? That's what I was wondering! lol Inheritance.... I remember there is a passages in Ecclesiastes a father works and saves to build his wealth over his life, only for his son to inherit and waste it...

27.2.2011 12:06 #10

lissenup2

The comment above regarding 'inheritance' is just dumb. Stay relevant and spare us next time.

27.2.2011 13:23 #11

TBandit

Nothin better to do and out 200k what a waste.

27.2.2011 13:47 #12

Ryoohki

Originally posted by SomeBozo:

Inheritance.... I remember there is a passages in Ecclesiastes a father works and saves to build his wealth over his life, only for his son to inherit and waste it... Originally posted by lissenup2: The comment above regarding 'inheritance' is just dumb. Stay relevant and spare us next time. i thought it was relevant. clearly states the stupidity of people who get a windfall of money. i had a friend who inherited a great deal of money when his mother died. he didn't really have anything before that no job or anything. he had joked about completely blowing it all in a short amount of time. 60k of it in particular on a stripper named Kandi.

27.2.2011 14:57 #13

SomeBozo

Originally posted by Ryoohki: Originally posted by SomeBozo:

Inheritance.... I remember there is a passages in Ecclesiastes a father works and saves to build his wealth over his life, only for his son to inherit and waste it... Originally posted by lissenup2: The comment above regarding 'inheritance' is just dumb. Stay relevant and spare us next time. i thought it was relevant. clearly states the stupidity of people who get a windfall of money. i had a friend who inherited a great deal of money when his mother died. he didn't really have anything before that no job or anything. he had joked about completely blowing it all in a short amount of time. 60k of it in particular on a stripper named Kandi.
I think it is only that the objection is that it comes from the Bible. Typical of people that say they are "Open minded" but really closed to anything that might come from the Bible, regardless if the point is true or not. Very typical of people that are open to only there close minded opinion.

27.2.2011 15:08 #14

Mrguss

Some people with money are too stupid to have it. He may be a lonely @ss and disconnected from the "Online-Girlfriend" but he is also a moron, in a Never-Never-Land !

+4000

27.2.2011 15:26 #15

aldan

Originally posted by lissenup2: The comment above regarding 'inheritance' is just dumb. Stay relevant and spare us next time. hey,no need to be nasty.this isnt exactly a tech question.he was answering the question of the poster before him.i would say that is relevent enough for this discussion.

27.2.2011 15:57 #16

Jemborg

Originally posted by SomeBozo: Originally posted by Ryoohki: Originally posted by SomeBozo:

Inheritance.... I remember there is a passages in Ecclesiastes a father works and saves to build his wealth over his life, only for his son to inherit and waste it... Originally posted by lissenup2: The comment above regarding 'inheritance' is just dumb. Stay relevant and spare us next time. i thought it was relevant. clearly states the stupidity of people who get a windfall of money. i had a friend who inherited a great deal of money when his mother died. he didn't really have anything before that no job or anything. he had joked about completely blowing it all in a short amount of time. 60k of it in particular on a stripper named Kandi.
I think it is only that the objection is that it comes from the Bible. Typical of people that say they are "Open minded" but really closed to anything that might come from the Bible, regardless if the point is true or not. Very typical of people that are open to only there close minded opinion.
I didn't mind a reference to teh Bible, even though I'm a fundamentalist atheist, it's still part of western cultural history... especially it's quotes. Even Dawkins agrees.

@Ryoohki, lol, if you've never had money it's seems hard to hold onto. There are tons of stories of people with huge lottery wins (in the millions) who, astoundingly enough, manage to blow all it in a couple of years. Kandi (communist?), probably had utter contempt for him too, heh.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

27.2.2011 22:23 #17

ddp

lissenup2, SomeBozo's post is relevant so knock it off as i'm not in a good mood at the moment.

27.2.2011 22:35 #18

ZippyDSM

Meh at the end of the day you can only be responsible for your actions. Don't blame others for your own failings do what you can nothing more nothing less.

Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy!
Ah modern gaming its like modern film only the watering down of fiction and characters is replaced with shallow and watered down mechanics, gimmicks and shiny-er "people".
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/

28.2.2011 08:56 #19

plazma247

Its sad to say these gangs have long used dating sites to lure and then scam people to death.

Im not sure how this guy feel for it, every time they have tried it on me its been a poor attempt at a scam, ive turn the tables on them, told them where they really were, strangely they go away after that....

28.2.2011 11:34 #20

SomeBozo

Originally posted by plazma247: Its sad to say these gangs have long used dating sites to lure and then scam people to death.

Im not sure how this guy feel for it, every time they have tried it on me its been a poor attempt at a scam, ive turn the tables on them, told them where they really were, strangely they go away after that.... I rent a rooms in my house and i would say 10% of all inquiries are from scammers asking what are the expenses or 'x' months and damage deposit... Not sure why but they want to send a package to me, i assume with some of there stuff in it (right)... Long story short I play along with them too, but i'm just too lazy to head down to the police station I gave for my address :)

28.2.2011 12:04 #21

plazma247

hehe :)

Yeah, thats a good one man. lol also a good ones is get some spoofcard credits, not sure if this is legal in all places in the world...

... but call the scammers with a spoofed number and make sure they have the caller id and plan to call you back on it.

:) although ive not used that one in while.... its great fun seeing who you can get them to call up .... hehe

At the end of the day if you know you got scammed it wasn't a good scam or you were tooo blind to see it, largely the idiots playing the numbers games like this poor fool that fell fowl are probably going to have a collective IQ in digits lower than ive got fingers.

LOL the best one ever was the bloke who scammed the Nigerian gold scammers back for gold, that was pure class.

28.2.2011 14:07 #22

TonyElyod

I,ll be your girlfriend, but I need �100,000 for a "Make Over"

4.3.2011 12:04 #23

MrZoolook

TonyElyod... OK... let me just add you as joint signatory on my bank account and send you a credit card...

4.3.2011 12:57 #24

plazma247

Dont forget to include your pin number, account code, sort code and internet loging password so the aherm special checks can be ran.

4.3.2011 13:25 #25

MrZoolook

Will even post my spare house keys and e-mail my address... Am going away for a few day and want you to make yourself at home if you fancy house-sitting for me!

4.3.2011 13:30 #26

plazma247

If you could make sure that while your there you dont go into the garage because my prised and almost priceless farrari collections in there.

4.3.2011 13:45 #27

Jemborg

LOL

Tell the truth, I do feel a little sorry for the poor lonely shmuck.

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

5.3.2011 01:17 #28

noypi2

There are still people that can get fooled????
we are living in space age technology.

5.3.2011 08:44 #29

ddp

sucker born every minute.

5.3.2011 21:20 #30

omendata

Sad he must have been a right sad case to be that desperate for a burd!

Crikey and I thought I was desperado;
lol

6.3.2011 08:38 #31

plazma247

Thinking out aloud what would be really useful is a picture they used to represent who scammed him, others are probably falling for the same scam as i type lol.

Not that they couldnt use another picture of someone else, but it would stop them from hitting more people who already know them as that person.

6.3.2011 08:52 #32

MrZoolook

In this day and age, after decades of e-mail scams being in the news nearly constantly... I have no sympathy!

If you're the sort of person who thinks its in any way NORMAL to throw money at an e-mail contact with nothing more then easily forged photographs... you're really NOT the sort of person who should be allowed to have money in the first place!

7.3.2011 18:10 #33

omendata

Or the sort of person who should be allowed internet access!

7.3.2011 20:23 #34

SoulGLOW

edited by ddp! For $200k large ill pretend to be your girlfriend online too. Hell ill even wear a wig and lipstick. Fuq it ill do it in person ... after all its a down economy ;)

10.3.2011 04:55 #35

omendata

Yes but will you take it up the bot bot if he asks for that 200k thats the big question?
>;o)

10.3.2011 19:36 #36

AfterDawn: News