Information on romance scams and scammers.
by gotlucky Sun Oct 28, 2012 9:24 pm
Hi everyone,
I have been chatting with a 'wonderful' (yes, I now admit, I ignored all my too-good-to-be-true instincts!!) man for over a month now, we became friends on Facebook. His name there is Johny Rossi. He claimed to be Italian-Russian, living in NYC. During our conversations, he won the biggest contract of his life, and flew to London, then by helicopter to an oil rig offshore. All was marvellous, until he was dying of temptation to come and see me, and pushed the equipment too hard, in his eagerness to finish up and commence his holidays (with me, he even emailed me the KLM flight confirmation)
Of course, this cost money to replace the damaged equipment, and I got the 'I am so sorry to ask, but you are all I have now' nonsense. I had become guarded the moment money came into our conversations, and was astonished that a 51yo man could not have anyone else he could borrow the money from. Hence my username .... I trusted my instincts, which were ringing Cathedral bells of warning in my ears, and sent not one cent to him. I didn't even let him get to how he wanted the money ... I told him only a fool (apologies to anyone who has suffered this scam, I know how much my heart wanted him to be true as well) would believe the story with so many holes in it, and even if I had the money to help him, it would have only been paid to the mining company upon receiving an invoice ...

I can honestly say that the lack of the money helped me to pause and consider whether it was a scam. I was so into him, I might have sent the money had I had it spare ...

Anyway, I now know this reads like a million other scams (having done my research this morning) ... but I haven't heard the next part before ...

Last night, after four days silence, he emailed me admitting it was a scam, I will post the text for others to be warned of ...

my dear beautiful and angelic (name removed), i want to start this email by telling you i am so sorry and i don't think you can ever forgive me again in this life but i want to clear my conscience....all i have ever done was because i had no choice...My real name is Kenneth and my original country of birth is Nigeria....you may have watched the news or seen online and heard of the killings and bomb blasts that happened in several states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria done by the Boko Haram sect...I was greatly affected as i lost my family to one of the bomb blasts in Kano state in Nigeria and after surviving this, i felt that there was nothing to live for until i met a certain british man by name Sir Howard powell and he said he was going to help me out of my country and provide me refuge and he helped me to get to into UK and i told myself i will remain indebted to this man but little did i know that he had other plans for me...Mr Howard runs an office with a few gentle men so i thought but i soon came to realize that what they actually did was fraud, they try to befriend women on social networks and after gaining their trust begin to extort money from
them...I did not bid for this kind of life but mr Howard threatened to hand me over to the UK immigrations if i don't work for him and send me back to Nigeria and whenever i remember Nigeria, i see poverty, pain, suffering and tears and i would die here in the UK than to go back to insecurity...and everything i have said, i have been threatened and forced so far to do it but with time, i have read your emails and observed closely and i truly realized that you are an angel and you don't deserve to be heart broken or scammed...and i must clarify that all the wonderful words and attributes i have given to you have been sincerely from my heart and i truly realized that i care and have a soft spot for you and you don't deserve in anyway to suffer....all the proofs you have asked for are about the most simple things for
Mr Howard to do and he has already provided them since but my heart could not make me send it cos you will believe and may succum to helping with money....I can't do this anymore....it is better i live and die a wretch and in pain in my country than soil my hands with evil....i know when Mr Howard finds out what i have just done, i will be thrown right back to my country...all i want you to know is that you are truly a wonderful person with a very big heart and i pray that your health is restored and you remain always happy because you truly deserve to be a happy...all i wish for is that you find it in your heart to forgive me and know that i had no choice but you have taught me that in life there is always a choice even if it means loosing all to become nothing....Thanks...Kenneth

Believe me, all his messages were AT LEAST this heartwarming and flattering ... last night I replied with sympathy for the loss of his family, and sincerely thanked him for being honest ...

Then I woke up this morning with a big hard reality slap, and realised that this was just priming me for scam part 2!!! So I wrote again and said no, Kenneth is hardly a typical Nigerian name, and given that he had already conned me, I was not going to believe, nor respond, to another word. I told him, that if this story was indeed true, then he didn't need my forgiveness .... a clear conscience would be his reward (and more than he was entitled to, in my opinion)

I felt mean writing this ... as I really had believed his message last night ... but my research on here and the warning that +4470.... phone numbers are redirected to internet cafes in Africa, confirmed my belief that this was still a hoax

So, I just wanted to sincerely thank you for that!

This is such a prey on human emotion, I am just so grateful I didn't send any money.
I have been wretched and heartsick over this, for his plight if it was true, and for myself if I was just being suckered! It's a cruel world, my sympathies to anyone who has been deprived of their savings. It is unfair and you did not deserve it.

For the record, his email was [email protected] and he also had [email protected]
The phone number, which we spoke on, was supposedly a phone on the rig ... +44-701-296-8858
I have reported his page on Facebook, then blocked it, and after that, when I searched his name again (with the same odd spelling of Johny with just one N) I found two other pages with photos of Australian actor Hugh Jackman.

I feel so foolish for being conned, but relieved that it is over now.
He has my full name, postal adress, date of birth and emails ... should I be worried now about further fraud??

Regards,
GOTLUCKY!!!
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by gotlucky Wed Oct 31, 2012 1:04 am
Hi all, new here.
I am so thankful for all that I have learned here, just sad that it came to this!

Note, I did not send a cent, but it wasn't for want of him trying!! (and I admit, it was also for lack of the spare money, I hate to think would I have, had I had the money available?? Such thoughts are wasted energy and behind me now, but you do find yourself wondering??)

Johny Rossi asked me to be a friend on Facebook, seemed pleasant enough and I thought what the hey, why not. Conversation followed what I now know to be a script, although I did make him work for my attention as I had a serious health scare not long after we had started talking. He supported me beautifully and very caringly through tests and diagnosis, even rang me to sing to me the morning I was getting really scary results! He was a great manipulator, sweet and tender without being sickly or overboard ... and I fell for it, hard!

He had hinted at visiting, and at first I had said no, not ready to meet yet, not nearly ready! But then when I was cleared of the scary cancer diagnosis, I decided to live for the day, and let him come to visit.

He forwarded me his KLM Airlines flight booking confirmation email, which reassured me that he was legit! Shortly after we had begun talking, he got the greatest contract of his life, and flew to London to board an oil rig (he was a drilling engineer) and of course, security protocols were really tight, so when I accepted his offer to visit, he was unable to send any documentation to confirm who he said he was, so that flight confirmation was a welcome reassurance (the booking is still there, for 10 Nov)

All was going beautifully, and I was so enchanted by this tender man, until he overworked the pump on the drill ... and then told me he was working it too fast to get the contract finished in record time, to speed his visit to me (which raised the first red flag cos I thought A, he is trying to make me feel partway responsible, and B, his flight is booked anyway, so he can't come any sooner, so it didnt make sense)

I reiterated over and over that I was not accepting any sense of obligation to send money, of course this offended his 'Italian pride' and he was horrified at first that I would even think it ... yet that pride deteriorated over subsequent days till he begged me that I was his only remaining hope, and he asked me for the money to fix the drama.

I had already said no several times, getting in first ... and at that point, insisted on him sending a scan of some form of photographic ID (passport, drivers licence, etc) but this never happened (blamed the oil rig security rules) I told him straight out that I understood the psychology of a scam, to groom the affection of the victim until he/she is ready to volunteer to save the day. I was not that sort of hero, and was not going to send money, even if it risked him hating me and never speaking to me again, because his story was increasing failing under scrutiny ... eg, I told him I beleived that mining equipment of that calibre would have safety overiding gear to stop it being worked too hard and burning out ... don't know if this is true, but it sounded good at the time!! :)

So, the silences between his emails grew longer. I continued chatting away almost daily about regular life, deciding to ignore his sulking (I had started doubting the moment money came into the conversation) then started letting each other day go by.

He finally sent me an email titled 'The Truth' which i have already posted, when I introduced myself ...

At first, although gutted that he was confirming my worst doubts and fears, I had felt guilty in comparison to all that he had suffered (whole family killed in bombings in Nigeria) and sent back a message thanking him for his honestly and courage. He had explained that the man forcing him to do the extorting would deport him back to Nigeria when he discovered that he had blown his cover with me. He claimed that the British man, Sir Howard Powell, had forged the docs that I had asked for, but that my scammer hadn't the heart to send them to me, for he didn't want me heartbroken and succumbing to being scammed and losing my money.

Then I had a reality slap next day, and realised that this was just the second more insidious and more elaborate part of the scam ... he nearly had me there for a few hours, but sleeping on it brought my good sense back. I wrote another email, saying that I wanted no further contact, that I couldn't abide all the untruth, please leave me alone (intuitively choosing to not be too antagonistic)

Well, he texted to my mobile the very next day ... telling me that he had indeed been deported already (!!!) but he was still alive. He was sad that I couldn't trust him ... and offered to even go on camera to prove who he is now ... then texted me again 20minutes later, reassuring me that he wanted nothing from me, just confirmation that I received his sms. These arrived at 2am, I have not and will not reply. Last night, at around midnight, he phoned me twice ... I didn't answer. I reported his page on Facebook and blocked him.

My firm intention is no further contact.

I just wanted to share how conniving they can be ... to think he could come clean, and convince me that he cared so much for me that he would risk deportation in doing so ... and that I would be a sucker for the whole sob-story. The sad thing is that he was very nearly right!!! Until I gave myself a hard reality slap the next morning and reminded myself of all the lies, the manipulation, the songs, the poems, the promises ...

Along the way when I was beginning to doubt him, and challenged him, I did say that if he did turn out to be a scam, then I would still thank him for helping me to see that I was indeed ready now to let a few rows of the brick wall down and accept a man into my life again ... I have been deliberately single for several years (too many toads, not enough princes ... you know the story) and that he had reminded me how sweet it was to feel cared for again. He wasn't a model gorgeous hunk ... just a regular looking really nice guy, and I fell for the lot.

I had no idea of the depth of scamming potential, even though I had been wary and challenging him (very protective 25yo son was also constantly reminding me to be careful) and once I began my research, after he so-called exposed himself ... that was when I discovered the +4470..... phone numbers that redirect from UK, most likely to Nigeria. It was that final confirmation that he had never been in England at all, but had crafted the whole tale from Nigeria, that enabled me to shut that emotional door completely and scoff at myself.

I'm sad, it is still very fresh, (today is only day 3 out of it all) so I figure I still have heavy emotions to deal with ... I am still having medical investigations to determine what is wrong, now that it isn't cancer ... and I really appreciated his constant support through that ... it was a great crutch at the time, but sickens me now to know how fake it all was ...

I have enough to deal with, without listening to him trying to convince me his ardour for me was real, despite the circumstances under which he introduced himself to me ... oh please!!!!

So folks, beware the supposed innocent declaration of the 'truth' for it is still infested with lies, lies and more lies.

I am glad though that I discovered along the way that I am ready to find a decent fella and make way for him in my life ... when he is ready, if it is meant to be, he will find me. I'm not desperate for him ... but I am ready!

So, the scammer:
Johny Rossi on Facebook
rossi_johny at yahoo.com (I left out @ in case he is searching)
also johny_rossi at yahoo.com
Phone (supposedly on the oil rig, and yes, I had confirmed that it was a UK international code, and was satisfied with that at the time) +447012968858
Number he is using now +2347057433689

Example of his sweet tenderness, written before my cancer test results:

Sincerely, my darling...i must commend you...you are totally a strong woman....to be realistic...it's okay to be troubled or bothered or even cry but i want you to know that the test result will come out just fine....i will be with you all the way....i want you to know i am holding you right now so tight and never letting you go...and my fingers playing and curling your beautiful hair over and over again and my mouth giving you gentle whispers that it will be alright again and i will never live your side....my lips giving you those gentle pecks on your cheeks and my hand patting your back telling you it will be fine....My dear, i would have written you since but after my training today for the new intakes...i got a flu and couldn't even drill.... i have been on the hospital bed since morning....but i am better now and have received medication...i feel stronger now...my dear, i want you to know your thoughts made me stronger...it's because i feel stronger now and better now that's why i am telling you this cos i would not want you to be bothered for me but you know, i have no secrets from you....i must tell you everything....i am okay now and will be working tomorrow...My darling, your picture last night was just perfect....I want you to understand that i will always be there for you no matter what....you can always lean on me and i swear on this today that i will always be with you through thick and thin until the end of time and i assure you on this...we will cross the bridge on Wednesday together...you will be fine again...just a little more medication....I am confident of this fact...angels live fulfilled lives and i know someday, i will look into your eyes, holding your hands face to face and we will smile together because you will be alright again and we will understand that we actually pulled through together...relax my darling....i miss you so much....Johny

Gotta tell you, when I was scare witless, these were very welcome words!

Sorry to ramble on so, but I haven't found a whole lot of info about the second scam, so wanted to share his attempt. Thanks for reading, give yourself a medal if you made it to the end!!

regards, Gotlucky!
by Dotti Wed Oct 31, 2012 4:34 am
I'm glad you are now aware that he is simply trying to scam you again. We do mention it in our information for victims, but it is good to have more real life examples of how scammers' "confessions" are really nothing more than different sets of lies.

As you have now realized, the scammer was never in UK. He was not deported, and his family almost certainly was NOT killed in any bombings. What he was trying to do was set the scene for a new scam--one in which he was stranded, broke, and alone in Africa. He might even have an emergency like a major auto accident or being attacked by armed robbers down the road.\ His goal was for you to feel obligated to help him, since (in his fantasy tale) you were the one who caused him to be sent back in the first place. So he has basically switched from trying to get you to send money based on romance to sending it out of a misplaced sense of guilt and sympathy.

Cutting off contact as you have done is the best response.

Need to post photos? http://scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=3219
Are you a victim of a romance scam? Read here for advice and FAQ's.
by gotlucky Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:26 am
Thanks for the reply and reassurance Dotti :)

One thing I discovered today, I wasn't aware that for a small fee (only $10 or less) you can reserve an international flight. You will receive an email confirmation (which the scammer forwarded to me) and at the time, I took this to be reassuring as it matched his name and phone number.

I went into the booking today, and sure enough, it is cancelled now. I assume the ticket can only be 'on hold' for so long.

Just another con-trick used by scammers.

Regards, Gotlucky
by gotlucky Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:21 am
I hadn't heard from him in a couple of weeks, then just tonight this self-justifying drivel arrived by email ...

'It is easier said than Done ..." (literal title of the email)

Hello (my name), this is Kenneth and i only want to ask you if you are the same (my name) i have always known and talked with...the (my name) i know has a good heart even though she is strong willed, she will still listen.....You know why it is so difficult for people to be good in our world today, it is because even those who can help the needy with just a little from so much they have, still continue to be greedy and wicked...Well, i am happy i never hurt you or did anything bad to you....all i have ever said to you were all lies, i am 25 years of age and i am a young graduate from the university but here in Nigeria, Jobs are not forth coming for even a master degree holder but all i need is just capital as i will love to invest in business as there are numerous investment opportunities opened here...Now, you commend my effort for saying the truth but you know my problems and it means nothing to you...WHY??...Now this is why even the bad people continue in their evil work because those who can assist are just simply wicked...if you like, you can come to Nigeria and see for yourself, there are so many investment opportunities and all i need is a little assistance....Stop being wicked, in life, you never know how long you may live so at least, just take me as your son and ask yourself, if helping someone you don't know but is in need is going to save your life, will you do it?? Your answer will be yes but now because there is nothing from you to gain from me, i can understand that there is no need to help me...I have learned from you that in life, somethings may be the right things but definitely not the correct or best way out....I have nothing more to say and i don't expect your response but i have been wanting to say this and i feel better now and i believe you should ask yourself if the world can ever be a better place with people like you who do not care about what others go through??...all i need is to be able to find a stable means of income and secure the future....is it too much to ask??

Ken


I am incensed that he called ME wicked, and the arrogance with which he justifies his actions!!

He is using [email protected] now

I want to respond, OH how I want to respond ... but I will be good and ignore it yet again! Not easy, I have to say ... oh the rant I could give ... imagine trying to leverage from his 'heartfelt confession' (I use inverted commas to suggest that it was anything BUT heartfelt, as I now know it was also full of lies)

The front to tell me I owe it to him to provide him a stable income just bugs me senseless ... but I am ok, I am not going to respond.

I just wonder how long these reminders will go on for?? Brings it all back fresh and painful again :(

Grr ... I think this is the line that gets me most ... i believe you should ask yourself if the world can ever be a better place with people like you who do not care about what others go through??...

Thanks for listening (reading) as I just had to rant somewhere!!
Gotlucky
by gotlucky Wed Nov 14, 2012 4:04 pm
Another 24 hours goes by ... and then the message gets a little more threatening ...

All i am asking is just a little help not for any reason just because you are trying to help someone in need and yet you refuse to reply....you are simply heartless and wicked but someday you never know, you may need someones help and you will get disappointed...


Again, I am not responding to him.

-Gotlucky
by Been Scammed2 Sun Jan 13, 2013 11:45 pm
Hi gotlucky,
Your story is very interesting.It is crazy how far these people will go to manipulate you.I'm glad you learned to not communicate to them.I sent money to one,she had pics of a porn model named Josie Ann Miller.Josie Model also.She goes by Anna Robert.She acted like she was in love with me.She played on my heart,needed money,and she was helping her mom at home.She got me to wanting her to come to the U.S.She needed money for a plane ticket,which cost $2500.I didn't send that but sent about $300.00 for minutes on her mom's phone.She also wanted money for a new iphone,a computer too so we could video chat.That's when I knew something was up.Anyone that's wanting money,is a scammer.She just acted so nice,and that's what made me beleive her.In actuallity it was probly a man anyway.I feel like an idiot for falling for it.But it makes me feel a little better knowing that other people fell for simular situations.But it also makes me angry that alot of people are getting scammed everyday.I guess I fell for it cause I've been searching for a good girl for a long time,and all I find are ones that want to use me.I have a good heart and just want someone to love me for who I am.I would treat them very good,if I ever find them.I would be thankful to have them.Well thanks for your story, I enjoyed it.

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