by RHS24
Sat Jul 27, 2013 2:28 pm
I am the victim of a romance scam starting from match.com and I lost $8,750.00
I subscribe to the match.com dating service. On June 27th, I e-mailed an introduction to a woman whose screen name was SugaryForu1518. She later identified herself as AMBER FASIG with an e-mail address of [email protected]. We began conversing via Yahoo Instant Messenger (“IM”) and e-mail on a daily basis. She claimed to be 49 years old and a resident of Lancaster, PA who was looking to relocate to Boston. When we first became acquainted, she stated that she was in Johannesburg, South Africa on business, but would be shortly returning to the States. Our electronic conversation proceeded to the point in which she agreed to fly to Boston to meet me within the next 7-10 days.
On June 30th, she claimed that the Canadian antiques dealer for whom she was working required her to stay an extra week in Johannesburg and she claimed that she had no funds to stay at the motel. She asked me if I could wire her $1,500.00 USD in care of a person named MOJIBADE TOSIN NOAH and send the wire to Johannesburg, South Africa. I wired the money to NOAH in good faith, trying to assist a friend in need.
On July 1st, FASIG requested that I wire $1,500USD in care of NOAH.
On July 5th, FASIG requested that I wire an additional $1,500USD in care of NOAH.
On July 7th, FASIG requested that I wire an additional $2,500USD in care of NOAH.
On July 8th, FASIG requested that I wire an additional $1,000USD in care of NOAH.
On July 13th, FASIG requested that I wire an additional $750.00 USD in care of NOAH.
On July 20th, FASIG requested that I wire an additional $1,500.00 USD in care of NOAH
On July 10th, NOAH contacted me by phone requesting that I purchase an I-Phone 5 for him and ship the phone to him at: via DHL. Every day thereafter until July 22nd, NOAH would call to determine the status of purchasing and shipping the phone. (I have the shipping address)
On the morning of July 10th, I received an e-mail from a DR JOHN MESON (email address: [email protected]), who advised me that FASIG was involved in an automobile accident on July 9th and he was treating her at Health Akasia Clinic (which I later researched was located in Pretoria on Heinrich Ave. Karenpark 0118, Phone: (+27) 12-5491023). MESON demanded the sum of $9,500.00 USD to treat her injuries. I politely replied to MESON that I was sorry to hear of FASIG’s injuries but I had no further funds to supply her. I later contacted the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) by e-mail at [email protected] to determine whether MESON was licensed as a physician in South Africa. On July 16th, I was advised that there was no record of MESON having been licensed by HPCSA.
On Monday, July 22nd, I received an email from FASIG claiming that her late father had left her $10m in a Chinese bank and I would receive 20% of this amount if I contacted the agent listed on her e-mail.
I advised FASIG via e-mail that this is an old scam (“419 Letter”) with which everyone was familiar and I refused to participate. In short, I called her a liar and a thief.
On Tuesday, July 23rd, FASIG advised via IM that there was a complication at the airport related to a demand from customs that taxes be paid on her shipment bound for Canada. She stated that she could not travel to Boston until this matter was cleared up.
On Thursday, July 25th, FASIG advised via IM that the issue regarding taxes on her shipment had been resolved by way of a bank in Ireland and this bank would be calling me with further details. I told FASIG that if I found anything suspicious in any of this that I would report her and NOAH to the appropriate authorities.
On Friday, July 26th, I received an e-mail from a person claiming to be JAMES DOYLE, a fiduciary financial institution agent with Habib Metropolitan Financial Services (“HMFS”). The import of the e-mail indicated that HMFS was “mandated with the responsibility for the reconciliation and settlement of your payment by bankers draft” in the amount of $2 million USD. I performed a perfunctory investigation and determined that while HMFS was a legitimate financial institution, the agent was a phony. At that point I knew that this was the second 419 scam in which FASIG attempted to involve me.
I immediately notified FASIG by e-mail that I was through with her and that I had blocked her from my yahoo.com e-mail & IM accounts.
FASIG wrote love letters and/or sent photographs to me on 6/27-30, 7/2-7, 7/15 (3), 7/16 (2), 7/23 & 7/24.
I have no realistic hopes that I can recover any of this money. I freely chose to wire this money to NOAH for FASIG's benefit and I now realized that I was duped by FASIG's affirmations of "love" and it has been a painfully bitter (and expensive) lesson that I have learned.
FASIG attempted to contact me via IM on Saturday July 27th but I reported the IM as spam. Later I received two telephone calls from NOAH's phone but I did not answer.
I have a full report prepared to file a complaint with IC3 in the US but don't know whether I should also file a report with the Metro Police in Pretoria.
If anyone has any additional thoughts it would be most appreciated.
Thank you,
RHS24
I subscribe to the match.com dating service. On June 27th, I e-mailed an introduction to a woman whose screen name was SugaryForu1518. She later identified herself as AMBER FASIG with an e-mail address of [email protected]. We began conversing via Yahoo Instant Messenger (“IM”) and e-mail on a daily basis. She claimed to be 49 years old and a resident of Lancaster, PA who was looking to relocate to Boston. When we first became acquainted, she stated that she was in Johannesburg, South Africa on business, but would be shortly returning to the States. Our electronic conversation proceeded to the point in which she agreed to fly to Boston to meet me within the next 7-10 days.
On June 30th, she claimed that the Canadian antiques dealer for whom she was working required her to stay an extra week in Johannesburg and she claimed that she had no funds to stay at the motel. She asked me if I could wire her $1,500.00 USD in care of a person named MOJIBADE TOSIN NOAH and send the wire to Johannesburg, South Africa. I wired the money to NOAH in good faith, trying to assist a friend in need.
On July 1st, FASIG requested that I wire $1,500USD in care of NOAH.
On July 5th, FASIG requested that I wire an additional $1,500USD in care of NOAH.
On July 7th, FASIG requested that I wire an additional $2,500USD in care of NOAH.
On July 8th, FASIG requested that I wire an additional $1,000USD in care of NOAH.
On July 13th, FASIG requested that I wire an additional $750.00 USD in care of NOAH.
On July 20th, FASIG requested that I wire an additional $1,500.00 USD in care of NOAH
On July 10th, NOAH contacted me by phone requesting that I purchase an I-Phone 5 for him and ship the phone to him at: via DHL. Every day thereafter until July 22nd, NOAH would call to determine the status of purchasing and shipping the phone. (I have the shipping address)
On the morning of July 10th, I received an e-mail from a DR JOHN MESON (email address: [email protected]), who advised me that FASIG was involved in an automobile accident on July 9th and he was treating her at Health Akasia Clinic (which I later researched was located in Pretoria on Heinrich Ave. Karenpark 0118, Phone: (+27) 12-5491023). MESON demanded the sum of $9,500.00 USD to treat her injuries. I politely replied to MESON that I was sorry to hear of FASIG’s injuries but I had no further funds to supply her. I later contacted the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) by e-mail at [email protected] to determine whether MESON was licensed as a physician in South Africa. On July 16th, I was advised that there was no record of MESON having been licensed by HPCSA.
On Monday, July 22nd, I received an email from FASIG claiming that her late father had left her $10m in a Chinese bank and I would receive 20% of this amount if I contacted the agent listed on her e-mail.
I advised FASIG via e-mail that this is an old scam (“419 Letter”) with which everyone was familiar and I refused to participate. In short, I called her a liar and a thief.
On Tuesday, July 23rd, FASIG advised via IM that there was a complication at the airport related to a demand from customs that taxes be paid on her shipment bound for Canada. She stated that she could not travel to Boston until this matter was cleared up.
On Thursday, July 25th, FASIG advised via IM that the issue regarding taxes on her shipment had been resolved by way of a bank in Ireland and this bank would be calling me with further details. I told FASIG that if I found anything suspicious in any of this that I would report her and NOAH to the appropriate authorities.
On Friday, July 26th, I received an e-mail from a person claiming to be JAMES DOYLE, a fiduciary financial institution agent with Habib Metropolitan Financial Services (“HMFS”). The import of the e-mail indicated that HMFS was “mandated with the responsibility for the reconciliation and settlement of your payment by bankers draft” in the amount of $2 million USD. I performed a perfunctory investigation and determined that while HMFS was a legitimate financial institution, the agent was a phony. At that point I knew that this was the second 419 scam in which FASIG attempted to involve me.
I immediately notified FASIG by e-mail that I was through with her and that I had blocked her from my yahoo.com e-mail & IM accounts.
FASIG wrote love letters and/or sent photographs to me on 6/27-30, 7/2-7, 7/15 (3), 7/16 (2), 7/23 & 7/24.
I have no realistic hopes that I can recover any of this money. I freely chose to wire this money to NOAH for FASIG's benefit and I now realized that I was duped by FASIG's affirmations of "love" and it has been a painfully bitter (and expensive) lesson that I have learned.
FASIG attempted to contact me via IM on Saturday July 27th but I reported the IM as spam. Later I received two telephone calls from NOAH's phone but I did not answer.
I have a full report prepared to file a complaint with IC3 in the US but don't know whether I should also file a report with the Metro Police in Pretoria.
If anyone has any additional thoughts it would be most appreciated.
Thank you,
RHS24