Is this a love scam or just misscommunication?

Hi all,

I was recently friended by a young, cute Filipino girl on facebook. After a short time we started chatting and while the conversation was generally usual getting to know each other stuff it did begin to take on a more romantic (although mostly innocent and nothing concrete) nature.

After a week or so she sent me a picture of 'herself' looking tired and sort of sad. (Btw she has plenty of other pics on her FB page and they look like legit pics, nothing scammy looking there) I commented that she looked sad and asked if anything was wrong. She replied with

" mindgrain. because of cold thats y im not feeling well" then

"' my brother bite rat. So we need to go clinic to inject. To remove bacteria .but we dont have money. we need to credit thats a nice way i think to solve the problem"

I happened to reply at the same time as the second msg saying I hope she felt better soon etc but I didn't comment on the second msg as I hadn't seen it before replying. When I did see it I immediately thought scam and stopped communicating till the next day. Curious if this was in fact a scam I got back in contact the next day asking for 'sexy' pictures thinking a scammer would comply while the more innocent girl the profile depicted would not. Maybe not the best plan but as this coincided with a rather awful hangover from a bucks party I may not have been thinking straight. The response I got was what I would have expected from the girl pictured not a scammer and there was no further mention of money or her brother.

I was still sure this was a scam so I said as much to her and defriended her. She responded with what seemed like genuine hurt feelings and confusion and when I mention why her response was

" dont knw what are you talking about. Yes my younger brother rat bite last time. but now his ok . going to school and play everyday thanks god because he is ok."

"yah already inject."

"i write that to share my problem and whats my feeling that time. so sad that time. i dont mean with that or asking money to you just share my problem thats all"

And now I'm rather confused and feel bad that this may have just been a miscommunication, maybe just something lost in translation. Apart from that comment the only thing that seemed suss on her profile was the fact her friends list is hidden so I fear I may have jumped to the wrong conclusion and hurt an innocent girls feelings. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Keep your guard up...but I am not yet convinced this is a scam.

Ask her to skype/cam with you, or take a picture (no need for sexiness) holding something specific that you are sure she would have or have her make a little sign and hold it up for you.

That being said she could still do all that and be a scammer (if money for government agents/hospital fees etc anything supposedly official but using western union/money gram or free email addresses) BUT we would at least be sure shes not someone whose a picture theif in africa.

More info and an update when you can.

Seems to me so far though shes just a lonely lady....

Ask her to skype/cam with you, or take a picture (no need for sexiness) holding something specific that you are sure she would have or have her make a little sign and hold it up for you.

Generally doing this is of little to no value in this situation. There is nothing to indicate that the person is African, and the writing is more consistent with Filippino than African.

Pinay scammers do not operate the same way as African scammers. More often than not, they do use their real photos and they will appear on webcam. It is also not uncommon for them to work as camgirls on paid sites. Many will repeatedly hint about money without outright asking for it as well.

If she friended you out of nowhere, with no specific reason for seeking you out, it should be considered a red flag. The quick move to her money problems is another red flag. But without a request or a pattern of behavior, it's not really enough to say with confidence.

Thanks for the help Coinpuppy/Dotti . I guess for the moment I'll play it by ear but stay cautious. Part of the reason I didn't suspect this was a scam at first is that the profile seemed legit and we do share a mutual friend. I've actually been friended by people who are clearly scammers and it is pretty obvious from their profiles and their msgs that they are not real. This girls profile has a lot more detail, (including family members, trips, random pictures I couldn't imagine a scammer would upload etc) very similar to other friends profiles. I also happened to notice after the fact that a friend of hers (from Japan) who frequently likes her posts is pictured in an album of hers from a trip to Japan. Not really something I would expect from a fake profile...

The obvious scammers you have identified have most likely been African scammers. They often use stolen photos and scripted stories/approaches.

Pinay scammers don't typically operate the same way. They will use their own photos and often their real names. They will respond to personal questions, talk about their daily lives, and tell you about their families. They may even have family members join them on webcam. Some will even invite you to visit.

What makes them scammers is the fact that they generally have ongoing relationships with several men at the same time, and will be taking money and/or gifts from all of them. They will promise all of the men a future that they never intend to actually happen.

Just keep your eyes open (and not your wallet) and time will tell.

Hi blue22, I will defer to Dotti and her experience. Just wanted to note that if you are suspicious, trust your instincts first and foremost. There are many types of scammers. Some are obvious, others it takes awhile. Some ask for money right away, others build trust and a deep relationship first. Pictures, well you can find every kind of variety there. I had a scammer recently tell me that if you have less than 3 pictures posted on a dating site, they can suspect you're a scammer. Many scammers find multiple pictures from someone and can send additional ones at will.
Please be safe. Be guarded. If you need any help, come back and ask. That's why we are here.

Thanks for the help Dotti and Smith Jones , it is much appreciated. She does appear to be what Coinpuppy suggested earlier, just a lonely girl just looking for friends. I will certainly heed your advice though. Thanks

The obvious scammers you have identified have most likely been African scammers. They often use stolen photos and scripted stories/approaches.

Pinay scammers don't typically operate the same way. They will use their own photos and often their real names. They will respond to personal questions, talk about their daily lives, and tell you about their families. They may even have family members join them on webcam. Some will even invite you to visit.

What makes them scammers is the fact that they generally have ongoing relationships with several men at the same time, and will be taking money and/or gifts from all of them. They will promise all of the men a future that they never intend to actually happen.

Just keep your eyes open (and not your wallet) and time will tell.

Interesting to know, I had no idea bout this. I wonder if Russian scammers operate this way too, using their real pics and info, or are they men pretending to be women?

Thanks for the help Dotti and Smith Jones , it is much appreciated. She does appear to be what Coinpuppy suggested earlier, just a lonely girl just looking for friends. I will certainly heed your advice though. Thanks

Hi blue, hope everything is ok, have you heard from this girl again? Sorry i know its an old post