Has someone offered you a huge sum of money or a valuable consignment? It's a 419 or advance fee fraud - find out how they work, and what to do to be safe.
by Dotti Wed Jun 09, 2010 3:01 pm
The person in the photos is a real person. He is a model in Hawaii. You have never been in contact with him, and he has never heard of you. He is very possibly married.

The people who are sending the emails using these photos are mostly young African men. They have absolutely nothing to do with the person in the photos and have never even met him. They just copied his pictures from focus Hawaii (and maybe even somewhere else if they found any other photos of him, which is certainly possible since he is a model.) His photos are popular because he is a good looking man who is the right age to attract their target women, and there are enough photos available that they can send new photos if a victim get suspicious. Many different scammers use Rick's pictures, for one simple reason: they work!

Need to post photos? http://scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=3219
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by Ralph Wed Jun 09, 2010 5:28 pm
^^ If they are the same photos you sent me then yes, they are Rick from Focushawaii again, Rick has been on that site for many years and the photos have actually changed a little so even if you dont see the picture there it is likely still a picture of him.

They also like to keep a range of different photos so they appeal to a larger audience for marketers.
by jolly_roger Thu Jun 10, 2010 1:18 am
Thanks Dotti
Apparently the site you mentioned is popular with scammers.

I feel sorry for the people in the photos the scammers use because many people (but not all) would be unawares their images are frauduently used. The real people in the photos would not know the grief these scamming tricksters are causing.
As far as i can make out, the names previously mentioned are all used by this scammer.
Makes one wonder how many other names the subject uses?
Take care out there ladies, it's just as bad for us guys.
by Dotti Thu Jun 10, 2010 1:47 am
I'm sorry if I'm being confusing. Unless the email address is the same, chances are the names are not all one scammer. The different names and email addresses most likely belong to multiple scammers, all of whom are using photos of the same model.

While many people on other modeling sites may be unaware of the use of their photos in scams, Focus Hawaii is very aware of the misuse of their models' photos at this point. If you notice, there is a scam warning on their main page.

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 Lioness Thu Jun 10, 2010 1:33 pm
I am going to email the hawaii thing. The more they know about it, maybe they will have a way of stopping this stuff. Thanks.
by Lioness Sat Jul 24, 2010 6:23 pm
I wanted to let anyone out there that hear's from this person Stephen Frank, is still out there. He keeps emailing me but I do not respond. I don't know who he may be trying to get money from now. He wanted me to send him $500.
by Jillian Sat Jul 24, 2010 6:48 pm
Glad to hear you're ignoring him. Yes, scammers can be very persistent. Ignoring them is the best way to get them to eventually leave you alone.

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