I was browsing around looking for information on singles scams and came across an article on MSNBC from last year that, while not exactly what I was looking for, nevertheless caught my attention.

In this story, they cover two people who “fell in love” with online chatters. During the courtship, for one reason or another, they were asked to cash checks for these people. One woman wound up being scammed for $2,700. A guy was out $15,200. Fifteen thousand freaking dollars!!!

I can understand getting duped for a while by someone online who is not quite what they claim to be. But getting scammed for that sort of money I don’t understand. Is it that people are so desperate for love that they’ll do anything for anyone that appears to reciprocate their affection, or are these just cases of people being utterly gullible and naïve?

So-called Nigerian scams, where victims are ultimately tricked into sending money to the African country using some irreversible method like a wire transfer, are common. The Secret Service and other U.S. agencies have issued warnings on the scams, also known as "419" or "advance-fee" frauds. But the seductive flavor of this type of the scam — known to some as "sweetheart scams" — and the incredible patience shown by the scammer reveal just how far con artists will go to trick their marks.

Hey, I hope now you don’t feel so bad when you found out that the Angelina Jolie you had been talking to for months was really only Jennifer Anniston.


Tags: singles, distance, relationship, scam, dating, con, nigeria, online, overseas