how to detect a fake photo

by L
(U.S.)

How to detect a fake photo from an online dating site:

This link http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en allows you to upload an image and do a search. I did this and found out the person I was interacting with on Match was actually a musician and teacher in my area and not the engineer the scammer claimed himself to be. I caught this person and turned the tables around.

I never gave money and he never asked for money, but the signs were there. He was an engineer always going out of town, then he got a big project in Ghana. But even I did not suspect the Ghana issue, I suspected the pattern of behavior of always avoiding dates when I suggested we meet.

Second big mistake was when he sent me a real clear picture of himself and I just thought it was too good to be true and that was when I used the Google search tool. It's different from Google images. This tool allows you to search for a pic instead of a key word.

I HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT WOMEN ON DATING SITES USE THIS TOOL. HERE IS THE LINK AGAIN. http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en

I know these scams are dangerous and they hurt women. I was lucky. The only thing I lost was time emailing and talking to him (we spoke for about 5 days). He has my number and I have his too and I've done a reverse number lookup ... I paid $13 for that one and I'm awaiting the name, but I know the phone he used to call and text is a land line. I don't know how they are able to do that but they did.

I still wonder who I spoke to. He could be a loin cloth wearing pigmy in Ghana who is internet savvy for all I know, but I did send him an email telling him that he has a choice, go to jail or agree to do an interview for a dating scammers site I'm a part of.

I told him that he had a choice of getting his tush reamed by guys in jail or simply exposing himself. I told him that he better high tail it out of town (or wherever he is) and do not pass go, do not collect $300 dollars 'cause the FBI will be after him.

I don't know if he believed all that but I doubt he will be contacting me again.

The scammer's email is sch.kevin@ymail.com and his phone number is 424-672-4520. His profile: Engineer from Liechenstein. Widowed. No kids. Father dead. Mother alive. He went by the handle "rose petals_" on Match.com.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

A scammer's worst nightmare