Nigerian Dating Scams - scammed big time!

by Lori
(Florida)

I don't even know why I'm writing this - I think i'm just so full of hurt, anger and so many other emotions I don't know where else to talk about it.


I am an overweight woman and suffer from low self esteem. I don't frequent bars, clubs or really any other social events because I never feel comfortable there. I turned to online dating because despite everything, I have dreams like many other women, to have a husband and family one day.

I joined a website that catered to large women and men, bbpeoplemeet.com. I met a few people there, but nothing ever panned out. Then someone by the name of "brian lewis" sent me a message and we began talking thru emails.

He told me that he he was in Nigeria for a few weeks because his mother had just had breast cancer and he was there taking care of her. He sent me some photos, and I couldn't believe how handsome he was.

I started to think something was up immediately, but I engaged him a while longer. About 2 weeks into us knowing one another he sent me this long love letter professing his love for me.

Again I thought, this is weird...it's too soon for these kind of emotions...but I ignored my instincts again and continued with our friendship.

He then told me that he needed money because he had used up all his money and he didnt have enough money to get back to Houston. I felt uncomfortable doing this, but I sent him $1850.00 for a ticket.

The day he was supposed to purchase his ticket, his mother had another medical emergency and he didn't purchase the ticket. He then told me that he needed money to help pay
for her surgery, so I sent him more money.

All the while he promised he would pay me back when he got back to Houston...and I believed him.

This went on and on for about 2 months. He finally told me that he had purchased his ticket and told me that he would be flying in to London and then to Houston. He called me when he got to London, and told me that he would call when he got to Houston. He never called.

Both of his phones were disconnected and I could not reach him.

I then received an email from someone called William Colgate, who was supposedly with British Interpol, saying that Brian had been arrested.

I then started putting 2 and 2 together and realized that I hade been scammed. The email contained a number, but I did not call the number.

Brian called a few days later crying saying that he needed money to get out of jail. I told him to go .... himself and that was the last I ever heard from him.

Over the course of 3 months I sent this person $3600.00 - money that I will never get back.

I am still struggling with suicidal thoughts and deep depression over this incident. If I have any advice for lonely women it is to listen to your instincts.

They never lead you wrong.

We're usually lonely because we are too giving, and too accomodating. People see this and decide to take advantage. Also, get a hobby....don't spend so much time thinking about how lonely you feel.

Not everyone will find that special person.....so we have to learn how to be happy on our own. I hope my story has helped anyone who chooses to read it.

God bless.

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Jul 06, 2019
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I am working to forgive myself
by: Anonymous

I met a man on Facebook, a very handsome and clean looking guy. We texted at first and then asked me to switch to messenger texts. We texted back and forth for 2 or 3 months and he would ask for iTunes because he wanted more movies to watch once he was done working for the day.

He was from Poland living in Riner, Va and working on a rig in the Gulf of Mexico. His wife was killed in a car accident and he has a 17 year old son named Jognson. He was the supervisor on the rig. He was responsible for anything that may happen on the rig. About the 3rd month after many phone calls and texts the rig had a big problem, $6,000.00. I took money from my savings and sent the cash to an address in Texas to his guy that can fix the problem. Then more money was needed to transport the guy and his helpers via helicopter. This went on and on with more problems, like the parts had to come from China. More money. By this time I am suspicious.

I truly loved and trusted this man who I never saw in person, but I had sent him roughly $20,000.00 cash. He tells me over and over that he will pay me back. This gets worse and worse with more problems. By this time he had all my numbers to my bank, my American express card. He sweet talked me in to giving him the info. He was always coming home to me and going to pay me back and swore with his sons life.

To cut this short, I have 20 pics of him, copy of his Va Drivers license, a list of 17 people he owes money to that he put in my bank (bill pay). He was going to put $100,000.00 in the account and send money to these people. I have their addresses too.

I caught that and changed my passwords. I hung in with him for 15 months waiting for him to pay me back. He wanted me to get an equity loan on my house, NO, sell my house, NO. I told him he was a scammer and no more money. Of course he denied it all. I even have a copy of a check for $295,000.00 that he wanted me to cash when I would send $2,500.00 to give 2 lawyers he would send to the bank with me to verify the authenticity of the check.

All together he got $23,000 in cash and $38,000.00 on my card. His name is Wilson Gates, Jr. I have learned the hard way not to trust. My retirement is delayed now and I have to pay $18,000.00 back to the card through bankruptcy. I was too happy to have someone to grow old with and I ignored the red flags that popped up.

Jun 17, 2013
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Nigerian scam I think
by: Anonymous

I had a man contact me on zoosk. His name is Brian he is from nj but in Nigeria for work and he has a 15 year old daughter. After just 2 days of talking he has asked me to open a bank account so that his client can wire his pay in order for me to buy an airline ticket for him to return home to nj and a ticket for me so I can go visit him.

Also he had his daughter call me to get to know me. Had anyone been contacted by the gentleman? Brian Gunderson east orange nj?

I have always been taught when things don't make sense they aren't true

Jun 17, 2013
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Nigeria zoosk
by: Anonymous

I met a man on zoosk who has seemed so sweet his name is Brian. He is supposedly from nj but he is working in Nigeria. He supposedly has a 15 year old daughter. The issue I have is that after like day one he is asking me to open a bank account in order for his job to wire money to in order to purchase himself and myself a ticket to nj so that we can meet.

Then out the blue is daughter called me and said she can't wait to meet me! Had anyone had this experience with a guy named Brian Gunderson and daughter Temmy?

Oct 04, 2012
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You're going to be fine
by: greg

Hi, i read that post and when I saw what u said about suicidal thoughts my heart dropped. It was a mistake that you made that many of us would have probably made.

Don't think of ending it all THAT way. I understand with the insecurities and then this jerk icing the cake with this BS that he pulled must make you feel pretty badly.

Your heart was in the right place.

Believe me i'm only on this site because I have been sought after by these Nigerian scammers as well with their ridiculous stories. Keep your head up and give it time... you'll heal. At least now you know to never spend money on these type of things.

All of this is just a "dream-of-falling-in-love".

I will say a prayer for you and I believe you'll be ok....God Bless and stay strong:)

Jun 20, 2012
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You are not alone
by: Anonymous

My dear you are not alone in this as I experienced something like that story and I wish I sent him as little as you did - but its not a question of money but I really thought he was going to die and I cried for 3 months.....I cannot believe it .....I am not naive and stupid at all but I had no idea something like this exists....and they are really good and skillfull.....at least I can see I am not alone.....

May 09, 2011
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Being Scammed
by: Anonymous

I believe that I am being scammed as well. A girl that I met on a dating site [like you]called "tagged" contacted me through emails of course - no phone calls, no web cam, no phone number where I could call her (I suppose it was a good thing).

She says she is in Lagos Nigeria with her mother who has breast cancer and she is wanting $350.00 to buy medicines for her mother [I of course have not sent money but she keeps asking me for it]. I just tell her I don't have it for a while to see how long she is willing to go but I will not send her money.

She says if she gets the money to buy her moms medicines she will come home in 2 weeks [she lives in a town not far from me she claims] but she has to get the money right away.

And of course right away after - like the 3rd email she started professing love for me. I have been scammed from Ghana before [but luckily i followed my instincts and didn't send her money].

This girl claims she is for real and will be coming back to ca. once she gets her mother squared away but I believe things are going to keep going on and on like you said yours did.

Once they get money from you then they know you are a soft target and will keep going until they bleed you dry.

From what I have learned from your story and others like you there are several dating scammer websites out there.

One is www.delphifaq.com and they have a wide list of dating scammers [mostly women].

Thank you for posting your story here, it probably saved me a lot of hurt feelings and a buttload of money. She says her name is Christiana Smith and she lives in oceanside, CA.

Whenever I asked her for personal information such as where she works, her address, a vehicle license plate number, the name and number of a friend so that I could validate her, she just ignored them and I asked again and she told me that a relationship is built on trust and I need to just trust her!!!!

May 07, 2011
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Big Grils do cry
by: Anonymous

Look - Lot's of guys out there like big girls. You need to find a strategy to actually get yourself in front of enough men in a situation where they can ask you out. Work hard to stay mentally healthy, and reasonable and you will find your man.

Mar 16, 2011
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Nigerian scammers suck!
by: K.L.

I was very sad to read your story. It will be very hard for you to trust anyone ever again after that scammer hurt you so badly.

The Nigerian dating scams are the worst cause they actually enjoy ripping people off and breaking their hearts. For some reason they feel the world owes them cause they are poor, and they have no conscience taking anything from anybody.

I had a similar dating scam but fortunately I didn't send the money cause he asked for $2,500 for airfare and I didn't have that kind of money. As soon as I said I didn't have that much, he just dropped me!

I never heard from him again. I was sooo lucky.

Mar 15, 2011
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Spanish scammer
by: Anonymous

Hi:
Thank your for sharing your story. I feel your pain and know how loneliness feels. But there is a bigger love that is beyond comprehension and most of the time we rather believe an instant love that some one, a total stranger express to us is more believable than that the other love that only asks us to believe and to rest all our love on him.

I know how you feel. I had the same frustration in the past. I subscribed to some friendship sites and had some friends with whom I have shared a virtual friendship. I was absolutely unaware of the risk of been scammed on the Internet until I learned about it the hard way.

I had a so called "friend" form Spain. We were friends for a year, and he never showed any sign of risk during our chat sessions. Some times we didn't talk at all for weeks and sometimes we used to share video calls.

So at least I know his face.

One day he informed me he was traveling to Peru and I was happy about his trip. He told me he was going to Machu Pichu. A few weeks after that I found him on MSN and started to talk.

He told me he was going through a very difficult time 'cause he was robbed at gun point there.

Unfortunately he was very believable and I was sad for him. He told me his passport and plane ticket was stolen along with his money and camera.. and fortunately some good Samaritan was sheltering him while he could communicate to the Spanish embassy. But he was far from Lima Peruvian capital, and he was asking me for some money to get food and buy a bus ticket to Lima so he just asked me for $100.00

Of course he told me he was going to pay it back as soon as he gets home. A few weeks later he told me I was the only friend in the world who had answer to his cry for help and was grateful to me for life.

Then he needed another $100 to get to Lima when the embassy informed him that his documents and ticket were replaced (of course I sent him those also).

I was happy to know that he was on his way home, but then weeks and weeks went on without hearing from him. He sent me a email that he got back to Spain but lost his job.

He was concerned about the money he had to send me back. That was the last time I ever heard from him. Its not the money, (although it does not grows on trees) but I truly felt sorry for him.

They will have to go before our lord one day and this is as brutal as an assault. They steal not only money but feelings, trust, dreams and more.

Please don't feel bad or sad...you are not alone and your life is valuable. You can have a friend in me if you want...of course...we must promise that we will never ask for money from each other...hehe

Take care and be happy!

JF

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