This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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Durham Police are issuing a warning to the public after a 61-year-old North Durham woman was defrauded of her life savings by a man she met online.
Between February and July 2012, the 61-year-old female victim was defrauded of over $350,000 by a male suspect she had met through an online dating website. The victim communicated with the suspect, who claimed to be a successful businessman residing in the United States. Shortly after the initial contact, the suspect declared his love for the victim and kept regular contact with her through e-mail, phone and text messages. The suspect advised that he was in the gold mining industry and involved in a business venture in Ghana.
The suspect requested financial assistance from the victim on multiple occasions to purchase phones and laptops and also requested money to be sent through bank wires, international money service business transfers and couriers. The suspect promised to repay the victim, but always provided excuses to appease the victim’s suspicions.
Durham Police are issuing a warning here to all Internet users to be aware that criminals will often use legitimate dating websites to identify and target persons in search of companionship. Suspects will often forward a glamorous photograph and assume that person’s identity or in some cases, will hire actors who will have a remote video/audio (Skype) conversation or pose as being in the hospital in need of medical assistance. This type of scam is especially damaging to victims who often refuse to believe they are being defrauded until nothing is left financially. These types of scams often last several months or years and can lead to both emotional and financial burdens.
Investigators are offering some advice to those using dating websites:
– Do not provide your personal information through e-mail or chat
– Never send money or provide banking/credit information to someone you do not know or trust (trust should not be established strictly through long distance communication)
– Never send compromising photos of yourself that could be later used for extortion purposes.
– Ask yourself: would someone declare their love to me after only a few e-mails?
– Talk to your trusted friends and family members as they are often more objective than you are.
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