Internet Dating & Romance Scams
This website is one of the first to trumpet the wonders and delights of marrying a Filipina bride as an American. Sadly, it also has to be noted that the Philippines ranks number one for internet dating and romance scams. Such is the problem of countries such as the Philippines and Russia in terms of scams that both the U.S. Department of State and the British Foreign Office have issued warnings for people who have fallen in love with a national from one of those countries or is thinking of trying to find a wife from those countries. The majority of scams are aimed at eliciting money from the victim to pay for bogus expenses the poor scammer cannot afford themselves.
Love can be great and there is no better feeling than thinking you have found the one. She is beautiful, intelligent and shares the same morals and outlook. If you begin to think that the romance is too good to be true and that your beautiful Filipina might be not only part of a romance fraud, but also completely fictitious, then look out for the following signs.
Key Signs of a Scam
The first sign from someone who is met online on a dating or social website, is that their photo looks too professional or perfect. Beware such perfect photos. A real person will also show a range of realistic looking photographs. Also, check out their profile and ask yourself if the profile looks realistic. Are they talking like an individual or as a mass-produced profile churned out by someone who is trying to hit basic buttons. A lack of personality or realism might not be a true sign of a scam, but it helps build up a picture.
Major signs of a fraud take place during the actual conversations the two of you may have. Typical scams are looking for money rather than an actual visa. A first flag is the sheer unluckiness of your perfect date. The run of bad luck often includes illnesses, death in the family, muggings, beatings, hospital visits, funerals, car crashes, and all this will happen within the first few weeks or months of meeting you.
Consequences of Falling for a Scam
Maybe you are talking about meeting and marriage when this happens. Naturally you feel bad for them and then the scam date asks for help. It is also natural to want to help, but perhaps it is time to resist and think. There are many consequences of falling for such a scam.
The most obvious one is money. If you are caught by a scam romance, then you will lose whatever money you invest in your fake date. This could be a small amount, but typically the scammer will require a sizeable chunk of money. Such money could financially ruin some people who give in good faith.
There is also an emotional cost and a pride cost too. Whether the money has been paid in private or other people know about it, facing the consequences of what happened is extremely difficult for most people. It is not easy to admit to being conned. Furthermore, it breaks your trust in other people. Everyone wants people they meet and fall in love with to be genuine individuals and not fakes.
Reporting a Scam
Having noticed the scam and taken some steps to check things out, it is your duty to try and report the possible scam. This is not always easy, but there are some tools at your disposal. First, stop speaking with the scammer by ignoring phone calls, letters, email and instant messages, but do not delete recordable communications such as emails. Copy and print any documents.
If a payment has been made, see if the payment can be stopped or returned by speaking to your bank or Western Union. Report the scammer to the owners of the website you met on and warn other users; especially if you are able to figure out who has been communicating with them. Also check the FBI website for advice and information on what to do next. They will help you find out what documentation is needed to try and claw your money back.
Things You Should Do
Before getting dragged into a fake romance scam, it is best to think about how you are going to approach finding romance online. This is good for protecting yourself in terms of both your heart, your pride and your bank account, but also protecting those who care for you and maybe even for protecting your business. There are a few simple steps to take to avoid being dragged into a scam.
Insist on speaking via webcam and/or phone via the likes of Skype. This way, you can see them in the flesh (almost) and get a sense of how they are in a natural conversation. Scammers will try to avoid this. Ask for realistic photographs. Also, if you have spoken to other Filipinas online, compare how natural people speak. If two or more people are speaking in a very similar manner, they might be using scammer techniques.
Finally, connect via Facebook or other social media, this can help you find out a little more about her in terms of posts, friends, photographs and so on. Think to yourself, does this profile look realistic? By taking such basic steps you can find the real, true Filipina love that you deserve because there are so many real ones out there, and it would be a shame if the scammers ruin this.
