Nigerian Romance Scam

[Burnaby49]

Things have been quiet on the 4-1-9 forum so I thought I'd throw this one in. Not the widow of a dead Nigerian dictator with millions to transfer if she only had a foreign bank account to send it to but an on-line romance scam. I have to say I don't understand how one can have a romance, or any real emotional connection at all, with a total stranger at the other side of an e-mail correspondence. However I have to admit that it once happened to a very close, very astute, family member that I've known all my life who I would have thought totally immune to this kind of thing so I have to assume we are all potentially at risk if caught psychologically vulnerable.

Anyhow this case was a 60ish woman in Victoria British Columbia (my home town) who was scammed out of $88,000, her life savings, by a Nigerian conman promising love and romance. Details are sparse but, when you get down to it, not necessary, we all know the story. The bank tried to talk her out of sending the money but to no avail. She only got skeptical when he cut off all contact after he got the funds.

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Vancou ... story.html

[The Observer]

And now a similar thing has happened to a woman in San Jose, Ca.