As promised, here is part 1 of my scam diary. I have not changed or corrected the emails from my scammer, so everybody can read the way he wrote. And excuse me for any mistakes I eventually made, but I am German and not a native english speaker
, but I am trying to do my best.
86 % likelihood, Accra, Ghana
Divorce before the Marriage
November 2012
Everything began in October 2012. I had registered myself at Friendscout24.de, a German dating site, to see if somebody would be out there for me and if I could fall in love again. I don’t know if I would have registered there, if I would have known, what was going to happen.
After I have chatted with some guys, even met one in person, I searched on my dream dates on Oct 28. I found one interesting profile of a man, dressed in a snow suit, sunglasses and a cap. Not much to see.
His motto was: I am really in need of a partner who will be with me forever.
He was a widower with one daughter, living in Zurich, Switzerland.
As he had made me curious about him, I sent him a message. It would have been better, if I would not have done this.
On October 30, I received an answer, that his name is Phillip M. and that his German is not very good. On Oct. 31, I replied in English. I gave him my E-mail address and asked if he could send me some of his pictures without sunglasses, as I wanted to see his eyes. He replied the same day sending me pictures of him and his daughter.
That is, how everything started. And have no idea how it will end.
It turned out pretty quickly that he was not a widower, but divorced, his ex-wife sitting at the moment in prison for drug offenses, his daughter living with his father in Canada, and he stationed at the moment in Afghanistan for the U.S. Army. Of all things Afghanistan, at the moment the worst country in the world for me, where I would never go, under any circumstances.
But he told me soon, he would end his service for the U.S. Army on Dec. 5, 2012 and would be “Civilian” after that.
Up to Nov. 06, we have only exchanged Emails. But what kind of mails! Every day, morning and night, he sent me messages with poems, with declarations of love, which I thought at the beginning as unrealistic, since we didn’t know each other personally and we should get to know each other in person before we can speak of love. But his messages were so beautiful and he had started calling me "Honey", as I now was his great love, and I was looking forward more and more every day to his messages. On Nov. 06, I set up a Skype account so we could chat directly. On that day he told me he wanted to live with me, his daughter Petra and my son together in Munich. I should buy a house for this. I refused to buy a house, since I didn’t had the money. He told me that he could send me some money and I should look for a 4-bedroom-house. I told him, we could do this together after his arrival here. And that evening I told him that I love him, what has made him probably very happy (haha). At that time I was already very much in love with him and so worried that nothing would happen to him in this terrible country. I couldn’t eat anymore, could only think about him the whole time and I was only waiting for my chats with him on Skype. Even dancing, my hobby wasn’t fun for me anymore, as I could only think of him. Of course, we still exchanged mails every day. He always sent me wonderful love poems that would easily win the heart of every woman.
On Saturday, Nov. 10, we had the next longer chat and this day changed everything.
We started chatting already in the afternoon, for several hours. My son had made muffins, for which I didn’t have time then.
That day, Phillip was not very talkative, spoke only of the many soldiers who have died in this terrible country. I asked him what was going on and he told me, I should not tell anyone about this, nobody should know what he wants to tell me now. He informed me that a year ago, he and his boys found a suitcase with a lot of money in a destroyed house of a minister in Kandahar (where the minister and his daughter had died). They took the money and divided it among themselves and kept everything a secret. His share would be for a year now under his bed. I asked how much this was. 1.5 million $. He told me that he wanted to send this money to me. I was shocked. Should I hide this money under my bed, or what I should do with it? Phillip also sent me a picture of the money. He said that he would go on Monday to the UN office, get a suitcase, put the money in there plus gifts for me and my son, then find a Diplomat who would bring me the suitcase to Munich. We continued chatting for some more time, where he assured me his love and I also told him that I love him more than anything and wanted to be with him.
After the chat, my son was angry that I didn’t have time for him and his muffins. He wanted to know what was so important that I had time for nothing else.
(Update on Mar. 03, 2013) I will write down what happened until January 23, when I started to write regularly. As everybody can see in this text, I was convinced at that time to be chatting with the man from the pictures. And I was so much in love, even I had never seen him personally, never talked to him personally, only written on Skype.
Where should I start? Well, I better continue with Saturday, the 10th of November 2012. I asked my son if he could guess with whom I had been chatting on Skype. He told me, with an impostor (how right he was). I told him it was a Canadian who is somewhere in the east at the moment, for a peace keeping mission. After a while, my son guessed Afghanistan, didn’t find anything fraudulent in this, but said he would not be interested in that "random guy" from Afghanistan.
Since, at first, I assumed that everything was true what Phillip told me, I was thinking what to do with the money and how this should work out. I panicked and had nightmares, thinking, that I could not bring the money to the bank just like this. I then wrote Phillip, that I couldn’t take the suitcase with the money. In the evening I had met with my girlfriend and told her everything about it. She also said not to take the money, even though she liked the guy on the pictures. Phillip replied, if I had no confidence in him, he could delete his account and this would not be illegal, bloody money (like I said), but it would be his money and he would deserve it. I begged him not to delete his account (if only I would not have begged him), but to stay with me (which was on Monday night). On Tuesday, the 13th of November, we continued sending emails to each other back and forth. I finally agreed to take the money and store it in a locker until Phillip would come to Munich. I did not want to have the suitcase stored under my bed. Phillip found a Chinese Diplomat, sent me his ID card as proof and this Diplomat should then fly from Kabul via Cairo and Accra in Ghana to Munich. This seemed very strange to me, also because Phillip told me, the Diplomat would be in Munich on November, the 15th and that would have been very fast for such a detour. The next day, the Diplomat called me from Ghana. At first, I asked him unsuspectingly when he would arrive in Munich. But then he told me to send him € 5,000, because the authorities in Ghana would need an Anti-Terrorist-Certificate. I was shocked, told Phillip M. that he had put me in an impossible situation, because I didn’t have the money and what he was thinking about. I told the Diplomat that he should go to the next bank and get the money with his credit card. He would get the money back from Phillip M. who is a General, as Phillip told me. For the next few days, emails went back and forth, the Diplomat repeatedly with incomprehension why I could not send the money; I would be Mrs. M., the wife of a General. After a few days of email-exchange, the Diplomat said that he had € 1,000, which he could spare, I should send the rest, which would be 4.000 €.
I went to my bank and renewed my loan. I received 4.000 € from them, which I tried to send via Western Union to Ghana. They refused. I went to Money Gram, they refused as well. And every time I told Phillip M. that this doesn’t work, he was angry that I would not trust him that I should try to do my best for him, as he couldn’t do it himself, as he was not able to send any money out of Afghanistan.
I then put the money in a parcel, along with a book, and sent the package via UPS to Ghana. I wrote Phillip: “I just kissed my money good bye." No great reply came. Two days later, the money arrived in Ghana. During these 2 days, I had several phone calls with this Diplomat. I thought that everything would be ok now but the Diplomat told me that the Minister of Interior does not want to sign the documents, unless he is receiving another € 2.000. I was so stupid again and tried to raise the money. My friend R. gave me € 1,000 and another friend also 1.000. I took 500 € from my bank account and sent the 2.000 € via Western Union to a different address in Ghana. By then, it was already November, the 28th, 2012. After that, the Diplomat sent me a copy of the Anti-Terrorist-Certificate and the receipt by email, all two documents issued in my name. When I held these documents in my hands, I had something like a nervous breakdown. I cried and laughed at the same time, I felt so sick. I sent a short message to Phillip M.: “I have the documents in my hands. I love you so much.” My two colleagues tried to help me, closed the door, so nobody would notice the condition I was in. Especially K. took me in her arms and I showed her Phillips “Looking-good-picture”. She told me she had a good feeling about this, that it would end well and her feelings had never betrayed her until now. If only she would be right!
The Diplomat wanted to take the next morning a flight to Munich. I had checked when the flights leave and they were only going in the evening, either via Lisbon or Frankfort. He would have been in Munich on Nov. the 30th. He told me he would take the Lufthansa-Flight via Frankfort and would arrive in Munich at 7 a.m., on Friday, Nov. 30th. I took the day off. On Nov 29, I waited the whole day for the Diplomat to call me, telling me when he arrives so I could pick him up at the airport. Sometimes in the afternoon he finally called, telling me that the Anti-Terrorist-Certificate was no longer valid and the authorities at the airport wanted a new certificate. Cost: € 7000. This was the end for me, for the moment. The Diplomat told me he would get € 2,000 from his wife and I should still pay € 5,000. On Monday, Dec. the 3rd, I wanted the go to a bank again to ask for a loan. On Saturday, Phillip M. and I had a chat on Skype. He sent me per email his Canadian passport and his Military ID card. I noticed that on his passport was written in French "Canadienne" and not "Canadien". He would not be a woman after all. His birthplace was also Ottawa and not Dublin, as he had told me. But I didn’t pay attention.
On Sunday, Dec. the 2nd, I did some research and found the passport of the Diplomat. This “Diplomat” Li Y., whose passport already expired in 2004, was a Chinese refugee who escaped together with his wife to their son in Australia. He was harassed by the Chinese Government because of a special treatment he undertook for his diabetes. It was the exact same passport with the exact same picture. Only in the copy I had, the expiry date was 2014. In the original passport was written UNEMPLOYED, in the copy I had EMPLOYED. Of course the Chinese letters hadn’t been changed and still showed UNEMPLOYED. The same day, I asked Phillip M. who he really was. I don’t know nor can’t I explain how he managed to convince me that he is in fact the man from the pictures and I should not believe everything written in Google. But my doubts were there.
On Monday, I went to a bank to ask for a loan of another € 5,000. But they would have given me only € 3,000. I told Phillip M. that I would not get any money. The Diplomat left during the week from Ghana, because he wanted to return to his family. The box with the money stayed with the airport police in Accra. During this time, Phillip and I only argued, he only repeated himself "Honey, I do not know what to do", what I hated to hear all the time. I could not and did not want to understand how this man from the pictures could be so stupid. He just didn’t look like it. Besides, I thought that there must be a way for a Major General of the U.S. Army to get some money. Most of the time Phillip M. only chatted with me for a while then he stopped talking to me. On Thursday, Dec. 06th I was on the phone with my friend R. while I was online on Skype, Phillip was online too, but did not contact me. I didn’t go to my dance class this evening, as it was quite late. I had just hung up, when Phillip contacted me all of a sudden, asking me how I am doing, that he misses me and loves me. I thought he didn’t want to talk to me anymore. He told me that of course he would still love me and he would now fly to Accra himself, get the box and then come to Munich. I was once again happy, thought he is the man from the pictures. I asked him to call me when he would be in Ghana, what he promised.
I didn’t hear from him on Friday.
December 08, 2012
Saturday afternoon I finally received his call – from Ghana. But this was never the voice of an American or Canadian! This was the voice of a black guy who didn’t even speak English very well. He pronounced his last name in such a strange way, he had no American accent. I was totally confused. We didn’t talk very long. He told me on Skype that the connection was bad, as always. I replied that I didn’t understand the whole thing and when he would finally come to Munich. He started talking again about the money he would need, in order to get his box from the police. They wanted 7.000 € from him. After a while we were only fighting with each other, because I told him that I didn’t had this money and he only repeated his standard sentences like: „Do you really love me?“ „Do you really care about me? “. „Please, you have to help me one more time!“ I got so angry and told him to start by giving me back my 6.000 €. He replied: „You will get your f.cking 6.000.“
December 09, 2012
On December 09 the same game continued. I will get my f.cking 6.000, but I will get it by surprise. He stopped talking to me after this. Three hours later he was back online again. No more talk about my f.cking 6.000. I was his honey again. He wanted another 3.000 € from me, as he had received 1.000 € from his friend Oliver. He had paid 6.000 $ to the police already. I asked him how much he had left. He told me 750 $ which he would need for the Hotel and the internet. He still wanted to come on Dec. 10th to Munich, but was still in that shitty country. He told me the whole time that he wanted to come to me, but only after he received the money for the police, which I should send him as “his wife to be”. I told him that I didn’t had the money and no possibility to get more. It was his money he would have to find a solution, not me. After that he told me he was feeling sick and weak.
December 11, 2012
On the 11th of December we chatted the next time. The same discussion as always. At first, Phillip told me how much he loves me and that of course he needed money for his damn box. In the meantime we had arrived at 3.000 € which he wanted from me. But I refused every time because I didn’t have the money. Every time he told me: “We have to do this together. Send me the money and I will be with you tomorrow evening. “I told him that I am heartbroken and that I didn’t know who he really was, a black guy from Ghana or the man from the pictures. His next standard sentence was: „You don’t trust me, honey. Why? “
December 12, 2012
On December 12, we chatted again. He greeted me with „Hi honey”, I only with „Hi“. He asked me right away: “Why only Hi and not Hi honey?” After that we more or less continued arguing. In the meantime we had arrived at 2.000 € he still wanted from me. But I told him that he was a black guy from Ghana. He got angry and told me that he was not looking like a monkey. At the end he only threw words at me like “Bullsh.t” or “your f.cking money”. I was at the end, I was devastated, and I couldn’t believe how awful I felt, that this man was such a nightmare, a never ending nightmare. The whole time I looked at the pictures I had and told to myself that this is never the man with whom I am chatting. Already a t that time I didn’t think of that man being such a weirdo. This man looked so proud and sure of himself. My doubts grew. Phillip told me he would come to Germany, give me my f.cking money and then go back to his daughter Petra. I only told him: “So be it. “
December 15, 2012
Then, he changed his tactics, asked me why I send money to other men. I didn’t understand that at first but his feelings told him that I had found another man. Several times he told me he is the only one who loves me and he would like to come to Munich and he would show himself to me and my son. I told him he should leave my son out of this because my son had seen my crying many times. I asked him if he would need a visa for Germany. He thought he wouldn’t need one if he gets an invitation from me. Of course, as a Ghanaian man he would need an invitation, but a Canadian would never need such an invitation. Of course, this dumba.s didn’t know this.
I asked him what kind of a General he is, Brigadier General or Major General? He told me he is a Major General. I replied that he would have Payroll O-8 then. He said that I would know a lot. I told him that I know a lot more and that I am not so dumb.
Of course we were talking again about the damn box and the money he needed. When I told him that I didn’t have any money he replied with his stereotype sentence: „I really don’t know what to do“. This proud and self-confident man not knowing what to do? I couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t hear it anymore.
On December, 16th, we chatted almost the whole day. In principle of the same thing the whole time. When I wanted to know something about him, he only told me he is in love with me so he would not have to give me an answer which would have betrayed him. He also told me that he feels week, probably because of the food and the water in Ghana. I told him I was going to look if I can get the remaining 2.000 € for him, but I never had the intention to do so. I was just tired about these endless discussions.
December 17, 2012
This was a Monday. Phillip asked me if I had been to a bank, which I denied, because I didn’t had time for it. I told him I would go on Tuesday and try to get the money.
December 18, 2012
Just the same discussions as always on this day. I told him that I would not get any loan, which I had never applied for it anyway. On December, the 19th, I sent him an email telling him that I didn’t want to spend Christmas with him, because I had to recover from everything that happened to me the last 2 months.
December 21, 2012
This day, Phillip told me that he was in hospital because he had Malaria. And he also told me that the Ghanaian doctors were stupid and Africa would be a stupid country. I told him, Africa is not a country, but a continent. But for now, only his health was important. We didn’t talk about the box and the money anymore. He told me that I would be the only person he had in his life, his lover. I replied that I would still be without lover and alone at home. I went dancing afterwards. Phillip wanted to wait for me. When I came back home, he wasn’t online anymore.
December 23, 2012
He was still in hospital, but felt better already. He told me he would be able to go home on the 24th. He wanted to ask me something but didn’t dare. I told him to give it a try. He asked me if I could send him 450 € so he could pay the hospital. The hospital bill would cost 850 €, but he had only 400 € with him and I should send him the rest. This was 450 € too much for me. I told him that I had received a Christmas gratification and I was glad that I was able to pay back my friends and I would not spend 450 € for nothing. He became angry, told me, his health was not “nothing”. I said that I would not have any proof if he is telling me the truth. I could ask the doctor tomorrow, he replied. I only said then, is the doctor the same as the Diplomat, only he could „play“ doctor tomorrow. Come on, honey, was his only reaction. I wanted to have proof I wanted to see him on cam. But of course, he didn’t have any cam. But he wanted to see me on cam.
I told him per email that on the website of the US-Army they were warning the people about scammers, stealing pictures of other people and pretending to be that person and wanting money from their victims. And I also wrote him that I couldn’t believe that he is the man from the pictures. This man from the pictures would never act like this, would never abase himself, to beg a strange woman to send him money. Phillip replied to me then, he knew now what I meant. His pictures had been stolen and were found on loomin.de, a site for sexual adventures. I asked him, how he knew? The hotel manager had found out.
On the 24th of December, he sent me this email:
Hi Honey,
Another year is coming to an end... It’s a time to renew your hope, to try and hear the birds singing, to thank God for every ray of sun he sends to lighten up our days.
The time has come to think everything that has happened to think what will be better next year, certainly! May our difficulties in the past inspire us to move on firmly, may our problems help us to find solutions and to fight for better ideals, without losing our care.
May love be stronger than anything...
Merry Christmas to you my LOVE!!
With a lot of care and sincere hope,
Phillip.
December 26, 2012
On this day I told him that I would feel lonely. He said he wanted to come to Germany, but I would not have wanted. Yes, and what would I have gotten? The man from the pictures or somebody else? He said again that he is in fact the man from the pictures. But I did not want to believe him anymore, I wanted proof. In the meantime I had found the website
http://www.romancescam.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and had already read some stories. The scales fell from my eyes and I realized that I had fallen just for such a scammer and a liar. My world collapsed.
December 27, 2012
I registered at romancescam.com, posted everything, all pictures, the fake passports and certificates. I also reported everything to the IC3 and then later by mail to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. I didn’t tell this Phillip M. of course.
The next email came on Jan. 1st, 2013
HI Honey,
I have been so happy by your side that my biggest desire this new year is that this remains. Of course it depends on someone up above, so we can have health and force to find prosperity.
My love, if the beginning of the year is the perfect opportunity to renew our hopes, I will renew my wish to god, to have you always by my side, offering me attention, your care, because it’s fundamental to my physical and spiritual comfort.
On the other hand, I don’t want you to feel responsible for me. I don’t want you to think I’m always depending on you. I just want you to know how important you are in my life and in my day – by – day routine, and I wish that your company ireal and present for years, and years… 2013, 2014, 2015, always, always, always, because "I will always love you".
My dear, may this year begin again and bring you great things, and in the hardest situations, may you have strength to fight. Count on me always and have my sweet kiss. HAPPY NEW YEAR MY LOVE.
I replied
When have you been by my side the last year? You are still in that stupid country and how long will you remain there? For the rest of your live? If you are from Canada, why don't you go home? This does not make any sense to me. You are right; I don't feel responsible for you. You are supposed to be a grown up person who should be able to take care of himself and not abuse other people.
Thanks for your wishes, this year will in fact bring me great things, joy and happiness and love and also great change. This was my fondest wish for 2013 and it will come true.
That's nice of you to say that I can count on you, but how do you think this should work? What did you do until now to earn my trust? Not much, I am afraid. You only brought me tears and sorrow, humiliation, an empty account, a broken heart and 10 kg less weight (which is the only positive thing).
A happy new year to you as well, may everything turn out for the best.
On the 05th of January 2013, he asked me per mail how I feel. I answered that I am not feeling well at all and that everything is getting worse, that I miss him and I didn’t not know how to continue.
January 06, 2013
I let myself be persuaded again to chat with him on Skype.
We talked for a while, why I did not send him the money, since I was his only true love. But I would only listen to my son who was just a little boy. I became very angry and told him that my son was 23 years on that day and no little boy. My son saw me chatting with Phillip M. and became very angry. He told me to stop before I would ruin our lives.
January 08, 2013
The next time Phillip was very friendly with me, I was his honey. He told me about a boy (14 years), whom he had met, a son of the Hotel manager who would help him getting around in Accra (haha). I meant, since he had no cam so I could see him, he should at least send me a picture of him with that boy and some more pictures as well. He agreed to send me the pictures. He wanted to see me on webcam and stupid me turned the cam on so he could see me. I started crying again. I felt so desperate, even reading this right now (Mar. 30) makes me cry. But it was important for me to get more pictures of the man so I could post them at romancescam. Thereupon, Phillip sent me several pictures. One of them was called "Trave and Katelyn "; I knew then that the man must be called Travis and his daughter Katelyn. On one photo he was standing in the Louvre in front of a lion's head made of stone. The title on this picture said “showing who the real BAMF is in the Louve ". I had to check first what BAMF means and found out that it describes a man who knows his effect on women, a very confident man and sure of himself.
The next time we chatted on January 11. I asked Phillip where the photo had been taken who showed him in front of the lion's head. Phillip said in a Gym Centre in Ottawa, and BAMF would be the name of a large square in Ottawa (dumbass). I urged him to send me the picture with his new friend. He promised me to send it soon. And I should help him to finally get out of this stupid country, because he would love me so much. Since it was clear for me that he was never, ever the man from the photos, I didn’t tell him anymore that I loved him, but that I loved the man from the pictures and that I wanted to be with this man.
On January, the 13th, he sent me the picture with the 14- year-old boy. A horrible fabrication, which I immediately identified as a fraud. Even a blind man would have seen this. He wanted to see me on webcam again. I asked him if he could send me a picture in his uniform, he would definitely look good in it. I wanted this picture, because I was hoping to figure out the last name of Travis.
On January the 14th I wanted to go to the bank so I could send Phillip the remaining 2.000 € (at least that’s what I had told him). Then he didn’t hear anything from me anymore. I posted all the pictures I had at romancescam and also that I wanted to know Travis' last name. Fr. replied immediately, that I should not contact Travis. I never wanted nor will I do this, but I just wanted to know how he is, if he is alright, maybe to find out about him a little bit more. Fr. also warned me that these a**holes would be trying to scam me in a different way, if I didn’t send any money.
The next days I was not online on Skype, I didn’t send any emails, Phillip did not know what was wrong with me.
The next few days I received several emails
January 18, 2013
Hi Honey, I'm very worried about you now please let me hear from you if you are alive ok?
or is it because of the money? I love you not money ok? I really love you with all my heart if you listen to someone, you will end up losing someone you love so much. I love you and you will always remain in my mind honey Kisses.
January 19, 2013
Hi honey,
My love is a journey that starts with forever and ends at never. I will always love you my sweetheart. Remember you promise to love me forever why now honey?
You have to understand that your Son or your friends can't make you happy they can tell you anything they want but you remember that I'm the only man who can make you happy and also love to you. I love you and still do.kisses
Hi Honey, How are you doing my love? I will still called you Sweetheart because we where meant together, but I don't really know what's wrong with you my love, why do you want listen those they don't really even understand the meaning of love, let me tell something today and if you continue like this, you will lose the one you love so much in your whole life,
If you love someone, you have understand the person, respect, trust,care and also he the only one you share your Ideas with ok? I love you so much and I can't live without you ok, please respond, I'm the ONLY ONE for and not anyone. I LOVE YOU HONEY. I MISS YOU KISSES.
Hi honey, how are you this morning? are you doing well? I hope so honey. I missed you so very much.Honey I don't think you are with your mind now, and don't care what you or your son will think about me But all what I know is that I LOVE YOU
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2013 09:17:07 +0000
Subject: Re: RE: hi honey
Hi Honey
Good morning and how are you doing sweetheart? I want you to know that nothing can stop me from loving you ok? I love you so very much honey. Please let me hear from you even if you dont have the money ok? I missed you honey.
Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android
As I didn’t reply, he changed his tactics again:
January 22, 2013
Hi honey, how are you doing today honey? I wish you good luck with your new man Okay? I know you are doing all this because of him so I want to give you the chance to go ahead and do whatever you want to do, I think I'm also very nice and strong enough to another woman to make my good life with. BYE
Another goodbye out of many in two and a half months. But at that time I didn’t care anymore, because I knew that he was not the man from the pictures.
Now I'm finally through the missing days (March 30, 2013). Sometimes, the pain to go through this again, was almost unbearable. There are times when I can’t stop crying and I am so sad, although it is slowly diminishing. From now on, I will continue with the new date, when I started to write regularly.
January 23, 2013:
It still hurts and I do not know how long this will last. I am not giving up hope that I will meet Travis one day. I will not give up and keep trying to find out Travis’ last name. I'll find him.
But after that, I don’t know. The worst part is that Travis does not even know I exist; he has no idea that his pictures were stolen. He's probably married and the chance to meet him is close to zero. I do not even know if he's still alive. He is or was in any case in Afghanistan or Iraq, in one of these countries.
After I did some more research, I found some unbelievable facts. The man, who told me his name would be Phillip M. and into whom I had fallen in love with, was nothing but a black idiot from Ghana, a scammer, a liar, a bastard. Sending me wonderful words, love poems and declarations of love plus stolen photos of Travis, he tried to tell me that he is that man. But he is not the only one making money this way. Hundreds or even thousands are doing this every day, telling their victims beautiful words of love, breaking their hearts because it’s mostly women, but also men who are only looking for one thing: a new partner they can love and are very vulnerable because they are honest and believe the wonderful words of love.
The same thing happened to me. I fell in love with the pictures of this man, I believed the beautiful words, and I thought that he is the man with whom I chat on Skype. Couldn’t believe my luck that this man was interested in me, I dreamed and hoped he would come to me on the 05th of December and we would have a future together. Even when he wanted money, I tried everything to get the money to help him, was so naive and blinded by love that I did not realize who he really was. The signs were often there, how many times did I ask him about more details, his Division, the Department he was working for, where he was stationed and much more. Always only vague hints, which should have made me suspicious, made me in fact suspicious, but I didn’t want to admit it, because I had fallen in love with him and wanted nothing more than to be with him. Son of a bitch !
I have sent € 6000 to that dumbass, fool that I was, until I started doing some research.
On the Facebook-site of the U.S. Army I found a chapter, where they were warning about such scammers. I had filed a complaint with the IC3, found the website romancescam.com, where I posted everything, all photos and documents I had. I also sent an email to the Canadian Anti-Fraud center, as they are doing the research when it comes to fraud with Canadian passports. And Phillip M. has sent me "his" passport saying that he is a Canadian citizen and born in Ottawa. At first he had told me that he was born in Dublin, Ireland and raised in Ottawa. My gut tells me, however, that the real Travis is an American.
I am constantly surfing in the Internet, in the office, at home, with my cellphone. I start getting problems because my boss notices that something is wrong. I cannot tell him why. Never in my life have I been in such a situation. I was in love many times in my life, but it has never been so bad, I had never been so desperate, I had never cried so many times. Why? Is it my age? Because of my age, everything is not so simple anymore? Because I realize that I still have feelings? So many years I didn’t want any men. Was hurt too often by them that I could not imagine being in bed with one or for that matter have one in my life. And now, I imagine day and night nothing else than to be with Travis, to be loved by him, everything! I look at his pictures for hours, listen to music, I've heard the last 2 months over and over again and cry every time I hear it. And yet I cannot do otherwise at the moment. I'm trying to get support from romancescam. There's a forum page, the "healing process", where I read often, write and weep while I am writing. How long will this continue? Never in my life I was hurt this bad, I have never felt so awful and so desperate. And until now no prospect of improvement.
From November 2012 until now I have lost at least 10 kg. Especially from November 2012 just before Christmas (6 weeks), I lost already at least 8 kg, because I could not eat anything, I could not sleep. Now I am starting to eat at some extent, my appetite is coming back, although there are always days where I'm just in despair and those days are still in the majority. The good thing is that I am getting slimmer and I start feeling more comfortable, I need new clothes, because nothing fits me anymore. My chances with other men are increasing, but I want only One person!
In the meantime I have found also real men at Friendscout and I have met two of them. J. is a nice guy who has such a sweet smile and I like him as well, but he is shorter than me (well, only his appearance). D. is also very nice and good looking, but a bit boring, something is missing. I have invited him to dinner on Sunday. He looks like he has fallen in love with me. But if today Travis would contact me, I would just want to see him. Travis is the embodiment of a man, a man with power and passion; I would do anything for him. When I look at his body and his face, my heart skips a beat, I just want this body, want to be kissed by those lips, and cannot imagine ever wanting another man. With this man I could let go completely, I would go for him to the end of the world and back.
I have one picture of Travis which is my favorite. His daughter is looking over his shoulders and Travis looks with so much love into the camera so that on one side it hurts me to see this, because he is probably looking at his wife taking the picture, on the other hand, I imagine, he would look at me like that.
I also have a picture with a date; January 11th, 2012, taken a year ago. On that picture he is at some kind of reception, dressed in a suit and looks at the camera without smiling, but his lips are so sensual that I want to kiss them day and night. This is the first photo I got from this scammer, one without sunglasses. Travis eyes and lips have fascinated me already then.
Phillip M., this scammer does not resign to contact me by email. I have removed him from my contacts on Skype, so he can no longer see when I'm online. Today, he has not contacted me yet. Yesterday, I have sent him an email with the lyrics from Cher's song "strong enough". Maybe he understands now. But I don’t think so.
Now I'm strong enough to live without you
Strong enough and I quit crying
Long enough now I'm strong enough
To know you've gotta go
There's no more to say
So save your breath and walk away
No matter what I hear you say
I'm strong enough to know you've gotta go
I have been warned at romancescam that he or his gang will maybe try again to contact me under a different name. I have taken my precautions. People contacting me at Friendscout in English, will have their emails checked where they really come from. I'm going to be a Scambaiter. I also collect the photos I receive and post them at romancescam and the morons never hear from me again.
What I also need to watch out for is that the Ghanaians do not attempt to impersonate the FBI, that they have taken the scammer into custody and that I would get my money back, but only by paying a fee. This is also scam and I will post it immediately at romancescam. I have to continue to be extremely careful. And I should no longer stay in contact with Phillip M., neither by email nor via Skype. Sometimes this is very difficult; it is somehow a connection to Travis, even if it is unreal. But Phillip M. knows Travis’ real name and where the pictures come from. And I would like so much to know more about Travis and where these scammers have found the pictures.
But I have to try to find this without Phillip M. I am already heartbroken by this whole event. I continue to look on hundreds of pages, dating sites, Facebook and my space to find pictures of Travis, but so far only with limited success. Only on mingle2 I have found a photo where he is registered as a single parent in Canberra under the name " Sumtinspecial ", but has not been active for quite some time, just like at Friendscout. Who knows, maybe this is just a scammer as well, maybe even the same. Maybe I should also register at mingle2, you can find people worldwide. I could look for a partner in Australia, Canada or America. This is actually THE idea.
I don’t know what 's wrong with me , but my hormones are going completely haywire and my son is right telling me that I am in the mid-life crisis . Why am I so eager to finally have a partner in my life, to have someone again who loves me?