93) The Romance Scam

Dan was bored and lonely on a Friday night. He had no plans for the weekend, and his family and friends were busy with their own lives. He decided to check his social media accounts, hoping to find some entertainment or connection.

He scrolled through his Facebook feed, liking and commenting on some posts from his relatives and acquaintances. He saw a picture of his cousin’s new baby, a video of his friend’s dog doing a trick, and a meme about the latest political scandal. He felt a pang of envy and sadness, wishing he had someone to share his life with.

He switched to his Instagram account, where he followed some celebrities, influencers, and hobbies that he was interested in. He liked photography, travel, music, and sports. He saw some stunning photos of exotic places, some clips of his favorite songs, and some highlights of the recent games. He felt a surge of excitement and curiosity, wanting to explore the world and experience new things.

He noticed a new follower request from a profile that caught his eye. It was a woman named Jessica, who had a beautiful smile and sparkling eyes. Her bio said she was a nurse who loved traveling, hiking, and reading. She had posted some photos of herself in different locations, such as Paris, Rome, and New York. She also had some selfies with cute animals, such as a koala, a penguin, and a dolphin.

Dan felt intrigued by her profile. She seemed to have a lot in common with him, and she looked like his ideal match. He decided to accept her request and send her a message.

“Hi Jessica, thanks for following me. I love your photos, you have been to so many amazing places. Where are you from?”

He waited for a reply, hoping she would respond soon.

He didn’t have to wait long. Within minutes, he received a notification that Jessica had replied.

“Hi Dan, thank you for your message. You are very welcome, I like your photos too. You have a great taste in music and sports. I am from Los Angeles, but I am currently working in London as a nurse for an international organization. What about you?”

Dan felt a rush of adrenaline and happiness. She was from LA, just like him. And she was working in London, one of his dream destinations. He quickly typed back.

“That’s awesome, I am from LA too. I work as an accountant for a local company. I have always wanted to visit London, it looks so beautiful and historic. How do you like it there?”

He hit send and waited for her response.

He soon got another message from Jessica.

“I love it here, it is very different from LA. There is so much culture and history here. The people are very friendly and polite too. I have been here for six months now, and I have seen many places and learned many things. But I miss home sometimes too.”

She also sent him a photo of herself in front of Big Ben, smiling and waving at the camera.

Dan felt a surge of attraction and affection for her. She looked so happy and radiant in the photo. He wanted to see her in person and talk to her more.

He replied with a compliment and a question.

“You look gorgeous in that photo. Big Ben suits you well. What are some of the places you have seen and things you have learned?”

He also sent her a photo of himself in front of the Hollywood sign, grinning and giving a thumbs up.

He hoped she would like his photo too.

She did. She replied with another compliment and an answer.

“Thank you, you are very kind. You look handsome in your photo too. Hollywood is such an iconic place. Some of the places I have seen are Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, etc. Some of the things I have learned are how to drive on the left side of the road, how to make tea properly, how to say cheers in different languages, etc.”

She also sent him another photo of herself in front of Tower Bridge at night, holding a cup of tea.

Dan felt more drawn to her with every message and photo she sent him. She seemed to be having so much fun and adventure in London. He wanted to join her and share those experiences with her.

He replied with more compliments and questions.

“You are very welcome, you are very sweet too. You look stunning in that photo too. Tower Bridge is so beautiful at night. How do you make tea properly? What are some of the languages you can say cheers in?”

He also sent her another photo of himself in front of the Staples Center at night, holding a beer.

He hoped she would find him interesting too.

She did. She replied with more compliments and answers.

“Thank you again, you are very charming too. You look cool in that photo too. Staples Center is such a great place to watch sports. To make tea properly, you have to boil the water, put the tea bag in the cup, pour the water over the tea bag, let it steep for a few minutes, then add milk and sugar if you like. Some of the languages I can say cheers in are French (santé), Spanish (salud), Italian (salute), German (prost), etc.”

She also sent him another photo of herself in front of Westminster Abbey at day, holding a glass of wine.

Dan felt a connection and a spark with her with every message and photo she sent him. She seemed to be very smart and cultured. He wanted to learn more about her and her life.

He replied with more compliments and questions.

“Thank you once more, you are very intelligent too. You look lovely in that photo too. Westminster Abbey is such a historic place. How long are you staying in London? What are some of the things you like to do for fun?”

He also sent her another photo of himself in front of the Griffith Observatory at day, holding a book.

He hoped she would feel the same way about him.

She did. She replied with more compliments and answers.

“Thank you as well, you are very knowledgeable too. You look cute in that photo too. Griffith Observatory is such a scenic place. I am staying in London for another six months, then I will go back to LA. Some of the things I like to do for fun are hiking, reading, watching movies, listening to music, etc.”

She also sent him another photo of herself in front of Hyde Park at day, holding a book.

Dan felt a bond and a chemistry with her with every message and photo she sent him. She seemed to have a lot in common with him. He wanted to meet her and spend time with her.

He replied with more compliments and questions.

“Thank you too, you are very adventurous too. You look adorable in that photo too. Hyde Park is such a relaxing place. I can’t wait for you to come back to LA. What are some of the movies, books, and music you like?”

He also sent her another photo of himself in front of the Santa Monica Pier at day, holding a guitar.

He hoped she would want to meet him too.

She did. She replied with more compliments and answers.

“Thank you as well, you are very musical too. You look amazing in that photo too. Santa Monica Pier is such a fun place. I can’t wait to meet you too. Some of the movies I like are The Matrix, The Notebook, The Avengers, etc. Some of the books I like are Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, The Da Vinci Code, etc. Some of the music I like are Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, etc.”

She also sent him another photo of herself in front of the Eiffel Tower at night, holding a guitar.

Dan felt a love and a passion for her with every message and photo she sent him. She seemed to be perfect for him. He wanted to be with her and make her happy.

He replied with more compliments and questions.

“Thank you too, you are very artistic too. You look breathtaking in that photo too. Eiffel Tower is such a romantic place. I love you too. What are some of your dreams and goals?”

He also sent her another photo of himself in front of the Golden Gate Bridge at night, holding a rose.

He hoped she would love him too.

She did. She replied with more compliments and answers.

“Thank you as well, you are very romantic too. You look incredible in that photo too. Golden Gate Bridge is such a majestic place. I love you too. Some of my dreams and goals are to travel the world, help people in need, write a book, etc.”

She also sent him another photo of herself in front of the Colosseum at night, holding a rose.

Dan felt an ecstasy and a bliss with her with every message and photo she sent him. She seemed to be his soulmate. He wanted to marry her and make her his wife.

He replied with more compliments and questions.

“Thank you too, you are very amazing too. You look wonderful in that photo too. Colosseum is such an impressive place. I want to marry you too. Will you marry me?”

He also sent her another photo of himself in front of the Statue of Liberty at night, holding a ring.

He hoped she would say yes.

She did. She replied with more compliments and answers.

“Thank you as well, you are very awesome too. You look fantastic in that photo too. Statue of Liberty is such an inspiring place. I want to marry you too. Yes, I will marry you!”

She also sent him another photo of herself in front of the Taj Mahal at night, holding a ring.

Dan felt an elation and a joy with her with every message and photo she sent him.

Dan and Jessica continued their online relationship for months. They exchanged messages and photos every day, telling each other about their lives, their feelings, and their plans. They also called each other occasionally, using voice or video chat apps. They always found something to talk about, and they always made each other laugh and smile.

Dan felt happier and more fulfilled than ever before. He was deeply in love with Jessica, and he believed she was the one for him. He couldn’t wait to meet her in person and start their life together.

Jessica felt the same way about Dan. She was deeply in love with him, and she believed he was the one for her. She couldn’t wait to meet him in person and start their life together.

But Jessica had a secret. She was not who she claimed to be. She was not a nurse from LA working in London for an international organization. She was not even a woman. She was a man from Nigeria working in a cybercrime ring that specialized in romance scams.

Jessica’s real name was Emmanuel, and he had created Jessica’s profile using photos and stories of a real woman he had found online. He had also used a voice changer app and a deepfake app to make his voice and video calls sound and look like Jessica.

Emmanuel had targeted Dan because he had seen his profile on a dating site and noticed that he was single, lonely, wealthy, and gullible. He had studied his interests, hobbies, preferences, and personality, and crafted Jessica’s profile to match them perfectly.

Emmanuel’s goal was to scam Dan out of his money and personal information. He had used various social engineering techniques to manipulate him into trusting him, loving him, and doing what he wanted.

Some of the techniques he had used were:

• Reciprocity: He had given Dan compliments, gifts, promises, and expressions of love, making him feel obliged to return the favor.
• Commitment and consistency: He had made Dan commit to their relationship and future plans, making him feel consistent with his actions and words.
• Social proof: He had shown Dan photos of himself with other people or places, making him feel that he was popular and credible.
• Authority: He had claimed to be a nurse working for an international organization, making him feel that he was professional and trustworthy.
• Scarcity: He had told Dan that he would be back in LA soon, making him feel that he had a limited time to meet him and marry him.
• Liking: He had shown Dan that he liked the same things as him, making him feel that he was compatible and attractive.

Using these techniques, Emmanuel had gradually phished for Dan’s personal information, such as his full name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address, social security number, bank account details, credit card details, passwords, security questions, verification codes, etc.

He had done this by:

• Creating fake emergencies: He had told Dan that he needed money for various reasons, such as medical bills, travel expenses, legal fees, or taxes. He had asked Dan to send him money through a money transfer app or service or to buy him gift cards or cryptocurrency.
• Creating fake websites: He had sent Dan links to fake websites that mimicked the real ones of banks, government agencies, or charities. He had asked Dan to log in or fill out forms with his personal or financial information.
• Creating fake attachments: He had sent Dan attachments that contained malicious code that infected his devices or networks. He had asked Dan to open or download them.
• Creating fake verification requests: He had sent Dan verification requests that looked like they came from legitimate sources, such as his bank or email provider. He had asked Dan to provide his passwords, security questions, verification codes, etc.

Dan had fallen for all of these tricks. He had trusted Jessica completely and wanted to help her in any way he could. He had sent her thousands of dollars through various methods. He had given her all of his personal and financial information. He had opened or downloaded all of her attachments. He had provided her all of his verification details.

He didn’t realize that he was being scammed until it was too late.

One day, he was scrolling through the internet and saw an ad for a cyber security service that offered a free scan of his devices and networks. The ad claimed that it could detect any signs of hacking or phishing on his devices and networks.

Dan was curious and clicked on the ad. He followed the instructions and ran the scan on his devices and networks.

He was shocked by the results.

The scan revealed that his devices and networks were infected with malware that had stolen his data, monitored his activity, and controlled his access. The scan also revealed that his personal and financial information had been compromised and used for fraudulent purposes.

The scan showed him a list of the damages that had been done to him, such as:

• His bank accounts had been drained and his credit cards had been maxed out.
• His identity had been stolen and used to open new accounts, apply for loans, or commit crimes.
• His email and social media accounts had been hacked and used to send spam, malware, or phishing messages to his contacts.
• His devices and networks had been locked or encrypted and held for ransom.

The scan also showed him a list of the sources of the attacks, such as:

• The messages and photos he had received from Jessica.
• The links and attachments he had clicked on or opened from Jessica.
• The verification requests he had responded to from Jessica.

The scan also showed him a list of the evidence that proved that Jessica was a scammer, such as:

• The photos he had received from Jessica were stolen from a real woman’s online profile.
• The voice and video calls he had received from Jessica were altered by a voice changer app and a deepfake app.
• The websites he had visited from Jessica were fake and hosted on malicious domains.
• The emergencies he had heard from Jessica were fabricated and common in romance scams.

The scan also showed him a list of the recommendations that could help him recover from the scam, such as:

• Contacting his bank and credit card companies to report the fraud and freeze his accounts.
• Contacting the authorities to report the identity theft and file a police report.
• Contacting the credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on his credit reports and dispute any unauthorized charges or accounts.
• Contacting his email and social media providers to reset his passwords and secure his accounts.
• Contacting a cyber security expert to remove the malware from his devices and networks and restore his access.

Dan felt a wave of disbelief, anger, sadness, and shame. He couldn’t believe that Jessica was a scammer who had lied to him, manipulated him, and robbed him. He couldn’t believe that he had fallen for her tricks and given her everything. He couldn’t believe that he had lost so much money, information, and dignity.

He realized that he had been a victim of a romance scam, one of the most common and devastating forms of social engineering and phishing scams.

He realized that he had to take action to protect himself and his loved ones from further harm.

He realized that he had to learn from his mistake and educate himself and others about the signs and methods of these cyberattacks.

He realized that he had to move on with his life and find someone who truly loved him for who he was.

 

HeartThrob #FAE 
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BLOG POST 94: 94-the-mural-of-love

 WITH RESPECT TO: Yaeunda and The Genius Room  LitCreations and the anybodycangetit.io Family

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BLOG POST 1-100 INDEX:  blog-post-1-100-index

BLOG POST 101-200 INDEX (WIP)  blog-post-101-200-index-wip

 

 

Here is a blog I did on my Thoughts and struggles on a bad day (Depression) the-last-flower

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