There are a lot of people out there looking for a friend, or a lover, or maybe they just want to chat for an hour. Trust is essential for success in relationships. We want to trust the person we're having a friendly chat with, whether we hear their voice or read their texts.
The Internet provides a way to make friends instantly from anywhere in the world. But its anonymity and distance also offers a big field for scammers, criminals who exploit trust, friendship and longing for love as a means to theft.
Unfortunately, you can't trust online friendships. We're not being cynical, just realistic. Before you open your life, and more importantly your wallet, to a stranger you meet online, please make sure you know he or she is who they say they are. Online scams are not going away, whether you live in Ogden, Los Angeles, New York or Porterville.
We have a lot of respect for Ogden's Bert Raymond. The 70-year-old online scam victim is warning others not to make the same mistake he did. Raymond, looking for female friendship on the Internet, began chatting with a "woman" who said she was from Ogden. The conversation became more personal and eventually the woman began asking for money.
"I'm one of those good guys who will help anyone with a good story, so I started sending money until I depleted my savings," Raymond said.
Even after the scammer admitted she was from Nigeria, Raymond continued to send money, believing her story that she wanted to leave that country. Raymond finally filed an Internet fraud complaint with the FBI, but he's out $2,500 and likely will never see it again. He lives on a fixed income and has to find a part-time job to pay back the money he borrowed.
Again, it takes courage and character for Raymond to to relate his tale and warn others. He could have easily avoided telling anyone to escape the humiliation of seeking friendship from a scammer. We urge online chat users and others who may encounter these crooks -- be smart and be diligent. Never assume anything a stranger tells you online. You have to have a lot of proof of a person's story before you help.
These online scammers are scum, but they are also smart. They have honed their cons carefully, says Francine Giani, executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce. "These people develop elaborate schemes to have funds sent to them through wire transfers because they get their hands on the money before the person even knows they've been cheated," she said, adding there is no way to trace the money.
Raymond's lesson is one we all should learn: stay away from sad Internet tales, and don't send money to anyone you don't fully trust.
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