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 Post subject: Oregon Woman Loses $400,000 to Nigerian E-Mail Scam
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:14 pm 
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Location: WI
Oregon Woman Loses $400,000 to Nigerian E-Mail Scam

Monday, November 17, 2008

SWEET HOME, Ore. - An Oregon woman who is out $400,000 after falling for a well-known Internet scam says she wasn't a sucker or an easy mark.

Janella Spears of Sweet Home says she simply became curious when she received an e-mail promising her $20.5 million if she would only help out a long-lost relative identified as J.B. Spears with a little money up front.

Spears told KATU-TV about the scammers' ability to identify her relative by name was persuasive.

"That's what got me to believe it," She said. "So, why wouldn't you send over $100?"

Spears, who is a nursing administrator and CPR teacher, said she mortgaged the house and took a lien out on the family car, and ran through her husband's retirement account.

"The retirement he was dreaming of - cruising and going around and seeing America - is pretty much gone for him right now," she said.

She estimates it will take two years to clear the debt that accumulated in the more than two years she spent sending money to con artists.

Her family and bank officials told her it was all a scam, she said, and begged her to stop, but she persisted because she became obsessed with getting paid.

The scheme is often called the "Nigerian scam" and it's familiar to many people with e-mail accounts. It still exists and it still works.

Spears first sent $100 through an untraceable wire service as directed by the scammers. Then, more multimillion dollar promises followed so long as she sent more money.

The scammers sent Spears official-looking documents and certificates from the Bank of Nigeria and the United Nations. President Bush and FBI Director Robert Mueller were also involved, the e-mails said, and needed her help.

They sent official-looking documents and certificates from the Bank of Nigeria and even from the United Nations, saying her payment was "guaranteed."

But it wasn't and now Spears is paying the price for her costly lesson.

"The hope is [other people] are not going to fall as hard as I fell," Spears said.


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 Post subject: Re: Oregon Woman Loses $400,000 to Nigerian E-Mail Scam
PostPosted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 7:26 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 7:02 pm
Posts: 1
I just lost up to $30,000 to a scammer on a dating site. I totally understand. The only reason I kept talking to the guy online(IM) is I thought if I was patient enough, he would repay me. Fat chance. I have reported him to the IC3.gov site. I don't know whether it will do any good or not.

Are you aware of any other sites I could report him to? Stay strong, you will get through this. As, will I.

Take care,
Jeanne


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 Post subject: Re: Oregon Woman Loses $400,000 to Nigerian E-Mail Scam
PostPosted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:08 pm 
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 Post subject: Re: Oregon Woman Loses $400,000 to Nigerian E-Mail Scam
PostPosted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 1:44 am 
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Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 1:28 am
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You can also try to check and use Scam Search before engaging into someone else's business whom you don't know online.


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 Post subject: Re: Oregon Woman Loses $400,000 to Nigerian E-Mail Scam
PostPosted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 12:28 pm 
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Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 3:11 pm
Posts: 15
I lost 20.000 to a 419 scammer. And to top it off at the end of the 5 months, this man asked for my hand in marriage twice. Also I never met the man. The man insisted that I call him instead of him calling me. Towards the end of the communication he had won a settlement through a London court case of 1.2 million dollars and wanted to wire the monies to my bank or ask me to fly to the UK. Well I did not reveal any of my personal info, plus I did not have the monies to fly over there. Also, how would I know the person would be there to meet me. This person was to show up and meet me in my city 4 times and kept making excuses. Two of the items asked were my passport # and place of birth. I also read and noted this on one of the other posts on here that these people work in shifts to answer your emails. I was shocked. Also, I received a 4 calls a week ago at 4 am my time from these people claiming to work for the bank and also the man's lawyer. They wanted me to complete the transactions. I said, first of all, I am not awake and how dare you call me at this time. I also said this was a scam. And for my sake I have not heard back from them, on the other hand, if I ever saw any of these people, I would like justice to be served.
Thanks for your support. I have contacted the romancescam site, yahoo romance scam, internet love scam site, and cyber love. Cyber love directed me back to the yahoo site.


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