Troup County Sheriff’s Office Investigators are presently working on a case of “Nigerian Sweetheart Scam”. This type of elaborate scam is a variation of the many scams that originate in the Country of Nigeria. The U.S. Secret Service and other Law Enforcement Agencies across the Country have issued warnings on these types of scams, also known as "419" or "advance-fee" frauds.
The Nigerian scammers, commonly, post ads to online dating sites in “Sweetheart Scams” and lurk in chat rooms waiting on unsuspecting and lonely victims. Researching various news sources (articles online) reveals that they have been known to use aliases similar to "lonelyman38", “lostatlove” or "dumpedN2011." The scammer may even send flowers or candy, hoping to woo the lonely victim… The method for purchasing these items is via stolen credit cards. Once the victim is hooked, and the “love connection” has been made, the scam is in full swing!
Investigators with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office acquired a tip via email, which the LaGrange Police Department had received, from a business in San Diego, California in regards to credit card fraud. Business representatives in San Diego told TCSO Investigators that they had recently accepted approximately five or six large orders of expensive make up items to be shipped to an address in rural Troup County. After shipping the expensive items, the business had been notified by a credit card company that the cards which had been used to place the orders were reported as compromised accounts (or “hacked”). Therefore, the business in San Diego had suffered a loss of product and profit.
After inheriting the information from this tip, TCSO Investigators began looking into the complaint. Search Warrant in hand, they drove out to the address in rural Troup County and interviewed the residents on hand. At that point, it was discovered that a female at that address had previously met her “boyfriend” online. He had been urging her to receive packages for him, to ship to other locations inside the Continental United States and abroad.
One of the residents, from the address, was further able to produce a package containing a brand new Toshiba laptop which had been received in the same manner. Investigators from the Troup County Sheriff’s Office found out that the laptop had been purchased using a stolen credit card. According to the female in rural Troup County, she was instructed by her “boyfriend” to ship the laptop to another address in the United States. In all, this victim had also been bilked out of approximately $2,400.00 of her own personal funds.
During the course of their “Sweetheart Scam” investigation, the Troup County Sheriff’s Office has worked with six different agencies who have had identical scenarios occurring with hapless lovelorn victims in their jurisdictions. Investigators state that, on each shipment made from victims scammed by thieves using stolen credit cards, “high dollar items” such as iPads, stereos and other electronic equipment have eventually been transferred to addresses ultimately ending in Africa. In light of this fact, Federal Agents have now joined the inquisition to pursue the international scammers.
Sheriff Donny Turner asks that if you feel that you have fallen victim to this type of “Sweetheart Scam”, recently, please notify the Troup County Sheriff’s Office at (706)883-1616. He also offers advice to those who may become the prey of internet scammers:
• DO NOT click on links in an email from an unknown, or unfamiliar, source.
• DO NOT reply to unsolicited emails sent from companies that you are not familiar with.
• DO NOT accept instructions to hold/ship packages for someone you met online.
• DO NOT cash checks, or wire funds, for someone whom you have just met online.
• NEVER provide your personal banking account, or identification information, to anyone as a
result of an internet notification.
For more information on how you can protect yourself from internet crime and test your own online practices, please visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov. You may also visit www.TroupCountySheriff.org for more great Safety information!
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