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Complaint 260523 Details

Met Richard Strauss on Match.com. We were both getting off the site (contracts expiring)so we exchanged email addresses (his was/is [email protected]).He said he was widowed for 1 year and had moved from New Jersey to KC, KS to leave behind the memories. Handsome looking gray haired 65 year old man. Supposedly he had friends in KC KS and was an indepenedent contractor that built buidings around the world. Recent jobs had been in Europe. He was Norweigian by birth but had lived in the states for 20 years. He said he had an accent, which later I discovered was true (we talked by phone many time-however his voice sounded a bit young). He didn't want to meet in person right away, as he wanted to take time to get to know one another. Over the first two weeks he said "I'm falling for you" and started all the romantic type emails. I told him that we had to meet in person before I could make those kind of statements. He said he was working on several bids for some big projects oversees and he was swamped and stressed getting them done. Once they were done we could meet. This went on for another 2 weeks. Then he said he had to fly to NYC for one of the bids to do an additional presentation for the UK company. After that he said he was awarded the bid and he was going to Ghana, West Africa to get the paperwork signed by the CEOS and get the project started. It was only a week and he would return to KC and we would finally meet. His emails got more and more romantic..."thinking of you all the time....can't wait to hold you in my arms...you are my sun and my moon...you make getting up each day exciting"....so on. Once he was in Ghana he sent a confrmation for his trip home on KLM Airlines. The next day he called and said his wallet had been left in the cab on the way to the airport and someone had stolen it. He didn't have $$ for his plane ticket. He said that the project company was able to give him $2000, but he needed $700 more. I offered to loan it to him as long as he agreed to repay me as soon as he was home. He was gracious and thankful for my generosity. I wire the $$ to Ghana through Money Gram. Then he called and said he needed $400 more as there was some new law in Amsterdama (connecting flight) that required proof of currency on hand in case of getting stranded there. So I wired him $450 more. He sent me the new "paid" ticket confirmation and called saying he was boarding. He texted me "I'm in the air babe, can't wait until I can hold you in my arms and kiss you." I love you so much", were his last words to me. When I showed up at the airport to pick him up he wasn't there. The airline agent said he'd cancelled the ticket and was never on board. So it was all a scam and he ended up with a pocket full of money. I ended up with a financial burder and a broken heart.

After researching everything (I didn't list ALL the details of our 6 week communication above, including me checking his supposed identity, address, etc,) I discovered that anything having to do with requests for wire transfers to Nigeria and Ghana is a right out scam. I only wish I'd know that before I'd wired the money. Now I know better and hope this helps someone else from getting scammed.

Catherine