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The U.S. State Department has issued warnings for users of Internet dating services. People posing as eligible singles are turning out to be scam artists from Nigeria and other countries.
CBS station in Denver KCNC-TV's reporter Rick Sallinger spoke with victims of the fraud.
Shawn Bland of Aurora, Colo. was hoping to find a companion so he signed up to become a member of the Web site Singlesnet.com. It didn't take long before he received an approach from someone calling herself Kelly Williams.
The picture Bland received was that of a beautiful woman. Williams said she would "never lie to him, never cheat him, and she wanted to be with him forever."
Her profile on the Web site indicated she was from Oregon. But after several rounds of Internet communications, Williams told Bland she was actually living in Africa and needed some money.
"Well hunnie am planning to come back to state," Williams wrote in bad English adding, "I have a little problem about to complete my flight ticket. I want you to help me with funds."
This sounded very familiar to U.S. Postal Inspector John Salanitro. He said the next step is the scam artist sends the victim a phony check or money order.
"They will tell the victim please cash that and wire a percentage of the amount and keep the rest for your troubles," Salanitro said.
Pamela Duncan of Colorado also went on the Internet through Singlesnet.com in search of love. Someone calling himself Anthony Little found her. He said he had a son and sent a photo of himself and a young boy.
"They tell you that you are Godsend that you are beautiful, that you are an angel falling from heaven," Duncan said.
Little sometime later claimed he was working in Nigeria and needed help with money for a plane ticket to Denver to visit Duncan. She sent $700, but when the plane was to arrive at Denver International Airport there was no Anthony Little and no son.
"It made me feel I was violated, it was almost like rape," Duncan said.
She searched the Internet and found a picture of her "Anthony Little" on a Web site called Romancescams.org. Now she has joined that group to alert others to beware.
"I have met people on RomanceScams.com who have lost their homes, their businesses. I have heard of people losing $50,000," Duncan said.
Despite that she is not giving up looking for love online.
Shawn Bland is dumping the so-called "Kelly Williams" for a new prospect in Oklahoma. He believes she is real.
Quin Lipin the owner of Singlesnet.com told CBS4 such scams are common all throughout the Internet.
"People try to take advantage of other people by pretending to be whoever they want to be," he said.
Lipin said his Web site has blocked communications from Nigeria, but the scammers can mask their addresses to get around that. He said his company will delete an account if they believe it is involved in fraud.
Romancescams.org urges users of Internet dating services to be careful when receiving contact from people using bad grammar and asking for money. Its Web site is filled with information on how to avoid becoming trapped in such fraudulent schemes.
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