Are you chatting to a genuine online dater or a Nigerian scammer? Become an online dating investigator and use these 5 Tips to spot a Nigerian dating scammer.
Before you start playing hot and frisky or declaring love to someone from an online dating site do a little research to find out if they are a Nigerian dating scammer.
First of all make sure you understand what the 419 internet dating scam is and how it works.
Remember these scammers are everywhere, not just in major online dating sites but also on forums and in chatrooms about every topic there is.
Even very small niche dating websites can occasionally let one slip through the net depending on how experienced the scammer is.
Now let’s start investigating this too good to be true, dying to get married to you person.
1. Trace the Dating Profile Photo
Is the dating profile photo just too good to be true, does it look like a model? If so it probably is.
The photo I have used on this post is one a Nigerian scammer stole from a model agency website and was using on online dating profiles.
However more sophisticated Nigerian scammers are now using very ordinary holiday snaps they find around the internet.
So either copy the images from their profile if the website hasn’t blocked the copy feature or ask the person to email you their photo’s .. now go to TinEye.com and upload the photo’s.
Tineye is a reverse image search engine and will find the image online even if it has been altered.
This will tell you where the original photo was uploaded, eg a model agency website or someones photo album.
Romancescam also has a photo database of known scammers. Just go to Scam Digger upload the photo(s) and it will compare them to the ones in their database.
2. Check Email Adresses
The Nigerian scammers favourite email and chat provider by far is Yahoo, I would say that over 90% of the scam profiles I reject from my dating site are using yahoo email addresses.
Look out for addresses with 4u, 4luv, 4life, 4love, 4ever at the end .. eg lillian4u@yahoo.com, it’s no guarantee but does ring alarm bells.
3. Track the IP Address
An IP address will give you the location of the web server they are using, if it goes back to Nigeria or Senegal for example then you might want to rethink your budding relationship.
IP addresses can be routed through certain websites so you would see a UK or US ip address but you can track back to the original.
This excellent blog post will take you step by step through tracking the original IP address of an email sender in GMail, Yahoo and Outlook.
Once you find the ip address just go to a free ip locator website and paste it in the search box.
This then lists the country, region and city of the server the sender is using .. clever isn’t it.
4. Search Profile Information
If the person you are chatting to has a well written profile, with a good standard of English grammar then copy and paste a couple of phrases and do a google search.
I’ve just tried it with one of todays scammers profiles on my dating site and the phrases originate on a US blogs about me page.
5. Ask to Chat on Webcam
Be persistent about this. These scammers will send you up to 30 photo’s of ‘themselves’ (they are often all photos of the same model taken from an agency website) but a webcam will show you who you are talking to.
Of course they won’t have a webcam, even if you send them money to buy one they will reel off excuse after excuse as to why it won’t work but that is what you want.
The more they refuse to show themselves the more suspicious you will get and the aim here is to protect you from these people.
May 29th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
It’s sad that there are so many people willing to target innocent people online like that.
It’s different, but I have also notice a lot of people use old pictures on their dating profiles. That I think is counter productive.
May 31st, 2009 at 10:46 am
Hi Peter
You are right, using old pictures is just silly .. If you put a photo of a model up then you would expect the person you meet to be disappointed when they meet you, so why would it be any different with an old photo of yourself?! I would prefer to put a reasonable picture of myself up and then anyone interested might get a pleasant surprise when they meet me.
June 8th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
could i just ask, can a scammer obtain your details if you watch them on THEIR web cam?
June 11th, 2009 at 2:36 am
Hi Jane, great question. I have had a chat with a hacker and this is his response:
99% of time no there is no danger but you must use trusted sites like Yahoo or MSN as they have defence for this. If you use an adult dating site then there is a good chance. What they do is write a file so when you press the link to accept their cam it also downloads a file to your computer and they can take control of your computer, grab your passwords etc. Make sure you only use dating sites that are not full of spammers, so ones that check every new member and use ones in your own country not worldwide, coz that’s a hackers dream.
Hope that helps Jane.
June 21st, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Could you suggest genuine dating sites pls as I am contemplating in joining one for over 4 years now but I am scared and very hesitant. Thanks Favo
June 24th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Hi Favo, can you tell which country you are in and some of your interests and then I can hopefully recommend a couple of good sites for you.
July 29th, 2009 at 3:30 am
Hi Sally,
Thank you very much for sharing…I’d found your article after being scammed by a guy who boasted himself as a Scottish and currently live in Aberdeen. After follow your advice by tracking the original IP address of an email sender in Yahoo, The truth is now he live in Malasia. Fool me ^_^
Anyway, thanks again …
July 29th, 2009 at 8:35 am
Hi Anya, I am so pleased to hear you found out in time but please don’t think you were a fool, anyone can get caught out by a scammer they are very good liars.
August 1st, 2009 at 1:40 am
this site is very help and the 5 tips too…i wish i new more before i got involved with my scammer.
i did research the email address and got the ip and saw it was coming from california when he was suppose to be in europe…but i just thought that this is where yahoo was…dumb me. i researched the photo on scam digger but nothing…i will try tineye.
thanks so much
August 6th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Hi N Love w
If you send me your email address through the “ask a dating question” link at the top of the blog I will send an email and you can send me everything you have on this guy and I’ll see what I can hunt out. If you have his original dating profile writeup that will be a good help.
August 16th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Anya, the scam man in Aberdeen did he have a name. This is important if you can help. thanks
chris
September 10th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
But I heard that communication to such scammers through webcam is also harmful. They can collect some vital data from our computer while we get connected to their webcam. So it is advisable to use reliable webcam services. If they suggest some dating website to see their webcam, don’t accept the invitation and use only reliable webcam services like Yahoo or MSN, otherwise don’t.
Gilbert@Nigerian Dating Scam Forum´s last blog ..hi
November 27th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
I’m having the same problem with scammers from Nigeria And Senegal. Even for me is very easy to find them for some reasons most of our members reply to them with honesty. So i was forced to delete from .htaccess all Africa countries. Sad but true.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Know how you feel Alex, must be very frustrating for genuine people in those countries, everyone will just assume they are scammers. I don’t understand why but members do seem to respond to them even though they are so obviously scammers, maybe it’s because I am not looking for someone so I can read the emotional stuff in the cold light of day?!
December 2nd, 2009 at 8:04 pm
From my experience, a professional will have no problem covering up his tracks including the things you mentioned above, but it’s still a good idea to take precautions just to be on the safe side.
-Adam
Adam @ How to Lose Weight´s last blog ..10 Tips to Help You Lose Weight
December 16th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Hi Adam
You are right a professional spammer will be much better at covering his tracks but a vasgt majority of spammers are not professionals and they are easy to spot if you know the signs.
December 21st, 2009 at 3:02 am
I caught my scammer out i got his ip his mobile no and his address in nigeria. Funny sounding woman onn the phone. From the start something wasnt right it must have been my 25 years in the police God are they something else. I kept playing along and he tripped up on several things Yes Yes
December 21st, 2009 at 3:06 am
Further to this where can i deposit photos he may use again the may help someone else out.I am now talking to a russian seems nice glutton for punishment eye. Hope she is genuine she sounds nice we will do necessary checks
January 1st, 2010 at 8:50 pm
This may seem unbelievable, but it is true. My husband had a Nigerian friend (female) that he knew for 4 years and did not tell me about until this October after I pressured him about his late night “IMing”. He not only met her in Dubai on a fake business trip (I later found out from a mutual friend that work had cancelled this trip and my husband went anyway to meet her). While in Dubai, he bought her a £1500 18k gold diamond 1.15 carrot ring that he denied was for her. After I found the bank statement and the receipt attached to her picture. He lied and said it was an investment. An investment which he said a friend was holding for him in Dubai. Why a ring, when they sell gold bars as investments there. But little does he know that I know it was for her. He told our daughter he HAD met her there to make sure she was real. This Nigerian told him she is a Christian lady. She knows he is married, BUT I don’t think a lady, much less a Christian would meet a Married man at a hotel and accept a Ring when he still has a wife and child in his life. Even though lately our marriage has not been a happy one, this is still wrong. Our friends have warned him, but he will not listen. As we are sure she does not love him, but he would be her ticket out of Nigeria. We will be separated shortly, but if he thinks it will be a quick divorce, he is in for a rude awakening, as my friends said I should tie things up in litigation for years. Because he told her our personal business, she weaseled herself into our life and even asked did he get the divorce papers yet. She would IM him “my soon to be husband”. Don’t hold your breath, Lady and I use the “lady” term loosely. If you can offer any advise, please let me know. Many thanks
January 3rd, 2010 at 3:55 am
Hi Linda
So sorry to hear of your dreadful situation.
So how did she get to Dubai, did he pay her ticket? That really would sway me one way or the other (scammer or genuine). There is the possibility that they were friends online and internet love developed.
Visa hunters tend to be a longer term deal than scammers out for money, who will give up after a few months if they are getting nowhere but visa hunters tend to be in for the long haul (albeit with numerous people at the same time).
He has clearly chosen his path and it’s for him to walk it now, if you have decided there is no longer any hope for your marriage. A majority of visa seekers make very good husbands/wives for about 2 years until they get long term residency and then they head for the hills but I doubt your husband would believe anything at the moment which suggests she is not an angel.
My concern at the moment is you. Why do you want to tie this in the courts for years? Is it to protect him from her or punish him or punish her or in a hope he will return his affection to you in time? Be honest with yourself, what would you really get out of such an action long term (other than a bitter divorce and years of being reminded of his betrayal)? Would it not be better to simply move on to the next phase of your life and leave him to his fate, perhaps they deserve each other (wink).
If you are hoping I can show him what she is up to then you will need to use the contact form and send me your email address and any information you can find on this woman, I can then do some digging. This can work, I was recently contacted by a reader who was concerned about a relative and 2 hours later I sent them my msn chat with her “great love” showing him now using her details and declaring he had never met anyone like me, blah, blah, blah.
Sally
January 3rd, 2010 at 4:15 am
Hi David
If you google “report dating scammer” you will find a number of databases you can post their details and photo’s and thanks for caring about the next potential victim.
Beware a lot of Russian women met online are also scammers .. that said there are more than double the number of single women then men in Russia so many of them just want to find a good husband .. check check and double check and please dont flash the cash until you are totally sure (if they ask for a gift on your first meeting run away).
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:40 am
Yes I been scammed again the russian was staying in the US not rssia I getting sick I am a honest decent person looking for what we all want but by god since using the internet I have met the biggest load of !!!!!! I have joined several sites well what can you say about some of them I think I will go to the pub maybe meet a nice barmaid. My hunt goes on David
January 5th, 2010 at 12:10 am
Hi David
What sort of sites have you been joining (eg Match were sold and the scammer level has exploded on their site, the new owners just couldn’t give a monkeys, are you joining free or paid sites, do you go in to forums and chat rooms … so many reasons you might be meeting scammers)? Online dating does work (a couple just deleted their profiles on my site today because they are sure they no longer need our services woohoo) but of course it depends how you go about it and how carefully you choose a site.
Try picking one which only accepts members from the UK (because scammers do exist in UK but not at the levels they do abroad) and test out the admin … are they actually moderating the site? If they are then the chances are the scammers will be much thinner on the ground.
Don’t give up .. she’s out there.
Sally
January 6th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Hi Sally,
Many thanks for your help with this (husband and Nigerian woman). I guess I feel a little bitter because in the 18 years of marriage he always promised to be here for me and even though we had issues in the years, no mention that this could be an open marriage. So imagine my surprise when I realized this was happening. I wish him the best because he is a good person, but I don’t think someone you meet on-line can really live up to what your image of wonderful is. Especially when you were only with them for one week. He has now become deceptive and almost arrogant. And that is not the man I married. Once I situate myself, I will give him his divorce and maybe the truth will come to light or maybe they are meant for each other after all (wink). Meanwhile my daughter and I have re-shuffle our lives. This lady asked him to come down at Christmas for the holidays. Forget about me, but he also has a daughter and I think this was a selfish act. I asked him not to go at Christmas, so instead he left for Nigeria yesterday for 11 days. Even though my daughter and I will be gone at the beginning of February, he chose to leave instead of spend the remaining time with her. We have a little issue with that. He says he loves us very much. And I just can’t forget this 18K ring (which he is still lying about) and the hotel bill he has to pay since his work cancelled the trip. Especially when our account doesn’t have alot of money in it anyway. I can forgive, but can’t forget this. Not after 18 years of commitment. Please reply to my email if possible and will supply details of what I have on this woman. Sorry, I can’t find the contact form. Again thank you so much for your previous reply.
January 10th, 2010 at 5:54 am
Hi Linda
I’ve checked my email account and nothing from you. My blog records email addresses but I never use them without permission .. as you have asked me to respond to your email I will take that as permission and email you directly.
January 18th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
I just faced with the scammer. His name is Marcus Hannas and his email address is jennyhannas@yahoo.com, yesterday he told me that his son needed undergo operation coz leukemia and he asked me to donate just 1 pound then I said 1 pound is meant to nothing then he asked how much you can help I said 500 USD I told him that this morning I will transfer to him just give me your bank details. But I didn’t do coz after his mail i called him, his voice and phone ring was different then I got a bad smell. I knew that he is a scammer for sure. And today he tried to call me for 9 times and 2 times of email, complained that why I didn’t trust him even he sent me a little boy picture lie on the bed in the hospital. I told him that this boy pix is not your son coz this boy got a black hair while you son picture got a blond hair. Really funny..
His mobile phone number is +447045748831
Account Holder’s Name Manisah Bte Abu Samah
January 19th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Hi Nongao
A black haired parent and blonde child is not a clear indication of a scammer but the other details you provided all point to a scam.
I have removed the bank details from your comment as these will not help anyone if they are contacted by this person or persons.
Well done on spotting the scam before you sent money.