Second only to flight money, the Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) is the scammers highest paying income.
Also known as the Personal Travel Allowance, Travellers Allowance Fee, Travellers Assistance Fund, Travellers Assurance Fund and numerous other forms of “I have to have wodges of your cash or they won’t let me fly”.
Let’s get this over with now … THERE IS NO SUCH THING any more, anywhere, it’s an online dating scam.
First of all look at the wording Basic Travel ALLOWANCE, not basic travel requirement.
In the same way as we now have cigarette and alcohol allowances (ie the maximum amount you can take into/out of a country) the BTA used to be the maximum amount of local currency that could be exchanged and taken out of a country.
Why?
If poorer nations just allowed everyone to take as much cash as they liked out of their country the economy would be dead in the water in a week.
Therefore, poorer countries introduced the BTA to limit the amount of local currency that exited their country. This was scrapped 3-4 decades ago and replaced with other currency allowances but it gives the scammers an excellent legitimate sounding tool to get your money.
Something vital to understand is that third world countries don’t care who leaves or if they ever come back, the people that care are the country the person is travelling to.
This means that during the visa application process the applicant must prove to the visa section of the country they are visiting that they, or their sponsor, is financially able to pay for travel and expenses.
Very occasionally passport control at their destination country may randomly ask a traveller how much cash they have (this is usually when someone from a third world country arrives for a two week stay with 10 suitcases) and 50-100 pounds sterling/dollars or equivalent is more than adequate.
There is NO requirement, anywhere, for the person to show their government/travel agency/airline that they have 1000 pounds/dollars in cash … it’s a spinoff from the Nigerian 419 dating scam and a very effective one.
The usual amount asked for in terms of BTA is between 800 and 3000 pounds or dollars.
Let’s put this into context … on the Nigerian section of the Expat Blog we see:
the cost of living in Nigeria… a bit of an odd question as 90% of the population lives on less than a dollar a day.
So if you send them 1000 pounds (without calculating the flight money etc) you have just paid them 8 years basic living allowance.
Bet you wish someone would give you 8 years of salary free for just making a couple of phone calls and sending a few emails!!
Not hitting home yet?
Let’s try something more visual. At todays exchange rate 1000 British pounds is 241,127.33 NGN (nigerian currency).
Now go to Nigeria Car Finder and in the second hand car section leave everything as any and set the price to 250000
My search showed that your hard earned cash could buy a scammer:
1992 Honda, Accord … takes just 1 successful scam (flight and BTA money)
1993 190e mercedes, 1993 model … takes just 1 successful scam (flight +BTA)
2000 Mercedes-Benz, 200-Series … takes just 3 successful scams (flight and BTA)
Now then, do YOU drive a mercedes?
What about a home in a well-to-do area?
“Real estate for sale: 3 bedroom bungalow in cornerstone estate Price: 7 million”
So they just have to scam 10 people in the UK out of 3000 pounds for flight/BTA/hospital etc and bingo, they can live the high life without a mortgage … can you?
I’m sorry to be so brutal about this but you MUST understand that sending these people money is the equivalent of you having a half decent win on the lottery.
To make matters worse if you send them just 1 pound or dollar they will never leave you alone, you will have to change your online details, your home phone number, your mobile number and perhaps even move house to get away from them.
If you are reading this because you think you might be being scammed (requests for large sums of money to be sent through Western Union for BTA or flights) then I almost guarantee you are.
If you have already sent money then don’t feel ashamed, they prey on the humans most basic instinct, to love and be loved.
However, cease all contact immediately … don’t decide they might just be genuine so I’ll give them a couple of days, if you are reading this your head is sending you alarm signals, listen to them.
Conclusion: There is no such thing as Basic Travel Allowance or any other terms which suggest such a thing, the BTA is a dating scam.
(please note the photo of the boys used in this blog post are not known dating scammers, it is simply a photo of boys in Africa)
March 23rd, 2011 at 8:09 pm
My brother met a girl off facebook, they talked for 2-3 weeks she claims shes from virgina, workng in nigeria as a health teacher, an she asked him for flight money, she said she has a check that she cant cash in nigeria thats why she needs him to send her money. Well my brother ask my mom to send the girl the flight money. My mom just got her tax return so she said she would do it if she pays her back. The girl kept saying over an over she pay her back so my mom goes to western union an sends her $1,400 and then the next day the nigerian girl / fake american, said she needs to get shots b4 she can leave nigeria they wont let her leave an she needs another $800 so my mom sends it again. I called my mom up an said shes scamming u stop sendng her money, she didnt beleive really. Well the next day she claimes she got the plane ticket but she now needs BTA of $3,800 that was the last straw my mom said she cant send her it, she dont have it….my mom has mental problems so he is easily fooled, he is inlove with her an she has him right where she wants him, he wont believe shes a scammer, my bro is 26 an just be dumped by his gf last year an has a 18month old baby he hasnt got to see n a few months so he was depressed an he goes an meets her…..my mom then told the girl named stacey to photo copy her passport an airline ticket , she did an she as a plane ticket from nigeria airport to iowa where my mom an bro live…at frst i thought it was real an shes geniun, but i still feell shes scammer….what u think ?
March 23rd, 2011 at 8:13 pm
sorry my brother has mental problems not my mom
March 23rd, 2011 at 11:54 pm
Hi Brooke
I think it’s a scam and what she sent is a fake passport and ticket (was it a ticket or just an online confirmation? Anyone can book a flight for free online but it doesn’t mean you intend to pay for the ticket or get on the flight). I will email you directly and if you can will you send me the copy of the passport and ticket soi I can check them out and let you know.
PLEASE do not let your Mom send BTA money, it doesn’t exist and is just a scam. Don’t throw good money after bad.
May 20th, 2011 at 7:51 am
Hi pals
Am lewis Howard,I met this lady on a dating site ,she told me all about her self.At first i thought her to be a scam,but we grew strong and more intimate.i bought her the flight ticket and she requested money for health test and the BTA.I asked my friends for advice and they all told me is a SCAM.But honestly i sent her the money cause inside of me i was convince that she is real.She is here with me now and we will be going for vacation next week.They are still some real people on the dating sites………..
May 20th, 2011 at 6:37 pm
Hi Lewis
Look at your ip address 41.190.2.35 … WOW you’re in Nigeria and you sent a ticket to a girl to pay BTA to get out of Nigeria and come t o you.
I have 2 words for you Lewis …. LIAR and SCAMMER.
June 25th, 2011 at 6:13 am
yes well this what i am going threw and i dont know what to do as i grew closer like you and she is from houston and just finish work in nigera with this bta and cant cash her pay check as in usa what to do and i sent money but now i have been told to sent more
July 1st, 2011 at 4:31 pm
Hi Gary
You are chatting to a scammer. If she was genuine why would she need more money and why can’t she cash her pay chequ there? There are international banks in Nigeria and employers are not going to pay staff by a method they cannot cash … they would simply BACS the money to her account or pay in a method she could cash locally.
June 29th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
I was just dropped today by a fantastically beautiful lady from london, she even played it to the point of being friends with my daughter and her children! As of 8pm last night we were all chatting online with her and making plans as to what we were going to do together on the 4th as her flight was through KLM airlines and I had ticket confirmation, flight schedules and everything! She was to land the 3rd in Columbus, Ohio! This morning at 5am my time which would be 10am her time, she mailed me that she needed another 1000 pounds for the travel allowance thing! If you get on line and check it out, there is no such thing anymore anywhere! I was in love madly with this girl and sent her the money for 1/2 of her ticket as she said she wanted to pay half to prove that this was real and not a scam! When I told her that I was not going to send the money she started telling me how it hurt her, that I didn’t trust her, etc. I guess the old saying of”LOVE IS BLIND” is as true as ever! I am going to pull through it and learn from it as well!!! Now as to the reply here: This person is working with the scam artists also if he is telling us that the Travel Allowance is real!!! Check it out on the net for yourself! The scamers name is AVERY JONES with an email address of awesome01@yahoo.com see for yourself and know that these scammers are smart enough to come into this site to make people believe that is real also!! Don’t believe a thing unless you check it out carefully, and then be very careful, as thought it all was real last night too. I even have pictures of her mother and her mothers email address and got burned!!!
September 1st, 2011 at 11:10 am
Your saying that you actually met her?
March 24th, 2011 at 10:06 am
great post thanks, there are all sorts of scams on the internet these days, its great that bloggers like you are helping people to avoid them.
March 31st, 2011 at 5:01 pm
ladies, do not send anyone money, that is a red flag. That man in Benin Africa, sounds like someone I had been talking to. NEVER SEND MONEY! NO MATTER HOW SAD THE SITUATION SEEMS.
from, Almost a victim.
April 4th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Hello everyone. I am from the USA and a have a friend that lives in Nigeria and we planned for her to visit me here in the states. I sent her the money for the visa, passport, and plane ticket and she contacted me saying that she was not allowed to get the ticket until she could show her BTA. I had heard that this Basic Travel Allowance was a scam but i had also read a comment from a lady that lives in Nigeria saying that it actually is such a thing; so i did some research and was able to get the phone number from the actual airline company and some travel agents. I called the both of them and to my suprise, it is definately a requirment that the people of Nigeria must have BTA! Again, it is not a scam even though some may be using the bta to scam others…I just want you all to know that it is true! There is such a thing as BTA and we should all do our investigating before we call everyone from that country a scammer. I just wonder how many potential marriages were cancelled because some didn’t believe that the BTA was real. If you have questions and want to know for yourself then call the airlines, call agents, search them out on the internet. If you can use the net for everything else then why dont you use it to investigate. Peace to all!
April 16th, 2011 at 1:40 am
Hi Mark
Thanks for you comments. A couple of points if I may.
If you read all the stories of scams on this blog you will find that 100% of them claim to be British or American nationals. They would therefore be returning to their home country and are not required to show they can sustain themselves in their home country.
As an American I am surprised you would call a travel agent in Nigeria and not contact your own government to find this information. If you look at the webpage, titled Internet Financial Scams, of the US Embassy in Nigeria you will find this:
Beware of anyone who requests funds for a BTA, or Basic Travel Allowance, as a requirement to depart another country for the United States. There is no such thing as a BTA.
http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/scams.html
Don’t you think they would know if such a thing exists?
Nevertheless I have emailed the British Embassy in Lagos and will publish their reply when it is received.
May 6th, 2011 at 8:52 am
I wish I would have seen this site 2 weeks ago! I am one of the fools that got scammed! I can’t believe I fell for it! My gut was trying to let me know that there is a red flag when someone whom you never met asked for money! But he was such a charmer that he would be so convincing!!!! Not only was a fool one time I was a fool 3 times! First it was that he got robbed and his camera got broken on the set, he claimed to be a professional photographer and since he was robbed and beaten, he didn’t have the money to fix it he asked for $1200 but i said i don’t have that kind of money so he just said send what you can and he would work it out somehow to get the camera fixed, then a couple days later he asked me if i could send what i could to get film for his camera cuz since he was robbed he didn’t have the money to pay for it and if doesn’t get the project done in time he won’t get his full check for not meeting the deadline, now he is saying that he got paid but he can’t cash his check until he gets but to the US!! And then comes the issue with not having the BTA OR PTA money needed so he can board the plane! And had the nerve to ask for even more money and twisting things around to where he acts like it is my responsibility to make sure he gets home so he can cash his check and repay me the money that I. Did send him!
Now obviously since I wasn’t smart enough to listen to my red flag is there anything I can do to either get my money back or file criminal charges against him or do I have to just consider this a expensive lesson learned and I am pretty much screwed as far as getting my money back!
I am not only pissed, I am heart broken cuz until he kept asking for money I was really started to like him!!!
I feel like a big idiot and a fool! I don’t want to even tell any of my friends and family because I feel so ashamed!!!!
May 6th, 2011 at 11:13 pm
Hi Becky
Sorry you got scammed. I’m afraid there is very little you can do to get your money back. You can try reporting it to your local police but unless it’s a very large amount of money there is little they can do.
May 6th, 2011 at 11:44 pm
Yeah ,luckily for me I caught on before the amount was outrageous! It was under a thousand so they probably wouldnt be able to do anything! There should be a way to make it illegal for these internet scammers from indirectly robbing people out of there money!!
May 7th, 2011 at 12:04 am
Hi Becky
Of course it’s illegal … the problem is police authorities tend not to take it too seriously. As far as they are concerned if you choose to send money to a total stranger you have never met then you sort of deserve what you get … scammed. Of course it’s easy to take this attitude in the cold light of day.
The other problem is the cost of investigating. When they have a whole caseload of local crimes the time and cost of investigating someone in Nigeria or Ghana is just not cost effective. Sad but true I’m afraid.
July 8th, 2011 at 11:45 pm
Wow sitting here reading this it sounds like my friend and myself got scammed. He met this woman online and she said she lived in Texas. She asked him if he would send her the money western union which was $450 that we lent him. Then she said she would pay it back as soon as she got here from her BTA. I didn’t nkow what it was. Well my friend drove 4 hours to get to the airport to pick her up and needless to say she never showed or called him. Well he finally got ahold of her and found out that she said she was in a car wreck on the way to the hospital and needed to pay her medical bills is what happened to that money. Now she wants more. I was a fool once but not twice.
July 10th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Hi Dee
Glad you have learned your lesson .. this was definately a scam. Beware and educate yourself and your friends on how scammers operate.
April 20th, 2011 at 8:56 am
Mark you need to pull your head out of your but and call the US Embassy over there and ask them because the airline are only out to make money and that is how they do it. There is no such thing a BTA anywhere in the world in any country.
April 20th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
I think what Mark is talking about is travel funds but this is an immigration issue not an issue when you exit a country. So for instance if you are entering the UK from certain countries they will often ask you to prove you have the funds for your stay in the UK. However this doesn’t have to be a wadge of cash and of course it isn’t called BTA.
However as I point out most scammers asking for BTA say they are citizens of other countries (like UK or US) so Nigeria don’t give a hoot how much they have when they leave the country as they are not citizens of Nigeria.
Think about it people, if it makes no sense then it’s a lie.
April 21st, 2011 at 10:08 am
I agree with you Sally I just wish people would do more research before they claim off of one or two phone clls the something is real when it isn’t. I also know about the funds when you enter the country it is the same way here in the US they will ask you if you have the funds for your stay here in the US as well but it is not called BTA.
June 11th, 2011 at 11:40 am
IAM VERY SURPRISED THAT WITH ALL THE INFORMATION DEVICES YOU HAVE IN YOUR COUNTRY YOUC COULD NOT KNOW THE TRUTH AND ALLOW PEOPLE OF LITTLE KNOWLEDGE TO CONFUSE YOUR HEARD,YES THE ARE SCAMMER IN NIGERIA,EVEN MY COMPOUND AND MY STREET IN MARYLAND ,IKEJA LAGOS,BUT THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT EVERY THING YOU HEAR ABOUT BTA IS A SCAM, I WAS SURPOSE TO TRAVEL TO CANADA ON JULY 15 BUT THAT TRIP CAN NOT BE BECAUSE ,I NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST $2000.BEFORE I CAN LEAVE NIGERIA.
BTA IS MUST FOR ANYBODY TO TRAVEL OUT NIGERIA, AND YOU THINK OTHERWISE YOU CAN CHEQUE THE NIGERIAN IMMIGRATION,THE EMBASSY OF THE COUNTRY THE PERSON IS ABOUT TO TRAVEL TO OR CHECH GOOGLE.COM.
BTA OR PTA ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NIGERIAN TRAVELLER BECUSE THAT IS EVEN THE MOST EXPENSIVE OF ALL THE TRAVELLING REQUIREMENT.
June 12th, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Hi Edwin-John
Both the British and American Embassy websites state very clearly that BTA DOES NOT EXIST. Until that information changes I will continue to state that BTA does not exist.
June 13th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
I agree until the information changes one the US Embassy websites include the Nigerian Embassy web site in this country says it does not even exist. Until it changes it will never exist and I will also continue to let people know that it does not exist period.
April 15th, 2011 at 8:03 pm
Well I hate to say it but I got scamed by a men that I met on match.com, he told me he was working in Nigeria building roads… we were on messenger talking everyday and he send me emails telling me how much he loved me and that he couldn’t wait to come home to Houston to be with me but after 2 weeks he told me he lost his wallet with all his money in it and if I could help him out by sending him money and of course I said no, he was fine with that but once he was ready to come home he ask me for BTA money again I said no so than he emailed me his flight info and a copy of his check, I thought wow that is legitimate and I send him the money but that was not enough he came back and asked for more all together I send him $1000 and he promised me that once he’s home he will refund everything, I am such a fool for believing this men but I thought because we met on match.com it was alright. I reported him and if u ever come across charlsmiles49 don’t believe a word he says, he’s a scam artist
April 16th, 2011 at 1:25 am
Sorry to hear about that, reneev if you are choosing to continue on the dating website, do the research, I am so much smarter now, I have been in your situation, now I know what to watch out for. I have never been duped. Thank goodness for this website and others, for providing info. It is sad,but I see so many potential scammers out there on dating websites. Everyone needs to research it is important. Thanks to all for help, power in numbers. Koodose
May 10th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Reneev,
I too fell for the same scam from a guy on Match.com. He sent me his flight copy, a copy of his check and his passport. His name is different but he may be the same guy. We should talk and exchange these guys pictures.
Lisa
August 4th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
Hey Lisa and renvee I think I got the same man. We need to talk maybe Exchange pics an soon let’s even post them so we can stop him. I only sent him 500$. He tried to get more, but lucky me I have another friend in Nigeria who saved me. Hope to talk soon
August 5th, 2011 at 12:38 am
Hi Ms.Teekayu,
I did post this guys picture here. He went by Greg Anderson, email greganderson2011@yahoo.com. I googled his email after I became suspicious and it directed me to a site that said his real name is Howard Davis. He had used about 100 different names and emails.
What a hard and expensive lesson it was for me to learn that some people are just bad. I read how to spot a scammer and learned how to check IP addresses. Since then, I have been contacted by 5 different guys who are classic scam artists. These are all from dating websites. If you would like to talk more, feel free.
Lisa
September 1st, 2011 at 11:34 am
What’s your e mail I’d like some advice cause I feel like I’m in the same situation here
September 1st, 2011 at 4:57 pm
Hi Anonymous
Sorry I can’t publish my email where all the scammers can see it. Use the Ask a Dating Question link at the top of the blog and I will reply to your email address.
April 16th, 2011 at 1:11 am
Doing Research as in calling for more information on BTA’s are necessary, Mark but that does not rule out a scammer! BTA scams is only one avenue which scammers use. In order for our peace of mind on dating websites, we must do all our own research, watch for patterns,eg, (professing love in the first very early) texting messages,eg.(cos were going ot be 2ogether) photos (photography studio photos) not once did my experience of scammers claim they needed money for BTA.It was a similar pattern to what you have posted “Family Urgency” Mark this is what I do, Early on in the friendship stage, I ask them to send me a photo of them say “with their pet” I don’t hear back from them or they put it off, or they get offended, (better them than me). If they are really who they say they are and they really love or care! They will do what you want and understand your reasons for it.DONT RULE ANYTHING OUT!
April 16th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
I still got the email of the passport an plane ticket she emailed my mom, yeah she was a scammer she scammed my mom an bro out of $2100 i told my mom to contact the FBI but she hasnt as of yet….ugh
April 19th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
Hi Brooke
Could you send me a message via the Ask a Dating Question link at the top of the blog and I will respond, then you can send me the passport and ticket to look at please.
Thanks
Sally
May 21st, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Sally remember when I told you I was scammed out of some money, well I told the guy to go take a flying leap and he swore up and down that he was the real deal and that he was on his was back to California, and he fully intended to pay me back, anyways after a day or two of not hearing anything from him, this supposed Doctor informed me that he was involved in a accident with the airport taxi cab and that before they can do further treatment they need someone to pay for his medical treatment otherwise they couldn’t continue caring for him! I am thinking right away BULLSH*T
I want to catch this guy could you remind me how you check for the Ip addresses, so I prove that this so called Doctors is really the same guy who succeded in scaming me the first time!!
I am gonna change all my profiles so this scammers will know up front that they won’t be getting any money out of me! This guy who scammed me looked like nice looking successful man that could pass for you neighbor, now that I think about it,maybe his “pictures ” were all fakes too!! Please help me with any information you can give me!
May 24th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Hi Becky
Have to agree it’s BS … a story so often used by scammers.
You need to open the full header on his email and go down the page to the bottom of the code (just before the email actually starts) and find the ip address.
It is all explained here http://www.addictivetips.com/internet-tips/how-to-find-the-ip-address-of-the-sender-in-windows-live-mail-gmail-or-yahoo-mail/
May 23rd, 2011 at 11:13 am
Dear sir,
I got a job offer from london as a nanny yet i paid 30000rs for visa and documents fee, yet they are asking me to pay for Basic travel allowances, is this applicable whether it is truth or fake sir, please advice sir,,ASAP
Regards
Gnanakumar
May 24th, 2011 at 1:49 pm
Hi Gnanakumar
There are many scam nanny jobs on the internet …. there is no BTA for the UK, it is a lie. I am so sorry.
June 13th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
i am also so sorry the you got taken for so much calls people out and see how they react to being called out I will rest assure you they will and offend. There is now way for you to get your money back either so don’t even try its gone so just move on with your life and find a company that will pay for all of those documents for you.
June 11th, 2011 at 7:28 pm
hi, im from eu, i think i have a same problem with girl in nigeria. she told me , she is a citizen of usa, but now she living with granny at nigeria.
she want to visit me, i already send a thousands usd, i have payed for passport and tickets, and i already talk with traveling agent, and he told me, she needs to pay BTA 3500usd. if not, then she cant visit me here in eu.
i know, BTA is a rubbish thing, cos one of my friends working at usa consulat here in eu. i have send to her a lot of information about scam and everything, but she not believe in me, she believe in this traveling agent
and i also tlked with him, and he told me the same thing about that, and also she must pay a taxis in nigeria, but i have talk with that girl, she didnt pay any taxis here. than what is that?
please help me out with that. email me by my own email address.
i already contact with usa nigeria consulat, but they will replay me in 4-5 days. so. please, help me
June 13th, 2011 at 8:45 pm
hi, i am from belgium, and after meeting for tree years of love scammers i found finaly my treu love on the internet, atleast she got a webcam, and i see her on it too, she was the second one i sended monney too, 250eu so she could by a computter whit cam in it for her own, she always told me that she needed her own computter to chat whit me wen she was home, and to my suprise she did what she promise me the do, all other woman where in africa like most from nigeria, there lost there parrents and there intiteled to herritage the fortune of there late parrents, but they need monney to collect it, wel i know one thing iff sommeone is intiteled from a herritage, i never hear beforre that i need to pay the layer to collect that monney, i know you have to pay fee on it, but thats goes out of the herritage, iff they claim also that they are european or from the states, those peaple are in titeled to travel all over the world whit there pasport whitout anny trouble, i know you have to pay airport taxes, but such thing as BTA common iff you believe that, than you believe in sant claus too, iff i ask iff they have a webcam i hear all exuses, it dussent work, my computter dussent support webcams, common, but they have a computter but a webcam hmmmmm, wel during the time it kept me bussy and i made a lotta fun whit them, i maybe lost all toghetter 800eu on them, but after tree years of making them believe that they thinking that they for real, hehe, i made a lotta of mtcn numbers to them, but there where all fake numbers, so atleast i let them run a copple of times for nothing to collect there monney, atleast they tought i sended them monney, so i made them believe that it was for real, i donne it all the time wen i met a scammer whitout anny webcam, and its hard the do sommething on it, i am still doing it all the time now, but insted that the scammer play whit me i play whit them now, iff you won also millions of dollars but you need to pay 8000eu on it to collect it i always send them a mail, you can take that monney out of my winnings, i bet you never gonna be bothered by them again, or iff you really wanna have fun, send them 8eu scan the paper on your com change the amount you sended in to 8000eu en send it on a mail that false paper to them, thats you giving them back what they do to you, so listen to me, iff they dont have a webcam be verry carrefull in what that person say, its really so real and they will do annything for you evan your deepest desirres, they all agree on it on what you like, so i learned my lession by now, but i still have fun whit scammers, i give em back what they try the do whit us, nothing,
June 21st, 2011 at 9:25 pm
koodose they reap what they sow! carma comes around!
July 23rd, 2011 at 4:40 pm
2 Questions
Is there a penalty for staying in nigeria when your visa expires?
If yes can not paying the fine prevent the person from coming back?
July 26th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Hi jr
If you have been asked to send money to Nigeria, to someone you have not met in person …. ITS A SCAM
July 29th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
i have been talking to a woman in nigeria we have exchanged over 300-emails she needs a bta of 2500.00 to leave nigeria sent me some personal pitchers that i have asked. and her passport and a certificate of shots after reading all of this i am so confused on what to do. her name is brittany baker met her on a dating site. i would like to see if its real or scam please help
July 30th, 2011 at 8:39 pm
Hi Brad
There is no such thing as BTA. However some travellers are asked to show they can sustain themselves financially when they travel but sending 2500 to someone you have never actually met is just silly.
Have you seen her on webcam more than once? If you contact me through the Ask a Dating Question link at the top of this blog I will email you for her passport and certificate to see if I can spot anything.
August 6th, 2011 at 3:31 am
I have talked to so many women who run the same lines, you have to know that it’s scammers. They all claim to be fro the US, but are in either, Ghana, Nigeria, or the UK. They are either working or visiting a sick relative and they all need money to come to the US. Who takes a trip overseas without enough money to come back home. I tell them all, I wouldn’t go to the next town if I didn’t have the money for gas to come back home, so I surely wouldn’t leave the country without doing the same!! They are all scammers who have stolen photos, or are using pornstar pics to lure in the lonely people out there and they don’t care one bit about you or what you might lose if you help them in the games they play. Don’t let them fool you!!
August 14th, 2011 at 8:38 am
Hey everyone its very sad that this happens to kind people like us and i think i can claim the number 1 prize for being scammed iam very ashamed and not many people know, but i have lost over 250k+ Yes! it hurts as this this means i have gone from home owner to renter all in the name of love? I will post my story soon as it is a long one and i am still active with these scammers as i am trying to work with interpol police to set them up. Its not about getting my money back its about justice and to stop them from wrecking other peoples lives.
August 18th, 2011 at 11:27 pm
Hi,
Can u tell me if BTA in IRAQ does exsist. I met a guy in fb and we fall in love each other and he told me, he is US army who deployed in Iraq.I already sent the money of his flight and now he’s asking me he need to pay BTA. Pls can tell me if this is scam?
August 19th, 2011 at 4:11 pm
Hi Rina
This is a total scam I’m afraid. Even if BTA existed (which it doesn’t) military personnel DO NOT pay for their own travel to and from military missions.
Cut off all contact with this scammer and do not send any more money.
August 19th, 2011 at 2:58 am
Hi it’s me again.. I managed to check his ip address and it’s adress from America and ips is in American registry of Internet numbers.. Do u think this is a scam? Pls I need ur advice before I make mistake..
August 19th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
Hi Rina
The ip address you are seeing (Sunnyvale California USA) is for the Yahoo servers. This scammer is not in the US and yes he is a scammer.
August 25th, 2011 at 4:03 am
I started sending a girl money too, and how every many were involved got 3000 out if me. I started sending money. She claims she was from washington, her parents are dead a few years. She” has” her dads lawyer in colorado who has 5.3 million in her dads account but cant release it until she gets there to sign the document. He won’t help get get home at all. But like I said I stopped sending any money. I figured it was a scam, but a year and a half ago when I started sending the money I did not know about this sort of thing. It has made me more aware about messed up people in this world. Stupid scammers.
August 25th, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Hi it sounds alot like the story i got and i did not know about dating scams either as it was the first time i used a dating site and got done over in a big way! I would like to if you still have any email address of this person or photos or names she used? I would like to compare them to my imfo and do some traces on emails? I have actualy trace my (woman or man) to 15 current email address and she has been on the scene for atleast 6 years i can prove so far! The more imfo i have for the feds and interpol the better, thanks
August 26th, 2011 at 12:34 am
Hi Charleu
I am sorry to hear you got scammed. Unfortunately where emotions are concerned logic often goes out the window. The tell tale sign here was of course the huge inheritence but her lawyers wouldn’t arrange a small advance or bank loan in order to get her back to the US .. in the cold light of day it just makes no sense.
At least you know for next time.
June 11th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Thanks very much for the Tweet Kojaee