I have to admit this was a textbook scam but being ingnorant of this con I fell right into it as one of the other victims put it "hook, line and sinker". As he was getting me to trust him he was playing on his trust of me, "please don't hurt me" was a familiar line he would use. He had other lines too, his daughter called him "the best daddy in the world" as he lamented how he would spoil her. I never asked why his daughter would go to school in the U.K. rather than her home in Finland, I never asked a lot of questions that I should have, I started to trust this person a lot more than I ever should have.
The pattern I see for this scammer selecting his victims are: age (45-60), children are grown, has disposable income, for some reason he likes the name Debbie or variations thereof (or maybe its because women in that age group are named that), are educated or are employed in a career of caring (such as human services). A friend of mine was approached (on FaceBook) by a person with the name of Vince Timmy or Timmy Vince with almost the exact story (I found this out early on and still continued, must have been my destiny?), she didn't like the way he was pushing her after only 3 chats and cut him off, Tony was much more subtle in his approach and therein lies his success.
About 1 week before This scam ended a friend of mine called me after my nightly Tony chat to tell me to go on FaceBook and look up Tony Alves, someone had posted his picture (he never uses his picture until you make contact with him) with the bio caption: I make my living by scamming innocent women on the Internet. So if you are approached by me, don't believe a single word I tell you. And I am an Internet scam artist who will take your money if you give me the chance. I sent a message to this person after, "you will love this" I called Tony to let him know what I found, of course he was mad he told me, "This is bullshit, this is the work of the devil" and that he would get to the bottom of this. He told he couldn't get into FaceBook so I copied the page and sent him the link. He called me early the next morning to say he had seen the link I sent him and to tell my friend he would get to the bottom of this and that "we would get through this together". After awhile I forgot about it because I had told he must have pissed someone off that they posted that about him and I never got a reply to my message to that person. But I did get a response after I sent my initial request on July 21, 2010 : I need to know what you have experienced so I am not in the same position. thanx I received this reply July 30, 2010 of course this was after I knew everything: This person scammed me out of a lot of money. I have reported him to the Attorney General's Office. This page is here as a warning to others who may encounter him. Too little, too late for me but I hope to keep this from happening to anybody else.
I also Googled his name with Romantic Scams and found another victim her is her post:
From: D L <>
Subject: [romancescams] I think I got scammed
To: romancescams@ yahoogroups. com
Date: Monday, July 6, 2009, 6:28 AM
Its start in early May via Facebook then we immediately go to personal e-mail and IM. He claimed that his wife die in car accident in 2004. He born in US but all family move to Finland (his mother Finn) since he was 2. He told that he is working in Abedeen (in May), he has a daughter 18 studing in Edinburgh - International Law.. She also e-mail to me asked me not to hurt his father, as his father really in love with me (after a month from we start). In early June, his daughter which under student exchange program in Madrid, Spain got robbed and lost all money and credit card. In June he already completed the project in Aberdeen and now moved to Honduras for a new project. He is unable to cash money from ATM to transfer to his daughter in Madrid and ask me to assit him by tranfer Euro 2,500 !!!! At that time I felt something wrong, but still believe him and transfer Euro 500 to his daughter and then he ask for another 500 but I managed to just transferred 300.. I have to make up story.
Then a week later he asked me to transfer again for another 1000, but Iwas prepred so I told him that I had to go upcountry for an family emergency business for a week. And on the 3rd of June he asked me to transfer again another GBP 500 as her daughter already completed the program in Madrid and return back to UK. The money he transferred to his daughter will be in the bank the week after and his daughter needs money right away. So I didn
't prepare for that then I transferred again. Week after he called and told that bank in Honduras did something wrong with the SWIFT code therefore the money not in his daughter account but will in a week, and she need money and ask me to transfer again for GBP 1,000.-. Now I prepare and told him that I also having problems myslef as I short of money and had to pay for my yearly insurance preminum which will be dreal early July, so I'm unable to assit him this time. He said he will take care the insurance money for me and will transfer more to me just provide me with my bank account. And he asked me that just transfer GBP 1,000 to his daughter now and he will pay back to me when he transfer money to me. But I managed to say NO this time. After I refused this time seem that the internet connection was bad and unable to chat smoothly. Or he shown on-line on IM but not response to me or took 5 min to response or response with the question disorder. And sometime he on line and when I on-line, he just off-line immediately then on-line again and chat for one line then freezed then off-line. On Saturday he called me and informed that he is unable to transfer money to me as his client will not release money to him because the work not up to the point yet. He asked me to borrow money from other source and he will responsible for all the interest.
Form this I think I had scammed, but why he keep contact me, he should have stop and not contact me at all, right? I'm now still contact with him and if possible, should we contact Western Union to catch the person who come to pick up the fund?
His use Tony Alves as his name (you can find him in Facebook under Tony Alves from United Arab Emirate). His yahoo ID is talves08@yahoo. com. He use UK mobiel phone +447035957343 +447035957343 . His daughter name is Vanessa Lopez but when transfer money will transfer to Vanessa Alves. Her yahoo ID is lnessa18@yahoo. com +447035960954 +447035960954
He also sent me few photos and told that his daughter is in there to. I'll forward you to photos later. Are there anywhere that we can check whether his is real or fake?
PS. I promised to myself that I'll never transfer money for him again.
D.
Notice the date of this post....July 6, 2009!! If I had only done my homework then, I would have saved myself and others possibly their hearts and their money!
More to come....Debi
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