Relationship Scammer?

[-=H=-]

So this lady sends me a message via a social media platform, and I don't know her. Sends me a thanksgiving message and I reply and we start talking.

Of course my guard is up because of how relationship scammers work, so I'm making sure this person is real or not.

The interesting thing is she seems like she may be legit. Did reverse image searches, allegedly will do a video call tomorrow, but one thing that made me think perhaps she is legit is I asked a question of "her" and she replied:

"I glad you asked the question though, it shows that you do want to get to know me and not just perfunctorily."

Being that most scammers are in some third world country, usually in africa or asia, the advanced use of "perfunctorily" makes me wonder if this is actually a legitimate person, as most scammers don't know english that well, let alone have the IQ to have such eloquent vocabulary.

Honestly I'm taking it all with a grain of salt, and won't believe it's anything other than a scam unless I have a video call with her.

If she is real, then I'm actually very impressed with her.

 

[Ceallaigh]

These days AI can generate images of someone that doesn't exist. Not to mention generate fake messages.

 

[-=H=-]

I had a video call with her this morning, she is legit and a real person. I did all my due diligence and she's in the correct time zone, right area code for the phone, and is awake at the right hours. I'm pleasantly surprised, and cautiously optimistic.

 

[-=H=-]

Well God helped me solve the question quickly. She sent a photo claiming to be her eating lunch in San Francisco and thanks to 3D Google Earth I was able to locate it at Pier 1.5 at La Mar Cocina Peruana but she was allegedly eating lunch 20 mins before the restaurant opened. After I while I asked her what restaurant it was and I'd love to go there with her and she said Scomas which is Pier 39 and definitely not the same place.

Now to mess with them and waste their time and then document everything so others don't fall into the trap, and then report the scam to the relevant authorities (have links for them).

 

[-=H=-]

Okay so I'm not yet sure what the rub is, but I got the whole sob story about the terrible life. Now "she" is asking about whether I want to become an entrepreneur and make our own successful class leap.

This is getting interestinger and interestinger...

 

[Michie]

Well you know my vote friend Hollywood. SCAMMER! She is in the process of fattening the hog.

 

[-=H=-]

Well you know my vote friend Hollywood. SCAMMER! She is in the process of fattening the hog.

awesome, more material for the movie lol

 

[-=H=-]

I've been digging and digging tonight into pig-butchering scams and there's a few things of note:

- Crypto scammers usually avoid live video contact
- Crypto scammers avoid meeting face to face
- Crypto scammers will push to download crypto apps
- Crypto scammers will use fake photos and profiles

What I've observed:

- Her photos are really her, I've confirmed it via live video calls and she is even wearing the exact same necklace both in the photos and on video
- I work professionally in Hollywood level cinema and special effects and also in the AI world, the video calls I've had with her are definitely not deep fakes, especially when it comes to the very unique necklace
- When I mentioned the car today, I said it was a model S600, she corrected me and said it was an S650, the photo of her in the car was legit
- There is an ultra private LinkedIn profile that is definitely hers and lines up with information she volunteered to me, not knowing I had been doing due diligence in checking if there was a legitimate LinkedIn account, it is so locked down that even at top tier I can't get access to it
- She has been wanting to know when I'm moving back to the USA to arrange to meet face to face

Now having worked with A list actors and filmmakers over my career, I know what's involved in keeping private for safety concerns. I mean Jessica Alba hit on me when we were working on Flipper. I have to keep my own social media accounts uber locked down because of safety reasons.

It is very unusual in that it doesn't fit the typical profile for a pig-butchering scam. I am keeping track of details, and I have friends in the media both in the USA and Australia that would be very interested in picking up a story like this if it turns out to be such a scam. If it is a scam, it is uber advanced and sophisticated.

 

[Michie]

I've been digging and digging tonight into pig-butchering scams and there's a few things of note:

- Crypto scammers usually avoid live video contact
- Crypto scammers avoid meeting face to face
- Crypto scammers will push to download crypto apps
- Crypto scammers will use fake photos and profiles

What I've observed:

- Her photos are really her, I've confirmed it via live video calls and she is even wearing the exact same necklace both in the photos and on video
- I work professionally in Hollywood level cinema and special effects and also in the AI world, the video calls I've had with her are definitely not deep fakes, especially when it comes to the very unique necklace
- When I mentioned the car today, I said it was a model S600, she corrected me and said it was an S650, the photo of her in the car was legit
- There is an ultra private LinkedIn profile that is definitely hers and lines up with information she volunteered to me, not knowing I had been doing due diligence in checking if there was a legitimate LinkedIn account, it is so locked down that even at top tier I can't get access to it
- She has been wanting to know when I'm moving back to the USA to arrange to meet face to face

Now having worked with A list actors and filmmakers over my career, I know what's involved in keeping private for safety concerns. I mean Jessica Alba hit on me when we were working on Flipper. I have to keep my own social media accounts uber locked down because of safety reasons.

It is very unusual in that it doesn't fit the typical profile for a pig-butchering scam. I am keeping track of details, and I have friends in the media both in the USA and Australia that would be very interested in picking up a story like this if it turns out to be such a scam. If it is a scam, it is uber advanced and sophisticated.

They evolve all the time.

 

[-=H=-]

It’s like a choose your own adventure story lol what will happen today?

 

[Michie]

It’s like a choose your own adventure story lol what will happen today?

Anything new??

 

[-=H=-]

Anything new??

Well her name is Katya (I know the last name), it looks like she has been modeling. I've saved all the photos. Still can't figure out the deal, wants to meet in person. This is some advanced stuff.

 

[-=H=-]

Anything new??

Okay I'm pushing a little on the crypto stuff now to try and draw out the scam. Sent photos of a 120 second "crypto trade"...

EDIT: So I need to be in this for the long haul, I think I may have affected her though. She doesn't seem willing to push the scam. A little bit of stuff. Trying to figure out how to reach her, apparently a lot of people making contact are actually victims of human trafficking themselve.

 

[-=H=-]

Today's update:

So I know her name to be Katya, so I gently questioned her full name. She says a name that's not Belarusian. But the she says it's the name she gave herself when she moved to the United States, so she's being honest it's not her real name. Will see if she actually discloses that it's Katya (short for Ekaterina).

EDIT: Okay she's volunteering that she gave herself an English name, but she has her own Belarusian name. This is turning out interesting, she's volunteering this. I asked if I could ask her Belarusian name but okay if she doesn't answer it, just going gently gently. Will see what happens.

EDIT 2: She says she wants to tell me in person when we meet...

Very interesting...

 

[Michie]

Please be careful.

 

[-=H=-]

Please be careful.

Definitely... I'm going to set up lifelock as well just for safety.

EDIT: I still suspect it's a sophisticated operation, the english in the mornings is off, and things said are strange. I noticed though when I sent through something translated by AI into Belarusian suddenly the english improved to native speaker status, so they must be tag teaming. Still doesn't explain the real woman aspect though. My thought about the telling me in person is the pinch hitter doesn't know her real Belarus name.

 

[-=H=-]

...and the plot thickens with the llatest question:

"What are your current investment layouts in the financial sector? What is invested in real estate, stocks, bond funds, gold and cryptocurrencies?" - No big red flags there at all...

I said "That information I only share with my closest, most trusted confidantes. I can tell you more once we meet."

 

[-=H=-]

Further update today...

So today the rubber meets the road. Ended up having an honest discussion about anomalies and truth...

She shard how she was feeling about our friendship and her vulnerabilities after I shared I wasn't comfortable disclosing my investment portfolio until we met. This of course upset her a bit but I explained I had to be careful.

So after her "open heart" sharing, I opened up about the anomalies with the restaurant photos and details surrounding them, how the first photos were 20 mins before opening time and she said a different restaurant name than the one she was allegedly at. And how she said she was at a certain restaurant for dinner that was actually in Santa Monica not San Francisco. I believed she had been there just not at those moments.

She said she was testing me to see whether I was still investigating her, which I of course was. Nice defensive move if it's a scammer. We're talking pro level here.

So then I shared about how my parents lost 1/2 million in investments and that's why I had to be careful. Then went on to explain the pig butchering schemes. She claims she had been scammed out of 1.2 million herself on the crypto market, and how it's led her to be honest. I shared how I also have been involved in anti human trafficking work and how some people are trafficked and some forced to work for scammers, and that I was concerned for her wellbeing if such a thing had happened to her.

It then ended up that I shared I was here as a friend with an open hand, that I'm there to care and have no intention to cause her any further wounds in her life etc etc.

So now becomes the real test, if she's a scammer she will up and walk away knowing that I know how these scams work and won't fall victim to them or she is legitimately who she says she is and we move forward as friends.

 

[com7fy8]

If she was upset that you did not tell her your investment info, that is suspicious to me; because you haven't even met.

What matters is not first what your financial status is, but how you can relate and share in God's word and prayer.

You haven't said anything about how you minister prayer and God's word to each other, or you don't. You should be able to tell if you are helping one another to grow in Jesus or not.

And share your experience with one another.

Of course, ones can look up how Christians write, and use this to write spiritual things.

But if you share on the phone, you can see if she talks as she writes.

And you can meet during a church service.

 

[Michie]

Yeah I still say scammer.