Here we have them again. Any comments on Facebook that don't match the actual status post. Apparently, as in the current case, a certain “Lisete Hélène” is in a hospital in Canada and she is now leaving a message because she has lung cancer and she is now looking for someone to manage her assets. Yes, sure^!1!!!!!!!!

These or similar comments are currently being made:

MIMIKAMA
Facebook screenshot from September 5th, 2022

The content as wording (sic!)

“Hello, I am Lisete Hélène, a widow of Danish origin but currently in hospital in Canada.
I leave you this message because I have terminal lung cancer and I really need your prayers, so I want to donate my assets to a serious, reliable person who is able to manage it well. If you are interested, contact me.
Whatsapp; wa.me/+22…………..”

If you take a closer look at the profile, you can quickly see that this is a fake and a scam, because a short time ago this person had another picture on Facebook

MIMIKAMA

What do we have here?

Such comments, contributions and “offers” are a so-called advance fee fraud

Advance fee fraud, romance scam, Nigeria connection – these terms are behind the text of the allegedly terminally ill woman.

As with the romance scam , the woman's story is just an excuse to trigger feelings in the reader and to arrest them emotionally. The aim is to create the impression that the woman actually only has a few weeks left to live. If the victim then accepts the offer of money, the offer turns out to be a demand. Fees would soon become due or other liabilities would arise that the victim would have to shell out in advance. Such messages, as shown above, are 99.9% this type of advance fee fraud. This type of fraud has been around for a very long time. The offers are sent via email or social networks.

Nigeria Connection in connection with the advance fee fraud

Such fraud attempts are sent, among others, by the so-called Nigeria Connection . She tries to wrap her victims around her finger and - due to the emotional closeness that has arisen - ask them for a financial advance. However, the Nigeria Connection is not a structured organization. These are different groups of African fraudsters, some of whom live in Europe and some in Nigeria.

These internet fraudsters specialize in credit card fraud, document forgery, advance payment fraud and much more. on Facebook with many fake profiles for some time . They contact unsuspecting Facebook users, gain their trust and after a while pretend to be in financial distress.

The fraudsters have a very specific prey scheme : The main target group of their victims is in most cases:

  • female
  • reasonably intelligent (must have at least a good knowledge of English)
  • single
  • middle-aged (very young women do not yet have any financial resources)

A clearly recognizable, smiling face must be visible in the profile photo of the selected victim, because the fraudsters refer to this in their first contact attempts. Of course, this also applies to men.

When it comes to advance fee fraud, what characteristics do such fraudsters have?

Unfortunately, a completely precise description is not possible because these criminals are extremely creative and of course adapt to the circumstances. However, there are some basic criteria that you can pay attention to in order to protect yourself: The scammers are supposedly:

  • about the age of the victim
  • professionally more in middle management
  • divorced, but widowed much more often. Her children have either also died or the man supposedly has to look after them alone.
  • The Facebook profile is not particularly informative; there are no visible postings.
  • The fraudsters appear remarkably empathetic.

This is how criminals proceed with advance payment fraud:

  • Initial contact via message. All communication is mostly in English.
  • Profile picture: not unattractive, but not an “Adonis” either. In the case of alleged inheritances, very elderly, amiable people
  • Report-like CV, e.g. B. “My parents died in an accident, my wife died giving birth to our child.”
  • Questioning the targeted victim (= looking for weaknesses)
  • Vows of love that no real man would utter sober.
  • A sudden event occurs, e.g. B. “Pirates are coming” (= most bizarre version). However, the story is often coherent in itself - as a justification for the resulting emergency.
  • Request for a financial loan (amount in the four-digit euro range) using massive, emotional pressure and presenting so-called “evidence” as a file.
  • After receiving money – money gone. Unknown admirer, of course, or died early - and no longer entitled to the inheritance.

What can I do if someone like that writes to me?

Unfortunately, this form of fraud is something of a “gray area” from a legal perspective.

Unfortunately, the damage that such a fraudster can cause can hardly be repaired in practice to date. That's why you should take a close look at your potential Internet acquaintances.

  • Don't give out too much information about yourself.
  • Don't accept suspicious friend requests.
  • If it has already happened: Hide your own contacts.
  • Be careful with information about yourself: you don't tell complete strangers your fears, dreams, family situation, etc.
  • Distrust is appropriate when the unfamiliar person uses nicknames and the term “love” relatively quickly.
  • For the brave: shorten the whole thing and either announce your own arrival or immediately ask how much money you need.
  • For the sensible: Block and report to Facebook to protect other future victims.

Conclusion on this current advance fee fraud on Facebook

There is no inheritance, no wealth, no money here. And there is hardly anyone on the Internet who is so kind and friendly - and who really wants to give away their money. So do the same - and don't blindly give away money to internet acquaintances you've never met in real life.

Also read what happens when you come into contact with such fake profiles.


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )