posted September 26, 2008 09:46 PM              

Anyway.. this is a copy of the report I filed online.

I met Simon Lawrence on myspace. There he goes by Tony. We chatted for awhile and he told me that he owned a business which he inhearited from his father who passed away and that he is a Construction Engineer. He said that he has about 15 people under him. He said that he travels a lot for his job and it seemed that everytime I chatted with him he was in another country such as Cuba, London and Yemen. We chatted for awhile when he told me that he was developing feelings for me. We talked on the phone too but just a couple of times since it was very long distance. I was a little questionable on how he could develop feelings for me so quickly. He even brought up us getting married. He offered to fly me to Yemen to meet him and if we hit it off.. possibly get married.
With me being a single mom with two kids at home, this sounded like a fairy tale. He said that once married, he would apply for citizenship here in the US and we would get a fiance permit and marry. Then he would buy me a house and new car.
And so on 7/15/08 I flew to New York from Utah which I paid for. Then Simon paid for my flights from New York to London.. then from London to Dubai.. then from Dubai to Yemen. All these people showed up just to meet me. His co-workers, friends and 2 of his sisters (now I wonder about the sisters). I was there until 7/24/08 then he flew me home. (you can see some of the pic's on my myspace)
I was on cloud 9 after meeting everyone and seeing just how much Simon seemed to love me. Everyone told me how much he loved me. He rented out an entire apartment complex for him and his workers in Yemen. I don't know the exact address.. I remember seeing the number 1 (could have been 11) on the building. And I remember hearing them ask the taxi drivers "do you know Saffia?" And I remember this was about a 20 minute drive from the Sanaa airport.
Simon promised me a lot. He said that he would help me with my car payments too. I am now 2 almost 3 car payments behind. (August,September and October due on October 20th)
Anyway.. when I got home he wanted me to set up a high interest account that he could transfer money to me in. I have terrible credit, so I was denied from a few institutions before his "partner" (as he called him) helped out and suggested that I apply with Bank of America. I did this and was approved. I asked why my own bank here wouldn't do and he gave me some explanation that I didn't understand.. but trusted.
So on 8/27/08 Simon's partner (John West of John West Consultants)transfered $3,000 to my bank of america account. I thought some of that was going to be used to pay off my parents and to make a couple of car payments. My parents paid about $1,000 to partly pay for my plane trip to New York and to pay for my flight home. Also they paid $140 for my parking ticket when I parked at the airport while I was gone. It came to just under $1,000. And two car payments of $250 each.
When I was chatting with Simon online, he told me that he needed that money to help pay for my plane tickets. He said that he has a limit with his bank in Yemen of $5,000/month and that he went over his limit, so he needed me to Western Union that money to him. It didn't sound quite right, but I trusted Simon... so I sent the money Western Union.
Simon and I continued to chat on Yahoo messenger and he said that he missed me and wanted to fly me back there and we would fly to Armenia, Switzerland and Dublin. He wanted to arrange for me to get a job and an apartment for the both of us to live there instead of the states.
So I quit my job here in Utah of almost 4 years to do this. All the while my parents are questioning Simon as well as everyone around me. But I was insistent on proving them wrong. I wanted to have my fairy tale life in Dublin with Mr Wonderful. With my parents constantly pressuring me about the money I owe them and the bank financing my car calls constantly about my missed payments... sometimes as much as 4 to 5 times a day.
Simon told me there was a $6,000 check on the way to pay my parents off, pay the car payments to date and on some of my other bills. I waited and waited for this check to come and it never came.
Soon came 9/5/2008 which is when I began my flights again to Yemen to meet Simon. The check never came, but I went anyway hoping it was just a hold up. This time it was different. He didn't spend so much time with me and I actually spent the majority of the trip in his room reading my Gooberz book. Here's the stupid part.. I had given him all of my personal information such as bank account numbers and passwords, email addresses and passwords (for the transfers)passport information so he could get me a visa for Armenia online (which he did).
So I had sent an email to my 16 yr old daughter asking her if that check had arrived yet. She said no, but the following day it was there. I told Simon it arrived and he wanted to fly me home so I could deposit it into my account. This seemed odd to me since I figured it would cost about that much for the flights.. or close anyway.
So he set up the flights, paying extra to change my existing flights home which were scheduled for 9/28/2008. I flew from Yemen to Dubai and had to wait a few hours for my flight to New York. During this time, I found out that the check came. So I asked my dad to deposit it for me, which he did. I am able to log on to Yahoo messenger from my phone, so I was chatting with Simon this way. He told me that he again needed the money so he could pay his employees. He said that since it was Ramadan, he wasn't able to get to his money with the banks being closed. By this time I was feeling very uneasy about it all and questioning him. So I figured it's not my money anyway, so I should send it. I found a bank at the Dubai airport that sent Western Union. I sent him $5,000 leaving $1,000 in the bank. I at least wanted to pay my parents back. I got my things together and headed for the check in at the airport for my flight. I get half way across the airport when I get an angry text from Simon asking why I didn't deposit the whole check. I told him that I wanted to pay my parents. He became very angry and began shouting at me. He told me that if I didn't send him $800 right now that we were over. This totally shocked me. I couldn't believe that he was going to end our relationship based on that. I told him how I was going to miss my flight if I went clear across the airport to send him more money. He said that was my problem, told me not to call him anymore, then hung up on me. So I ran across the airport and got held up at the extremely long line for customs. I began crying and ran back the other way so I wouldn't miss my flight. I didn't want to be stuck in Dubai with no way home. I couldn't find my way back to the gate and asked an attendant with Emirates airlines how I could get to my gate quickly since I was going to miss my flight....again I was sobbing by then. They let me go thru their gate and I found my way back.. barely in time to catch my flight. I remember flopping down in my seat feeling like I was going to faint (I'm diabetic).
I was just feeling totally numb at that moment. I texted Simon that when I got home I would western union his money to him. (just to be done with him). He ended up apologizing to me and we kind of made up. Kind of because I couldn't clear his tone of voice or the words he said to me out of my mind. So on 9/17/2008, after spending the night in Las Vegas (my connecting flight to Utah), I sent the $800 Western Union to Simon.
When I got home on 9/18/2008 there were 2 boxes that came for me while I was gone. One of the things Simon promised me was a laptop. He also said that a friend here in the states was sending me clothes and shoes to take to him. So when I saw those boxes I was thinking this was probably that. I opened them up to find 4 laptops. Okay.. this was strange. I know he said he'd send me one.. and one for him. I opened one of them up and began chatting on Yahoo messenger with Simon about them. He said none of them were for me or him. He said that his friend who has a business in New York ordered them for his workers. I asked why he didn't have them sent directly and he said that he told his friend that I could monitor the packages for him. Strange as that sounded, I shrugged it off and sent them to his friend in New York via DHL the next day.
He said that another shipment of 4 more laptops were on their way and that I could have one of them. This package never came. He also said that another check of $6,000 was on it's way so that I could pay off my bills. I felt better about that and I'm the type to forgive easily....especially where I dependeded on that money.
Yesterday I got online and found that both of those checks for $3,000 that went into my Bank of America account and the one for over $6,000 which went into my local bank both were reported as counterfeit.
They were sent from 2 of his "partners" in different states and they both bounced! At this time I was sure that I had been scammed by Simon. I got online ready to be angry with him. He seemed shocked and very upset that this happened. He said that he was very confused. I started thinking that okay.. I'll give this guy a chance to fix things. It was late so I went to bed and wanted to give him a chance to "fix things".
The next morning (today) my daughter brings me in a fed ex envelope with a $6,000 check from another of his partners. He says that I needed to cash it and send it Western Union. By now I'm tired of this song and dance. Again, he needed the money so he could fly himself and his PA (personal assistant) named Sylvester to Dubai. He said that he has work there and would send me $12,000 by Monday to pay off everything. I didn't think any odd bank would just cash it for me, so I went to Check City (a local check cashing business) to cash it. They called the company on the check called Netbrain Technologies to verify the check and.. surprise.. they said the check was fradulant. This is the final straw with me. I don't believe him anymore. Yes, I am very naive. I wanted the whole fairy tale ending. I went home and got on Yahoo messenger to confront him about this and he again played all innocent. He said that he needs to talk to his pastor and call the person who sent the check, etc etc.. and that he would fix things soon.
I am done trusting him and I can see this happening with one check... but not three..sent from three different people.
So now, I am stuck owing my current bank over $6,700 and another bank $3,000 and my parents $1,000 and three car payments $750...
I feel very cheated and I doubt he will fix anything. I'm pretty sure he was scamming me. And I am pretty sure that my flights were paid for by fradulant credit cards since I had problems with one of my flights from London when I was told there was a problem with the credit card that paid for the flight.

When I called my bank they suggested that I file a complaint online, which i did.

One other thing Simon told me is that he has 3 different names. He said it's tradition in Africa (he said he's from Nigeria) for babies to get 3 names at birth. One from Mom, one from Dad and one from his sister. (can anyone verify this for me?) So he goes by Simon Lawrence, Olaniyi Samuel Olajuyigbe, and Abraham M (cant remember the rest of the last name but it started with M).
Sorry it's so long, but so was my experience.

Again.. if anyone wishes to expand on this it would be greatly appreciated. I know that I probably deserve this... the red flags were all there but I wanted to believe that he loved me and wanted to take care of me..
Why do I attract these a$$holes!

posted September 27, 2008 06:33 AM            

You haven't been very sensible, that's true. But it's not you that's the crook.

Have you taken any professional advice to make sure you don't get fleeced any further? He's got your passport information and everything about you, he could use it for any kind of immigration or smuggling scam. Maybe you should go to the police, I don't know, maybe you have already.

posted September 27, 2008 07:35 AM            

Some info on here:
http://www.met.police.uk/fraudalert/

Not very helpful if you don't live in the U.K.

posted September 27, 2008 08:47 AM            

Sorry that you are going through this heartache and humiliation as well. I'm with everything that deux said. From the very first post you made about this person I felt uneasy and that something was very off. I even posted to you in a couple of threads but they didn't actually post - very strange - which made me think I had it wrong.

You need to go and sit down with the bank manager and consolidate all these debts that you now have. Unfortunately, they are now yours and you will be responsible for them over the next few years. Just practically speaking, you should change all your account details and passwords, etc - all the information that you gave him - change it all and cease contact with this person.

You are very vulnerable and very lonely and you are also very open with this and he's a predator and his senses are looking out for someone like you. You are not the only one, not the first that he has done this to and also he was doing it simultaneously to others. If you can - do find the right authorities because he'll continue to do this. If you had sex with him - please get a check-up - straight away.

I know you wanted to stand on your own and prove others right - and this has been a life-long lesson that has gotten you into trouble many times before too - but those around you - even though they feel authoritarian - they do care for you and have your best interests at heart a lot of the time. The love that you seek is in front of you - and then when you discover and accept that - then you can have the love that you think you need.

I don't know if this will post - as every time I type something for you - it doesn't work. As always - I'll leave it up to the gods.

Forgive yourself. Take responsibility. And move forward. If you can do that - and release the past and all your attachment to it - there are wonderful riches and great happiness ahead for you. I don't mean monetary riches either because that's the first thing you'll think of - I'm being told - riches that are more fulfilling to you. But you have to make that choice for yourself and commitment.

posted September 27, 2008 10:49 AM              

My heart is broken now after what you wrote here. I still remember chatting to you when you at Dubai Airport on Yahoo Messenger and chatting about Dublin and how excited you were to move there.

All my love,

posted September 27, 2008 12:30 PM            

It's so easy to be taken in. Some of the women said that lots of money had been spent on them ,lulling them into a false sense of security so that when they were asked to part with their money they were not concerned.

Why would a man spend so much on you if he was planning to decieve you?
But it's the old speculate to accumulate.
They gain your trust and WHAM!

It's an ugly part of the pleasure of being able to communicate on line with people all over the world.

As I said to my friend who was in danger of this.
"You have to ask yourself some important questions"
Why would a man ask to marry you after you have only known him for 2 hours.
Why would a man who is 28 yrs younger than you ask that question?
If he was English you would have gone "Don't be bloody ridiculous. Let's get to know each other first.

All I can say is I am sad that your wonderful trust has been abused by such a heartless pice of dirt.
And that the internet is not full of magical human beings that somehow we don't stumble across in real life.
It's just the same old humans hiding behind a facade.
There is an old saying
"If it looks too good to be true...it usually is.

posted September 27, 2008 02:07 PM              

Here's the latest...

I was told by my bank to go to www.ic3.gov to report an online scam... so I did.

Then this morning I was still very upset by this all and I got online to see if he was on messenger. I just wanted to chew him out.. still feeling very hurt.
Well it turned out he was online. He proceeded to tell me that he swears to God he didn't know anything about the counterfeit checks. He said that he's very confused by this all.. etc etc..
I'm thinking.. yeah, right. You had to have known something.
Next thing I know, my phone rings and it's him. He was sobbing on the other end of the phone telling me how he's sorry and how he needs me.. He tells me how he's considering killing himself, which totally shut me down. I did a complete turn around. I'm trying to tell him to calm down, that everything will be okay..
It's all very confusing... on one hand I want to take a bat to his head and on the other hand I wanted to soothe him. I'm so confused right now.
He said that he borrowed money from one of his sister's to go to Dubai and collect money from one of his jobs. He still says that he will pay me back once he gets that money.
And I'm a tender heart who's way too trusting. You tell me you need money, I'll give you my last dollar.. I'm just like that.
So he's on the other end of the phone telling me he's not okay.. how he needs me.. I'm concerned that he may attempt suicide, so I told him to fly me out there when he can..
Meanwhile, I'm sitting here wondering what he's doing.. is he okay..
or
is he sitting there congratulating himself on another Oscar winning performance?

so I don't know..

Fireyscales! - Yes, I remember sitting there at the Dubai airport chatting with you. It was over an hour I know that.. and you have no idea how much I appreciated your company. You are a good friend (hugs)!

Thanks for your words and advice guys!! Very much appreciated!

posted September 27, 2008 03:31 PM            

He does not love you.

He does not love you.

He does not love you.

You are done being a fool now.
Stop trying to communicate with him and grieve for your HUGE LOSS. None of that is love. Do you hear me? He is a skilled manipulator. It pays. He makes his living that way by stealing from women like you. He is good at it. He knows exactly what to do and what to say and your kind heart believes it. You have to let this dream go before you get yourself deeper in debt. He is just buying himself more time and the more you buy his bullsh!t, the more he thinks he might just be able to get a little more out of this patsy.

If I could just take your place for a minute now as a person who sees clearly I would lovingly and sweetly arrange to meet him again only this time with the police at my side. You should not do this, however, because if you talk to him again you will end up believeing his b.s.

You have to face the truth and get angry but don't TELL HIM YOU ARE ANGRY, tell the police and your future lawyer. I just hope for your sake they have lawyers who prosecute these things not just criminally, so you can get some of your money back... or that the bank has insurance for these sort of things. I just read your last post, for God's sake stop feeling sorry for him. Love YOURSELF!

He's a con artist. He does not love you.

posted September 27, 2008 03:48 PM              

They had a special Dateline report on this sort of thing.

Nigeria is unfortunatley known for their scams and scam artists.
http://insidedateline.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/03/110733.aspx

posted September 27, 2008 10:51 PM            

quote:

---

Why would scammers go to so much trouble to rook single mothers unless the women are wealthy?

---

Because they are experienced in spotting a very lonely person a mile away. And to a lot of nations and people, even though we are poor by our own terms and economy, we appear quite wealthy by their economic standards and lifestyle in comparison. But this is about basic human honesty and decency no matter what your economic status or apparent status.

posted September 28, 2008 12:47 AM              

I am very sorry to hear this This a very difficult situation. What transpired does involve federal authorities; so it sounds like you're on the right path in connecting with the FBI.

Hi Lexx,

From what I read of CC's post, it sounds like her boyfriend was using CC to cash fraudulent checks. I don't think she had given him any her own personal money to him, no?

At any rate, I think CancerianMoon was just conveying what she had heard from her friends. It isn't fair to put her on the spot to defend hearsay.

Best Regards,

posted September 28, 2008 01:36 AM              

What gets me is how religious he is. The first time he flew me to see him.. one of the first things we did together is pray. It felt so right and so loving that I cried.
And his sister Stella whom I spent a lot of time with. She didn't give me any bad vibes.. matter of fact, nobody there gave me any bad vibes. It FELT right. And I am very sensative around people. I can feel things around people... hard to explain. But I didn't get any bad feelings around them. Until the second time.. things felt different then.
Even this last time. I was there for 12 days and during that time he took me to his church, introduced me to his pastor.. and before we left his apartment, he took my hands and prayed for my safe travels.
I had a hard time.. still do.. believing that someone so religious would go to such lengths to be so devious.
Yet... I think of what Peace Angel wrote and wonder if that was a part of playing into my emotions.
I chatted with him a few hours ago and he was worried that he took too many sleeping pills. He said he took 3 instead of 1. GOD I wish I was a fly on the wall over there.
So for now I think I'll just wait until Monday and go to the FBI to see what my options are. I can in no way re-pay that money right now so I hope whoever is responsible will be held accountable.
One thing is for sure... I've learned one hell of a lesson the hard way.
And I don't think it will be so easy to earn my trust in the future.
Once bitten twice as shy.

But WOW I am so very amazed with everyone here. What an amazing family this is. ((hugs)) to everyone and thanks for caring.
I'll keep you posted here with anything new.

posted September 28, 2008 05:34 AM            

We think we are short of money but to them our lifestyles represent something they could only ever achieve through criminal means. We cannot even concieve what things are like for them.
Sad but true.

posted September 28, 2008 07:59 AM            

I'm sorry you have been hurt this way.