scamming

Published on: November 17, 2024

Women Scammed Out of Millions in Online Dating Fraud

A man from Nigeria is facing charges after allegedly targeting women on dating sites and scamming over $3 million by getting them to agree to give him money for family expenses.

According to reports, between December 2019 and December 2023, someone using online dating accounts with profiles containing the name “Giovanni,” began talking to women, most of whom were widowed or divorced. When chatting with the women, the user presented themselves as a male officer in the U.S. military who was currently on an overseas deployment.

The women, each led to believe they were in a relationship with the user, understood when they were told they could not meet in person since he said he was on an official military mission. The authorities reported that the account holder asked the women to give them money for various reasons. One woman was told he had to pay a $150,000 fine for telling her where he was stationed, and she agreed to foot part of the bill. She sold her home and utilized her deceased spouse’s retirement fund to get a loan, and the woman was ultimately bilked of $2.3 million before being notified that the person she believed was her boyfriend was killed in the line of duty. In two other cases, women were asked for financial help to pay for the man’s father’s funeral expenses.

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Published on: May 11, 2018

Parents Profit from Donations by Faking Son’s Cancer

by Staycie R. Sena

The parents of a 10-year-old boy who allegedly created an online campaign to raise donations for expenses related to their son’s cancer have been accused of fraudulently accepting the funds after authorities discovered that the boy did not have the disease.

GoFundMe is an online platform designed to host fundraisers created by the general public who are seeking donations for personal needs. People have collected money for causes such as gaining assistance with finances when going through rough times, help with funding independent films, and a limitless number of other causes.

Martin and Jolene LaFrance are the parents of a 10-year-old little boy named CJ and they live in Port Byron, NY.

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Published on: November 3, 2017

Psychic Accused of Bogus Business after Prior Fraud Conviction

by Staycie R. Sena

A woman working as a psychic out of a business in Mount Vernon, Washington, has been charged with defrauding clients after she was convicted for the same offense nearly ten years ago in Florida.

69-year-old Linda Marks, a woman claiming she is a psychic, stood trial in 2006 in Florida for scamming mostly ill and vulnerable clients for more than $2 million over a period of eight years by offering supernatural solutions to their dilemmas. Just before she was given a four year sentence she made a statement to the court apologizing for her actions. Marks explained that she learned to steal as a result of growing up in a gypsy community, and a family member trained her in fortunetelling. “This is our heritage. This is the way we are taught to survive,” she said.

Marks has now moved her business to Mount Vernon, Washington. A woman recently sought the help of Marks for romantic, physical and family problems which were causing her to suffer from depression. Marks allegedly informed the woman that she was afflicted with a curse, and she could be cured through spiritual means.

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