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Social Networking Website Scams: MySpace, FaceBook, Chat Rooms and More

Social Networking Scams

Looking for Friends in All the Online Places May Land You a Scam Instead of a Pal!

If you are active on online social networking websites, such as MySpace, FaceBook, Friendster, or via classifieds, chat rooms and forums, beware.  Some reports indicate that as much as 30% of the personalities are scams. That sweet, fun, witty person in Columbia, Africa, Russia or the Far East may be looking for a relationship with your wallet or purse, not you! Here are some of the typical scams:

• Hard core scammers set out to con you into sending them money;
• fake profiles intended to redirect you to another website (porn, gambling or even another social networking website); or
• real people looking to make friends or date... but they are not who they claim to be!

Even the biggest and oldest social networking websites, such as dating websites like Match.com, eHarmoney, AOL, etc., are not immune to scammers. Social Networking has changed since the advent of the internet and you have to be knowledgeable and have you guard up to separate the scammers from the real people.

Here are visitor-submitted reports of social networking scams. And here are some key points to remember about the scams.

Also see this page on Online Dating Scams and this page on Russian dating cams.

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Actual scam emails received:

1. Amigos.com - 'Peace Initiative Program' worker
2. A Police Impersonator, using the name Ronald Smith Sr

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What can you do to avoid being scammed on social networking websites

Scammers are present everywhere on the social networking websites. Even if you use established social networking websites, like MySpace, Facebook, Match.com, eHarmony, etc., and even the person says he or she lives in your own country, you may be scammed.

Before you invest your emotions into a long distance relationship, compare what they say against common sense. 

Apply the same common sense rules of safe social networking online as you would in person.

• Let friends or relatives know where you are going and when you expect to return when you meet someone from a social networking website.
• Always meet in a public place.
• Never send money to someone you met online.
• Especially, never, ever send money via Western Union.

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Miscellaneous social networking scam reports from consumers / victims:

Isingles, Olusesan Ashaye, Received April 9, 2008:

I have been chatting to a man who contacted me from the website www.isingles. I believed he was an american living in England. He then said he was away on business in West Africa. We have been chatting for several weeks and he was very convincing. He was a widow with no family and just one son - Nelson. However, when he said he was returning to the UK he said he had run out of cash and could I send him some, asking initially for £500 and when I said no asked how much could I send. I led him to believe that I would send £50 and these are the details that he gave me:

Western Union Money Transfer

Agent name - Olusesan Ashaye

City - Ikorodu

State - Lagos

Country - Nigeria

Zipcode - 23401

Text question - best colour

Answer - blue

His email address is littleman4075@yahoo.com