Dubious about Dubai: fun trip or kidnapping ploy?

His pics were probably stolen from Photobucket or purchased on a stock photography site so even if you posted them he'd probably just use new ones the next time.
Easier than that. Probably a photo out of a lady's new wallet scanned into the computer.
I'm wondering, what is the "Rock Star Scam" that was mentioned?
Grad Girl, yes the Nigerian scammers are everywhere. I tried to sell a diamond neclace on craigslist a couple of years ago. Some guy said he wanted to buy it. When he said he was Nigerian I was suspisious of course, however, I received this email saying my pay pal has been paid. So I thought, perhaps he is legit. I mean, everyone in Nigeria can't be bad, right?

So I go to the post office and I pay the extra insurance fees, foreign fees, etc. to mail the neclace. I think it came to $25 or $40, I can't remember. Well, I get the UPS number that pay pal needs to release the funds to me. (Again, this was about 3 years ago my memory is a little hazy, I forgot how paypal works. -But from what I can remember, in order for them to give you the funds you have to prove you mailed the package or something to that effect.)

I go on paypal and enter the UPS code. Immediately after doing that, something struck me as off. I guess it was the fact that he was from Nigeria, and even tho I was well aware of the Nigerian Scam, a sucker is born everyday. So I go online and I google the persons email addresse. Well, it turns out his email addy was listed on one of those "beware-these are scammers" site. People went into details about how they got scammed. They also got the pay pal receipt too, but as you guessed, it's a fake receipt.

The funny thing is, I kept checking my pay pal account and zero funds were there yet this "receipt" said he sent the funds. The receipt looked EXACTLY like a regular paypal receipt. Man, was I stupid! I kicked myself and thought about how dumb I was for getting taken by a Nigerian scam!

But then I thought....NO! I contacted the post office and to my surprise the neclace was STILL there. I talked to the manager there and they said they knew I was getting scammed but legally they can't tell me to stop shipping anything. They refunded the $25 or $40 and I got my neclace back.

I checked my inbox and Nigerian man sent an email saying the UPS code I gave comes up as invalid. I played around with him for a day or so. I told him over and over, that I sent the neclace. Finally, I was done playing cat and mouse and I told him the truth. The neclace did not get sent I "almost" sent it but went back to UPS and cancelled the shipment. He told me he was going to contact the police department for acusing him of being a scammer. I never heard from him again. The thing that worries me, is these NIgerians are getting VERY crafty. I think they prey on old people. I mean, if they can get one over on me, they must be good at what they do. Old people, being trusting lonely souls, probably fall for this.
Naomi4u's Avatar
As a Nigerian I will say this: We are pretty smart aren't we?
Don't worry girl. I get the emails all the time too. They'll scam anyone even
their own people. LOL
Well, like I said earlier -not all Nigerians are bad. And who is to say I wouldn't be doing what they do if I was in their shoes? Just be careful so ya don't get taken.
As a Nigerian I will say this: We are pretty smart aren't we?
Don't worry girl. I get the emails all the time too. They'll scam anyone even
their own people. LOL Originally Posted by Naomi4u
Can you give me directions to the Nigerian Lottery office so I can go pick up my winnings??
Naomi4u's Avatar
Can you give me directions to the Nigerian Lottery office so I can go pick up my winnings?? Originally Posted by Ed Highlight
ICU 812's Avatar
Disregarding the hobbyist/provider aspect of this . . .I'd stay out of the Mmid-East altogether. Even a family vacation to the Holy Land is off my list (for now anyway).

Cioming back to the context of the OP: is the 10Gs worth the risk?
Mariah Moore's Avatar
Yeah that sounds just a little bit to good to be true don't do reconsider.
Disregarding the hobbyist/provider aspect of this . . .I'd stay out of the Mmid-East altogether. Even a family vacation to the Holy Land is off my list (for now anyway).

Cioming back to the context of the OP: is the 10Gs worth the risk? Originally Posted by ICU 812

Nope, it is not worth the risk at all! Anything too good to be true is just that. And as Grad Girl mentioned earlier, this could be a scam straight outta the movie "Hostel" -you never know. That movie did scare the day lights out of me, and I often wondered if people truely do exist like that. Being a provider, you have to constantly think about your safety. I mean, civilians do have the notion that providers won't be missed as much as a non providers. We must remain on the alert as much as possible.
rachet3375's Avatar
Well there goes your chance to be in a harem, lol. Greed is a powerful enemy to commonsense and we are all a little susceptable. Glad you took a moment to think this out and ask for input.