I have been widowed for two years. On June 17, 2017 I met this guy on a dating website called Badoo. He told me his name was Rand Scott, and that he was working on an oil rig in Norway. He was so sweet, and I fell for his line “hook, line, and sinker!” We talked I guess for about two weeks, just about general things people talk about when they are getting to know each other. Then he started insisting that I get a hold of his agent so that I could send the money for Rand to receive his contract payment, which was supposed to be over a million dollars. He told me to send the payment to the name the agent gave me. I would get the Cashier’s check in three hours after I sent the money. At first they wanted me to send $850 to cover some of the lawyer’s fees and shipping cost. When I told him I couldn’t send that much, he asked if I could send $400. And like a fool, I did try to send money twice, once by Money Gram, and another time by Western Union. I tried doing it on line with a debit card, and it didn’t go through either time (thank goodness). The Money Gram just didn’t go through, but Western Union took the money out of my account, and when it failed, I did get my money back in a few days.
He was very persistent about getting the contract payment, and how when I got it, I was to go buy us a big house and a car. He kept telling me he loved me, and when he got back we were going to be married and live happily ever after! I was obsessed, and I believed him. In the meantime, my daughter was trying to find out more about Rand Scott on Google, YouTube, and by looking up phone numbers. She found a lot of information on a Rande Scott, and she told me that she thought someone else was using his image to scam me. Of course, I didn’t want to believe her.
Rand wanted me to get on Viber so we could talk, so I did. Every day he would ask me the same questions, how did you sleep? Have you eaten? How is the family? And, he always asked what time was it over here. He was still very persistent about getting the contract money. Every time I told him I didn’t have the money to send, he would ask me if I couldn’t borrow it from one of my friends or my daughter. I told him absolutely not! I told him I didn’t drive. But, he keep hounding me to get to town to send the money.
I went on a mission trip with my church July 16- July22, and even when I was there, he insisted that I find a way to Wal-Mart (6 miles away) to send the money! Like I could just pick up and go any time I wanted to! By the time we got back from Missouri, I was getting pretty aggravated at him! I told him I would send the money when I had it, or I would make up excuses not to send the money.
On August 13, he messaged me wanting me to set up a Facebook account for him, so I did, and gave him the information. I put it on for him to log in. On August 14, I go to Facebook and see a live pod cast of Rande Scott, and thinking it was the same guy that was scamming me, I messaged him on Facebook and gave him seven kinds of hell. After I calmed down, I realized it wasn’t the same guy because the voice was different. Rande told me that this happens to him all of the time! Rande and Diana are trying to catch this guy, and a police report has been filed. I was one of the lucky ones, and I didn’t lose any money due to my daughter, the real Rande Scott and Diana. I pray to God that these scammers can be caught!
Carolyn