I’ve decided to do this as Diana L Garren has encouraged us to tell our story. I hope this will help stop my negative feelings and thoughts and self-hate for being so sad, lonely, and vulnerable. It’s not clear I will ever be able to accept myself again and feel gratitude for anything. I know we must find gratitude at the moment; I see nothing to be grateful for. It has to be real for me to accept, and nothing feels real or safe at the moment.
I was always a person who avoided Facebook. I did not like it. I found it very fake and uncertain. I basically only responded to my known friends. I never accepted any requests, and I never asked to friend anyone. A novice not knowing much to begin with.
I respond to many doggy and dachshund FB groups.
On June 19, I got a request from one of these sites to friend this guy. He was extremely attractive and very good-looking, and beyond that, I have no explanation for WHY I did this. It was completely out of character for me. Unfortunately, it was evil knocking at my door.
I would never have known this was all fake. To me, it was real.
So the monster started talking and engaging me in his ” love cloud,” and I fell for it. I believed I met my soulmate. As you say, they are very skilled at saying exactly what you need to hear.
Then, he created a situation to convince me he was real. He sent me what I believed was access to his bank account with EastWest Bank, 1680 South Azuza Ave, City of Industry, CA 91748. A real bank.
His lie when he said was he was a government contractor with his own business; he was an oil rig welder. New job in Malta for three weeks. His wifi was not connecting. He asked if I would please go online and make a payment for him to pay someone on the job in Malta for him. So he sent me the information to get into his account, and I made the payment for him successfully. Then he asked me to do another one, which also worked. So, to me, it meant nothing. I was helping out a man I was falling in love with.
He then asked for another payment to be made, and that one did not work. Supposedly, the bank has frozen his account because a different IP address was being used to access his account. I saw he had 8 million dollars in the account he sent me.
Here is the basis for the fraud- he could not access his account, and the bank would not open it until he returned to the USA and went into the bank in person. I thought this was stupid, and he kept pushing the Embassy/ Consulate for help. I believed what I saw. He was rich and trusted that.
He sent me a photo of an injured hand, a nasty cut on his hand. Supposedly, a fight on the oil rig -he got hurt -hospital – money issue classic lie, and I fell for it. He needed money, or they would kill him. There was lots of drama to get me more emotionally involved with him.
Yet, I was triggered. I was in love and believed the whole fake dream he created. I was in a coma. It’s like he brainwashed me. I cannot understand how I let this happen. I lost $ 200,000 of my retirement. I spent hours and days at Bitcoin machines, giving him all my money. At the same time, he encouraged me to look at houses to buy and plan vacations. I was all caught up in the fact that I was in love with the dream, and I believed he was a millionaire. To me, everything was going to be wonderful.
He mailed me a check for 8 million dollars, which was his Malta job payment via UPS payment. It looks authentic front and back. I’m sure to keep the fake story alive. I thought the check was real. He said to hold onto this check for me until we meet. That was the hook to keep me present and believing he was rich.
Then, he kept pushing for more money. He was expecting me to return to work to give him money. That was the trigger that worked. I was starting to get scared as I realized my biggest fear. He called me, and once I heard a foreign accent, I screamed at him that he was a criminal and had stolen my money and broken my heart.
I have never answered any more communication from this monster. I am grieving a life and love I will never have. It’s a cruel reality.
The money is gone. I’ll never get it back.
I have to go back to work. This is my destiny.
I ruined my life and financial security because I was sad and lonely. Being alone is horrible. It makes you do stupid things.
Maybe my story can help someone else.
Thank you
Maria
USA