If you're a member or occasional visitor to online dating websites then law enforcement authorities would like to have a minute of your time to offer a word of caution. If the person on the other side of the screen appears to be too good to be true then chances are they are not what they say they are. At least when you compare their online persona to their real-life persona.

Officials in Vernon Parish say they became concerned about an online scam that may have cost an individual $300,000.

The perpetrator of this scam uses the online moniker, James Admiral Wade. That may or may not be a real person but it is the name that is being used by the scammers. Their method is quite simple. They gain the trust of unsuspecting, usually lonely, people.

 

The scammers then ask the victim to wire money or send gift cards. The reason, those transactions are almost impossible to trace and it's even harder to recoup any money spent or sent. Oddly enough when the money dries up or the victim stops sending cash the scammers disappear.

In this case, the scammer's profile, James Admiral Wade, states that he is a civil engineer working in South Africa. He, the scammers, tell victims that he is having an issue with his work visa and needs money in order to rectify the situation and leave the country. The scam continues with reported pictures of bank documents and other "proof" that the request is legit.

It's not. Don't fall for it.

If you've been contacted by someone using this profile on an online dating or social media site you are encouraged to contact law enforcement officials in your community. Of course, don't send anyone you don't know any money or gift cards unless you just like throwing your money away.

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