Former romance scammer shares tricks from "playbook", educates potential victims
BOSTON - A reformed romance scammer is speaking out, sharing with the I-Team how he got women to send him tens of thousands of dollars. He claims there is a secret playbook that teaches men how to trick women into falling in love with them.
Chris says he would target older women, especially single women and people with relationship problems that are looking for someone to love.
For years Chris, who lives in Nigeria, would hunt for vulnerable women on dating apps and Facebook. He set up fake profiles pretending to be in the military, deployed in a foreign county and a single dad with two kids. Using sexy photos he would find online, he would lure women into chatting with him. Chris says he would spend hours communicating with his victims, showing he cared, and once he earned their trust, he would tell them that he loved them.
Once he professed his love, Chris says he would show his commitment by sending gifts, getting a local restaurant to deliver a pizza to the victim's home, sending flowers and rings. He would make the women feel comfortable and believe that he is real.
"They feel like this person really loves me," Chris said, "and I need to trust him because if he could do this for me, that means he is real."
Romance scammer playbook
The tricks Chris used are in a secret romance scammer playbook. It gives step by step instructions on how to get women to fall in love online. Telling men to compliment her, text her goodnight and good morning, remember the names of her kids and pets and don't ask for money directly.
Chris would say he was deployed in Africa and his bank card does not work there. He would tell the women he had no access to his money and would then ask for their help just until he got back from his deployment. He said he would pay them back everything he owes.
Chris says the scheme worked, and over time he would convince them that he needed more money. He says he made tens of thousands of dollars scamming, juggling a few women at a time. "I don't tell them I need small money," Chris said. "Let's say I need $20,000 and she doesn't have $20,000. I just tell her that she can be giving me maybe $1,000 every month. Maybe $1,000 every two weeks."
He told the I-Team he never rushed his clients and didn't push to get the money quickly.
Massachusetts victims lost $8.6M in 2023
Romance scams have become a profitable business. A Social Catfish study shows in 2023, Massachusetts victims lost $8.6 million. Social Catfish is a company that verifies online identities using reverse search technology.
Chris says he is now out of the scamming business, working for Social Catfish to educate people on how to avoid becoming a victim.
He tells the I-Team that one of the best ways to know if you are being scammed is to ask for a video call. The scammer will usually find a reason why he is not able to do it. And finally, he says to never give money to someone you have never met.
