IN THE WORDS OF THE VICTIM
~~
love scammer was contacting me via XING, a German business platform. First as “George Miller Tony” then as “Tony Morgan Miller”. As reason he told he used not his real name the first time and was blocked and then created a new account to get in contact with me again. He said he was there to getting business contacts in Germany. Her is a US Marine Sergeant from Chicago and single dad with two kids who wants to retire and start a new life with an own business in Germany.
I watched his contact list and saw only middle-aged Women (like me) and asked for his true reasons, because I assumed, he was looking for a woman (and I was so right there and didn’t recognize!!!). He was kind of upset and assured he is looking for business contacts. This all happened on October 20 and 21.
I took his profile picture and made a search on the internet with it, but with no results… I checked Facebook, Instagram etc. if there would be any profiles (nothing). I tried to find out his address or something else about him in Chicago area (nothing). But did not became suspicious…
We were talking first in general, about the Corona situation here and there and it became more private. I told him about my kids and that I wanted to get separate from my husband…
Then he asked me to change our conversation to Google Hangouts and we did. We were getting closer and closer with our conversations, he sent me pictures of himself and his “kids” (7 and 5 years old). Now I am annoyed that I did not check these pictures again, cause I would have found out that one of them was used for a love scamming in 2017 (your website/Johnson Miller:
https://www.scamhatersunited.com/.../johnson-miller-went...).
He told me that his wife betrayed him and left him one year after the birth of his daughter and that he could never trust a woman again. But I would be the one now…
I saw him very short time on a video call that didn’t really work (no wonder)… After a few days he told me he would go on his last deployment do Afghanistan. After that he would retire and wanted to move with his kids to Germany. He said, he would stay at Camp Dwyer in Afghanistan with his troops (50 persons). We were chatting very often via Hangouts through the day and I was wondering why he had so much time for me. He said he would work in the control room most of the time, has to assist his commander as “loyal sergeant” and was on patrol with his team regularly.
Meanwhile he said he would come to Germany in December to stay with me for a few weeks to plan our new live together and then go to the US to get over the kids. I organized an apartment and we kept on making plans…
Then he had to change to another camp near Kunduz after one week (contact etc. same thing here) and after another week he had to change to the next camp in Jalalabad. Before his first change he told me he would send me two boxes with his belongings, retirement and other important documents, gifts, gold he were buying in Afghanistan and 350,000 US Dollar cash (his whole possession). I was wondering again and asked many questions but he really made it to convince me. I gave him my contact details…
He told me that a red cross agent named Timothy West would organize the delivery for him because he had to leave. Before he asked me if I would marry him and I was joking with saying “yes”. He sent me a picture of “my ring” he said he has bought for me (worth 20,000 USD) and I was speechless, couldn’t believe it, but not distrustful.
Next day I got an email of the shipping company “Speedy Logistics” (part of the whole fake I know now:
https://speedyflogistics.online/track-form/) with a tracking number (WPC094591945691-CARGO) and they asked me to confirm my address.
Two days later the boxes “arrived” in Istanbul / Turkey and it was an ”anti-terrorism certificate” and a “yellow label” needed. And cause he was “in panic” the custom would open the boxes I paid for it (3,350 Euro).
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We write to inform you that your package was scanned at the customs here in Istanbul Turkey
international airport and it was found that the package contains a lot of money worth more than
$10,000, so the customs insisted that we must secure an Anti-Terrorism Certificate.
NOTE. In accordance with international law, an Anti-Terrorism Certificate imposes an obligation
upon the transmitting of cash into Turkey is not allowed, and to confirm that the cash to be
transmitted are untainted by any connection to international terrorist organizations.
The certificate will cost (3,350 eruo) to secure it, and if you don't secure the certificate your
package will be confiscated.
You are now advised to look for a way to make the payment. or you can still come down here at the
Turkish international airport Istanbul to make claims of your package and clear it yourself.
Let us know once you are ready for the payment. for payment information we wait to hear from you as
soon as possible so we can be able to deliver you package on Monday..
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…and I should make the payment to this account (I did!):
Account name: SALTANAT NURMAKHANBETOVA
Account number: 8491751 - 3
IBAN no:
TR21 0020 3000 0849 1751 0000 03
Bank address: 26 Merter/Istanbul
Beneficiary address: Mehmet Akif Ersoy District 2013 SK Istanbul Esenqurt
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On November 22 I got another email of the company that taxes and fees had to be payed or they would open the boxes:
We have gotten the message you sent to us . and we are here to work with you so we can deliver your package safely to you in Germany before next week Friday. like you ask about opening the box to cost it by the percentage of the contents in side the box, if the custom should cost it by percentage/ 10 percent of the contents inside your box might cost more higher of the given amount that was ask to be paid. and that is the reason why we dont want them to scan it.
We advice to look for a way and make the payment as soon as possible and we the Speedy Logistic will help you to pay part of the payment giving to you by the custom so we can deliver your package at your door step before next week Friday. Amount to be paid by you is (13,050)euros we the company will take care of the remaining payment to the custom. please once we deliver your package to your door step in Germany you have to refund us back the money we used to complete your payment at the custom in Turkey. we wait to hear from you as soon as possible.
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“He” was in panic again and I paid to this account (stupid me):
İbanTR56 0011 1000 0000 0096 7955 09
Owner name: MUHAMMED ÖZBAYRAK
Bank name: QNB finansbank
Bank address: beylikdüzü branch
Owner address: İSTANBUL BAHÇEŞEHİR 376 SOKAK NO 22 FLAT 1
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On November 30 the boxes “arrived” in Berlin/Germany and another fees and taxes should be payed… Finally, I started to become suspicious and found out about love scamming on the internet.
I found your site as I wrote above and I found other site where “his” pictures have been used:
I confronted “him” with it and he was “Offended” I wouldn`t trust him and obviously was not able to see that his picture have been used for fake accounts… This morning I got this message:
…and I wrote back (to keep him in contact for police investigations):
Pay yourself all fees and taxes and I will receive the boxes for you . If you should come to Germany you can pick them up and take a hotel room for your stay. Then we will see.
After that I did not hear again from him anymore…
The criminal used the following email-address: tonymorganmiller@gmail.com
And this “mobile” number (now I found out it contains the area code of Memphis/Tennessee): +19016092262
I am sure you have heard this or similar stories a hundred times before. And when I read it all now, I can’t imagine how I could act so naive! I am a successful woman with an own business…
By telling you all this, I hope that other women can be protected to make the same mistakes I did. The money is one thing, what it does emotionally to you is more than hard. Cause I fell in love madly with a person that doesn’t exist…
https://www.facebook.com/SHUisteamwork/posts/1239924906378444
