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  • Report:  #1486544

Complaint Review: Therrien Collin - Dubai

Reported By:
Imneveronlinedatingagain - Parramatta, NSW, Australia
Submitted:
Updated:

Therrien Collin
Dubai, other
Web:
www.zoosk.com
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I was scammed by a man named Therrien Collin. We met on a dating website called Zoosk. We spoke on there for a short time before moving to a chat service called "Google Hangouts". I hadn't used it before but he assured me it was easy to use and I had it on my phone. I made a Google email address and we spoke almost every day.

I found him very comfortable to talk to and he listened to me. We spoke about everything and after having not dated for nearly 40 years it felt nice to go through that feeling of falling for someone again. I wanted to meet him but every time we made plans to do so he would pull out at the last minute usually due to work.

After about 5 weeks he told me he loved me, I replied I loved him too. He called me his "love" he called me "sexy" I even sent him raunchy photos but nothing came back. We couldn't even talk on the phone or video call because he worked on an oil rig in Dubai. It was something to do with smart phones possibly creating a fire on the rig. I believed him, I believed it all.



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It was about 3 months in and there were some money troubles, he needed to pay some taxes I think it was about $150000 and he couldnt do it yet because ExxonMobil the oil rig he was working on wouldnt release his money from the contract. He was due to get a $26M payment from that contract once the taxes were paid. So he asked if I could help. I didn't want to at first but when he said he could end up in jail if he doesn't pay the taxes I got scared and worried for him.

I agreed to help with what I could about $20000. He said that would be a big help as a deposit and at least he wouldn't be going to jail. I asked for the bank details to send it to but he couldn't take bank wire because I "would send AUD and he needed currency he could use in Dubai right away". He suggested Bitcoin or Western Union. I worked out how to purchase Bitcoin and sent him the $20000.

From there he promised me that as soon as the taxes were paid in full he would be coming home to me in Sydney. We planned trips together, restaurants we were going to eat at, he was perfect, at least I thought.

2 weeks later he told me ExxonMobil still had not released his contract payment and now the tax issue was pressing. He had to pay it all, he pressured me and guilt tripped me into it, a part of me didn't want to do it but a big part of me wanted to believe it was all true. I wanted to be his "princess". After 6 weeks of pressing me I sent him $130000 more in Bitcoin to pay the taxes.

After that he booked his flight to come back, that's what he told me, until on the day he was due to fly home he had a call to go to another oil rig for a last min job a quick one in the Gulf of Mexico. 

With the contract still not released and his 25 staff at the old rig stuck there I agreed to help him and them get to the Gulf and the 2 weeks of supplies. I sent another $336000 to him in Bitcoin, that was everything, I have no more. How could I have been so stupid. I'm crying writing this right now. I lost it all.

He booked his flight to come home to Sydney. That's what he told me, it's been 6 months and I have never heard a single thing from him again. I have sent him hundreds of messages, no reply. 

I feel stupid, I feel embaressed, I want to die. I hate myself so much. How could I have been so stupid. I now live with my son and his wife. I have no money, I have no job and I won't get the pension. My son and his wife support me and I am forever grateful of that. I love them and they love me and that is all I have at the moment.



1 Updates & Rebuttals

Stacey

Texas,
United States
Yep you got scammed

#2Consumer Comment

Sat, October 19, 2019

By a NIGERIAN with a fake name and picture.  From the FBI website in the US

The criminals who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do. They spend hours honing their skills and sometimes keep journals on their victims to better understand how to manipulate and exploit them.

“Behind the veil of romance, it’s a criminal enterprise like any other,” said Special Agent Christine Beining. “And once a victim becomes a victim, in that they send money, they will often be placed on what’s called a ‘sucker list,’ ” she said. “Their names and identities are shared with other criminals, and they may be targeted in the future.”

To stay safe online, be careful what you post, because scammers can use that information against you. Always use reputable websites, but assume that con artists are trolling even the most reputable dating and social media sites. If you develop a romantic relationship with someone you meet online, consider the following:

  • Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the material has been used elsewhere.
  • Go slow and ask lots of questions.
  • Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave a dating service or Facebook to go “offline.”
  • Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family or requests inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used to extort you.
  • Beware if the individual promises to meet in person but then always comes up with an excuse why he or she can’t. If you haven’t met the person after a few months, for whatever reason, you have good reason to be suspicious.
  • Never send money to anyone you don’t know personally. “If you don’t know them, don’t send money,” Beining said. “You will see what their true intentions are after that.”

If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, stop all contact immediately. And if you are the victim of a romance scam, file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

I would contact your local agency that deals with this type of crime. Sorry for your loss but at least you have a support system to help you. 

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