Editing Advance-fee scam (section)

=== Romance scam ===
{{Main|Romance scam}}

One of the variants is the ''Romance Scam'', a money-for-romance angle.<ref name="KMBC">{{cite web|url=http://www.kmbc.com/money/9246998/detail.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719002945/http://www.kmbc.com/money/9246998/detail.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-07-19|title=Online Romance Scams Continue To Grow – Project Economy News Story|publisher=Kmbc.com|date=2006-05-19|access-date=2012-02-22}}</ref> The con artist approaches the victim on an [[online dating service]], an [[instant messenger]], or a social networking site. The scammer claims an interest in the victim, and posts pictures of an attractive person.<ref name="Seduce2">{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/8704213|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130217010953/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/8704213|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 February 2013|title=Singles seduced into scams online|work=NBC News|date=2005-07-28|access-date=2012-02-22}}</ref> The scammer uses this communication to gain confidence, then asks for money.<ref name="KMBC" /> A very common example of romance scams is depicted in the fraudulent activities of these boys, popularly known as Yahoo boys in Nigeria.<ref>{{Cite web|title=8 Signs Of A Yahoo Boy Every Lady Must Watch Out For|url=https://www.datingreporter.com.ng/2021/03/5-signs-of-a-yahoo-boy.html|access-date=2021-04-05|website=Dating Reporter's Blog|language=en-US|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-04-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410135933/https://www.datingreporter.com.ng/2021/03/5-signs-of-a-yahoo-boy.html}}</ref>

The con artist may claim to be interested in meeting the victim but needs cash to book a plane, buy a bus ticket, rent a hotel room, pay for personal-travel costs such as gasoline or a vehicle rental, or to cover other expenses.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://ccjls.scholasticahq.com/article/3792ref>|journal=Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law & Society|first=Suleman |last=Lazarus|issue=2|volume=19|date=August 1, 2018|s2cid=150040643|title=Birds of a Feather Flock Together: The Nigerian Cyber Fraudsters (Yahoo Boys) and Hip Hop Artists}}</ref> In other cases, they claim they're trapped in a foreign country and need assistance to return, to escape imprisonment by corrupt local officials, to pay for medical expenses due to an illness contracted abroad, and so on.<ref name="Seduce2" /> The scammer may also use the confidence gained by the romance angle to introduce some variant of the original Nigerian Letter scheme,<ref name="Seduce2" /> such as saying they need to get money or valuables out of the country and offer to share the wealth, making the request for help in leaving the country even more attractive to the victim.

Scams often involve meeting someone on an online match-making service.<ref name="KMBC" /> The scammer initiates contact with their target who is out of the area and requests money for transportation fare.<ref name="Seduce2" /> Scammers will typically ask for money to be sent via a [[money order]] or [[wire transfer]] due to the need to travel, or for medical or business costs.<ref name="romance_scam">{{cite news|title=Attorney general: Beware of romance scams on Valentine's Day.|url=http://www.sent-trib.com/news/attorney-general-beware-of-romance-scams-on-valentine-s-day/article_45ec84ba-f060-11e6-9e53-738933627fec.html|access-date=March 23, 2017|publisher=Sentinel-Tribune|date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726085516/https://www.sent-trib.com/news/attorney-general-beware-of-romance-scams-on-valentine-s-day/article_45ec84ba-f060-11e6-9e53-738933627fec.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

An extreme example of this is the case of a 67-year-old Australian woman, Jette Jacobs. In 2013, she traveled to South Africa to supposedly marry her scammer, Jesse Orowo Omokoh, 28, after having sent more than $90,000 to him over a three-year period.<ref>{{Cite web |last=AFP |date=2014-02-03 |title=Nigerian arrested over WA woman Jette Jacobs death |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/nigerian-arrested-over-wa-woman-jette-jacobs-death-20140204-31y4l.html |access-date=2023-02-22 |website=WAtoday |language=en}}</ref> Her body was discovered on February 9, 2013, under mysterious circumstances, two days after meeting up with Omokoh, who then fled to Nigeria, where he was arrested. He was found to have had 32 fake online identities. Due to lack of evidence he was not charged with murder, but was charged with fraud.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/jette-jacobs-son-visits-the-scene-of-his-mothers-alleged-murder-by-a-love-scammer-in-south-africa/story-fnhocxo3-1226930446657|title=Jette Jacobs' son visits the scene of his mother's alleged murder by a love scammer in South Africa|access-date=2016-02-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140621163613/http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/jette-jacobs-son-visits-the-scene-of-his-mothers-alleged-murder-by-a-love-scammer-in-south-africa/story-fnhocxo3-1226930446657|archive-date=2014-06-21|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://efccnigeria.org/efcc/index.php/news/910-efcc-arraigns-suspected-conman-for-90-000-romance-scam|title=EFCC Arraigns Suspected Conman for $90,000 Romance Scam}}</ref>