Valley Woman Victim of Dating Scam

Monday, January 01, 2007

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1/1/07 (KFSN) -- A Valley woman looking for love has become the victim of an internet dating scam.

Monica Flick considers herself to be pretty savvy but when it came to matters of the heart she didn't listen to her head. Now she's warning others about the dating disaster she fell prey to.

Flick thought she had found her prince charming on an internet dating web site. The e-mails led to phone calls. She says he had a British accent and was irresistibly charming.

She didn't think much when the man who called himself "Sean" told her his computer job in Clovis was taking him to Ghana.

"He said 'I'd like to really talk to you get to know you but I don't have a cell phone,'" Flick said.

Monica sent Sean money for a phone and set up the account in her name. Soon, she found herself sending him money for airline fares, a computer, and other personal items. She says for every question she raised, he had a solid story.

"That struck me as weird, but I believed him for some stupid reason," Flick said.

A few months into the cyber relationship, the bill for the cell phone -- she set up for him in her name -- had accumulated to $20,000. But again Sean had magical words for Monica.

He promised to return to the Valley in December and pay her back. But by then she had drained her savings account and the cash she got from refinancing her home.

"Total about $55,000 or $60,000, believe me each time I think about it I wanna cry," Flick said.

Nine months and tens of thousands of dollars later, Monica never did meet Sean.

"I think that's what I'm angry about," Flick said. "That I was so easily sucked into it, cause I don't consider myself a stupid person."

Despite all the tears, she says she hasn't given up on finding love through the internet.

"I think I'll probably try again but if anybody asks for a cell phone or money I'll just run.

Monica says police wouldn't let her file a report because they say Sean didn't commit a crime. Cingular won't let her dispute the cell phone bill because she set up the account in her name. Monica still owes Cingular more than $8,000.

The only recourse she has is to sue him but she doesn't have his address and doesn't even know if the name he gave her is legitimate.

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