Seduced by The Dark Side

By Fulan Al-Fulani

My chief aim in writing this book is to alert those who would use online dating sites to the presence of some very real dangers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Excel Book Writing
• Release date: Dec 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798869044143

Book preview

PREFACE

The purpose of my decision to write and publish this work is to alert those who would use online dating sites to the presence of some very real dangers. My own failure to recognize these dangers resulted in catastrophic financial loss, not to mention the detrimental effect of this experience on self-esteem and self-respect.

Ghanaian online romance inheritance scams are real. What your faux ami or fausse amie would have you believe, on the other hand, is anything but real. The scenario is a well-orchestrated presentation of pleas for help and promises of great wealth from a family inheritance. Your chat partner, or fiancé(e), will inundate you with poetic words and phrases of reassurance. In addition to your chat partner, you will meet his or her family attorney, who will ask you to intervene financially.

Both the chat partner, or fiancé(e), and the family attorney will have rehearsed their roles to perfection. For them, scamming with fraudulent claims is a way of life and a lucrative way of earning a living. So, rule number one is to be leary of any requests for money. Never send money to someone you have met online and whom you have never met in person. Drop this contact without further delay! Delete and block those who ask for money.

In the personal story that follows, you will read first-hand the actual dialogue between scammer and victim. Italicized sections are integrated to describe what is actually taking place as opposed to what presumably is taking place. In many, if not most, cases, the scammer’s insincerity will be apparent to you as a reader but perhaps less apparent to you as an online chat partner.

The family attorney will introduce legal documents for you to sign plus an amount for you to pay to rescue your fiancé(e) and set the stage for you to receive chests of Gold and uncut diamonds from a made-up shipper. The documents are artfully crafted and look authentic to the uninitiated observer.

On this journey, I am conned into believing that my fiancée will buy a one-way ticket to live with me. A shipment of Gold and uncut diamonds for my fiancée and me to cosign will soon follow. The problem is that my fiancée never arrives, and neither do the Gold and uncut diamonds. My return to reality will be  brusk and abhorrent

Chapter 1

Meet Jane

This autumn Saturday morning was no different from any other. After a solid, invigorating workout at the purple-hued LA Fitness Center, I enjoyed an awesome early breakfast with Mom at her place. When I say awesome, I mean just that: a buffet-style repast of egg on toast, grits, raw carrots, spinach, avocado halves, celery, thinly-sliced apples, spinach, banana halves, strawberries with stuffed ginger, blueberries, thinly sliced and quartered oranges evenly cut. Quite a breakie, as they say, Down Under!

My normal routine consists of taking a quick shower, getting dressed, and heading to the computer room to check my most recent email. As usual, I found myself browsing through a tedious litany of meaningless, deletable messages from my laptop. One email, however, just happened to catch my eye: that of the Colombia-Cupid dating site. I was feeling reassured by the nice correspondence I had just received from so many sharp ladies, most of whom had responded with flattering comments. The lone exception was Vanessa, who wrote: Too old for me. To Vanessa I replied: ¡Espero que encuentres al hombre de tus sueños!

Just by chance, while I was leafing through some promising ads, I noticed one intriguing profile: that of a 35-year-old wholesome-looking Swedish lady with no makeup. In fact, her profile picture was nothing special at all. On the what-the-heck premise of what have I to lose, I decided to send her a message.

In a nano-second or less, Jane Daley (subsequently referred to by her chat handle Jane Love) replied and attached five tasteful pictures of a lady with class, including one of her in a colorful yet elegant dress taken during the time she had studied nursing in Saudi Arabia. In said picture, there stood a stunning figure in the foreground and distinctive, aesthetically pleasing Islamic architecture in the background. My mind conjured up the thought: Jane has a lot of drive and determination to get ahead based on this experience she decided to undertake.

What sent my ego soaring, in contrast to Vanessa’s Too old for me comment, was the moment when Jane almost commanded me to end my ColombiaCupid

dating site subscription right now. She interjected that she had just done so. In Swedish, she exhorted, Ja eller nej! All I could think was that she must be

sincere! Pretty soon, Jane and I will be in contact on the Google Hangouts platform every day. I looked forward to hearing the bubbly sound when I was being texted.

Hi, Jane, it’s me, Ron Burns.

How are you doing, handsome? Nice meeting you here, as I am new to this online stuff and was introduced to this online stuff by a friend of mine. Well, I am single, I have never been married before with no kids… What about you.?

I was married once but have no children.

Oh, that's good to know, handsome I am also an honest woman who loves being surrounded by family, friends, and holidays. So, I hope that you are upfront and honest with me, as well. I realize that I am 35 years old and that you are somewhere older than me… I'm 5'7 feet tall and athletic; I was born and raised in Sweden. All my free time I spend reading books and learning my subjects in college. I love cooking so much that you can be ready to taste something with me. I am a loving young lady. I hope to become happy very soon, to travel, visit the cinema, meetings with friends. I have a sister and a brother. I love my family.

You have had some really neat experiences. Living in Saudi Arabia is unique. When I worked for an airplane manufacturer many years ago, I once helped teach a really nice group of trainees from the Saudi Arabian Air Force. It was a pleasure to know them and learn about their culture. And how is your life now?

Yes, I am, oh okay.... Alright, I mean to touch each other often. Most people are touch starved. Holding hands, walking arm in arm, and cuddling on the couch are just some of the simple ways to share this very powerful experience. Be respectful of your partner's feelings. If the one you love is dealing with a loss or a disappointment, let him or her know that you are available to talk. Also, letting your partner have the space he or she needs to process feelings is a way of showing that you care...If your partner is having a rough time, pull out all the stops. Don't hold back on helping or minimizing your mate's troubles. Having the one you love by your side when things are rocky is a true gift.

Your points of loving, not nagging, trusting, and maintaining balance go to the heart of the matter. You said it well!

Alright, I would like us to get to know more about each other and see where it could lead us because we both don't know what is meant for each other yet till we get to know more about each other. Life is too short for man and woman to live on this earth...I will like you to do something for us ….

I don’t understand.

I am sure you will do it for me. Ron, are you with me?

Well, dear, I will like you to delete yourself from that dating site if you are really interested in me. So that we can get a peaceful mind to chat now... The dating site will interfere with our friendship.

I have extremely positive feelings about our initial introduction and wholeheartedly welcome the opportunity to know you better each day and, hopefully, one day to love you! You are a wholesome-looking young woman. Plus, you have an outgoing personality, and you are well-spoken. Thank you for the lovely photo!

Hello, Ron. What are you doing now?

Just had lunch and then took a quick walk. What time is it for you in Uddevalla?

It is 7:00 here. So, Ron, you said you would do something for me? What are you doing?

I am just chatting with you.

Have you done deleting yourself?

I am devoting myself to you with no conditions attached.

Do you mean you will not do it?

No, absolutely, I will do it and concentrate solely on our relationship.

Okay. So, I would like us to see each other now.

I am very happy that we met today. To be honest, you are the one I’m interested in.

So, how do you trust someone? Oh yes, I know it's hard to trust, but I don’t give up on trusting the right man who I love to spend the rest of my lifetime with. Trust is one of the keystones of any relationship—without it, two people cannot be comfortable with each other, and the relationship lacks stability. Trust is the glue that holds relationships together. It is what allows you to feel safe so that you can be vulnerable enough to emotionally connect with another person. When relationships first begin, trust is often given early as part of an unspoken code of honor. 

You are looking handsome! How can we chat every day?

Can you write something to me in Swedish?

Ja, jag praktiken är förtroende lite av båda ... han sanning om att lita på någon annan är att den enda säkerheten är att det inte finns någon säkerhet. Det finns alltid ett element av tro på det förtroende vi ger till någon. Det finns ett antal olika sätt vi kan definiera förtroende. Vilket jag inte vet hur du kommer att definiera det .... Jag kommer att lita på dig när jag får reda på att du är pålitlig och för att jag har tro på människans natur.

"Yes, I practice trusting someone else, but in trusting someone else, the only security is that there is