Friend is being scammed - lydialekkas@gmail.com

[crusadersoccer99]

Hey guys. One of my friends recently told me about him sending money to a girl that’s from DC claiming to have traveled to Turkey. Every time she tries to come back home something bad happens (robbed, kicked out of hotel, car accident) etc. I know it’s a scam and I’ve told him but she’s convincing him otherwise. If anyone can help me save this guy money please let me know.

Claims to be: Lydia Lekkas (lydialekkas@gmail.com)

Picture she sent my friend shows up on yelp as a girl named Lynn B living in Cali. I messaged Lynn B and she never responded her friends on there don’t know her. Just when I thought I had evidence.

Anything would help

Claims her phone number is: A Texas area code Text Mail Number: 817-632-3628

He’s thousands into this I really need help.

[firefly]

If this is a scam, the real owner of the pictures sure has nothing to do with it and likely she will not reply to messages out of the blue from no one.

The situation you describe is obviously a scam: anyone you never met in person asking for money, no matter the reason, is not a person to trust.

An identity can be easily stolen, a phone number can be spoofed. Ask your friend to copy-paste parts of the emails received from "her" in Google - he will find the same messages, word by word, reported by other victims of online romance scams.

If he is in this fake relationship for long time, the scammer already managed to get him under control and anything anyone will say will be twisted by the scammer who will not want to lose that control.

It is hard to convince him if he decided to trust the scammer more as he trusts real people near. In similar cases, people were contacting the local police for help in explaining the situation to the victim in denial. In other cases, victims in denial were asking here for confirmation, after their friends warned them, and we were able to check the details the victim shared with us about the scammer and confirm that it was a scam.

Show your friend this link: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1861. He may understand that what he sees on a screen or in a picture received online is not always the real person he is talking with. It might help.

[crusadersoccer99]

Here are the pictures in which he has received. I am not sure if they are floating around on any other websites besides Yelp. Thanks for any help you guys can provide.

[firefly]

Right about those pictures. In this case the best option is to concentrate on the text of the messages received.

A good option for your friend would be also https://scamsurvivors.com/romancescammers/#/ - he can check himself to see how real his "romance" is.

[crusadersoccer99]

My friend is being scammed by lydialekkas@gmail.com here is the email:
Hello Love,

I LOVE YOU !!! I do understand that you have been trying all what you can to assist me but its hurt to hear you blame me , Do you think I'm happy about the whole shit I'm going through here everyday ? I want to make it back home to you so that i can refund all what you have loan me back and start a family with you .

You said you cant send me money , Can we work on how to get what my parents left for us ? Because i hate it when someone is thinking that I'm after there money, You sound as if am in love with you for money ? Believe me , Money cant buy the LOVE i have for you . I really love you and i promise to love you forever.

We both know that i don't have a camera to get new picture , But i can send saved pictures if you don't mind ? Also I'm not in good mood to be talking dirty now . Hope you can understand ? Sad and Crying

Lydia