In Brazil, this type of coup is a crime of embezzlement and falls under art. 155 of the Criminal Code. Here, it is as common as in other countries, especially in its version that involves dating sites and apps.
Ten years ago, upon separating from her husband, Crystal discovered this world of disillusionment. Foreigners, successful and full of sweet words, ready to live an unforgettable romance. All that’s missing is a plane ticket. Or get rid of your late mother’s hospital bills.
“You conquer, make a person fall in love and then steal them. It’s incredibly evil. That’s when I said: I want these.”
Revenge against advance scams involving romance has become the focus of the Brazilian, who gathers all the information she can on the blog Fora Scammers.
In order to be able to profile the scammers, she wakes up at three in the morning, due to the time difference, and has conversations with three or four guys at the same time. “It’s almost like a real date,” he says.
The basis of the scam is always the same: emotional blackmail. Phrases like “I only have you” or “I need you” serve to put pressure on victims, who are already in love—mostly women, although the scam is applied to men as well.
“They are so brainwashed that the person stops thinking and loses the sense of reality. He is scared, under pressure, he doesn’t sleep”, he explains. And when the victim relents, the scammers are relentless: they convince the targets to give away all the money they have—and don’t.
“It’s very heavy and difficult to do this [o contragolpe]”, says Crystal. The blog started to attract many victims. “I spent whole nights and I woke up talking to women who came to me talking about suicide, with children who came to me to convince their mothers that it was a scammer, families fight because the victim doesn’t believe…”
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