so-so Google translation of the above Swiss-German article:
«Victims of Romance Scam want to help out of love»
By Daniela Gigor - blind to love: A 65-year-old Zuger passed his unknown Internet flame about 400,000 francs. He even struck warnings of his bench in the wind.
Story picture
A man was victims of the Internet cheating masks "Romance Scam" via Skype. (Picture: symbol image)
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A man from the Canton of Zug has become a victim of the internet scam scheme "Romance Scam". The 65-year-old had settled in 2016 on an amorous internet relationship to a woman from Ghana and in the past months had paid her a total of around 400,000 francs.
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During the contacts via Skype, the unknown woman first flirted with the man. After winning her trust, she told him about illnesses in her family. Later she told him the story of a supposed inheritance of her recently deceased father, who left her 40 kilograms of gold. For this she must now pay an income tax which she could not do without money from Switzerland. The in love senior believed her - although the woman allegedly possessed gold worth 1.6 million.
X-times money to Africa
The man's bank became suspicious of the many transactions and warned the lovers of the fraud. It was no use: the senior, apparently blind to love, continued to go to Africa. After the wrong lover had broken off the contact, the man then reported however to the police, as the Zug prosecutor informed on Wednesday.
"Money for good
Judith Aklin, the communications officer of the Zug police, says that this is a special case. "Unfortunately, there is always Romance Scam, but such a high, possibly under certain circumstances, damage sum is exceptional. What is also special is that the bank's warning was ignored ".
The train law enforcement authorities would do everything they can to determine the perpetrators, but Aklin says: "You have to assume that the money is gone forever. The investigations are very difficult, as the perpetrators usually sit abroad. "
«The victims want to help out of love»
Aklin can understand that Romance-scam victims are considered naive: "Unaffected people may see it this way. But one must know that the perpetrators are psychologically very clever and perfidious. They actually build a relationship with the victim over a longer period of time and tell him, in confidence, a personal, emotional story. The victims want to help out of love. "But they would be double-deceived - emotionally and financially.
In the fraud scheme Romance Scam, the big love is played. The perpetrators search for their victims on dating sites, internet single exchanges or in other social networks and surround their victims with flowery and charming words as well as all possible promises. As soon as the fraudsters have made the trust of men and women, it is all about the money. They are never embarrassed about the reasons why they need it.