Rockford Media Personality Caught an Online Dating Scammer

Face it being single in this day is age trying to find that special someone is hard.

Many turn to online dating but beware, ladies, there are a lot of scammers out there.

This Rockford media personality, yes me, caught an online dating scammer.

Hey, I'm single and yes I'm looking for that special someone. I have turned to online dating. To be honest, just for fun I went to Tinder to see what happen?

I wasn't thinking I'd seriously find anything there (we all know the stories of it being a hookup site), but was curious to see if I'd get any right swipe and matches.

Well, I did.

Sgt. Christopher Cruz stationed in Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, a seemingly nice guy, was matched to me. We chatted a bit on Tinder, then he asked to take our chatting to KiK messenger. (Yes I've come to find out that this is a site to use for hook ups and other underhanded dealings of items with the instant chat.)

Once there his messaging took on a persona of someone foreign trying to sound American, yet he sent me pictures of him.

I wasn't really believing this guy but decided to play along. This was two weeks ago.

In the two weeks I've known "Chris", he professed his love for me and kept telling me I'm the perfect woman for him. Telling me how he can't wait to see me, etc...

On Sunday, August 20th Chris told me he was being shipped out to Nigeria for a peace keeping mission. He'd be there for 3 to 4 weeks. Ok, that was getting sort of interesting and odd.

Since being there since Sunday, he told me the food there made him want to vomit and he was using his own money because he had no access to his accounts via the US Army.

Hmmm... that's weird. I know enough about the military to know if you're on a special mission, 1. Soldiers won't tell you what it is and 2. the military provides all their needs. 3. They do have access to their accounts unless it's not available and again the military provides their needs. 4. I looked around to see about this "peace keeping mission". Everything I read said we have no US troops in Nigeria.

Then late last night he messaged me after his patrol. Chris told me he lost his wallet and it had $1200 in it along with documents and ids. He looked for a half hour and couldn't find it.

Ok, I know what you're thinking he asked for money. BINGO!

He said if I could just send him $800 he could buy food with it until he got back to the states. I was his guardian angel.

Again, still playing along, I told him how sorry I was and said how can I help you. He sent me this address of where I could wire transfer either through money gram or Western Union the $800.

Do you see something odd in that address? It's addressed to someone in Nigeria, not the typical APO address military personnel get. (MarriedtotheArmy.com)

"Chris" contacted me this morning saying how hungry he was (it was 1 PM in Nigeria), I let him have it. I said "you're a scammer. Go find someone else to scam."

He got all defensive and starting telling me I was an awful woman I was, and how dare I embarrass him and accuse him of being a scammer.

Then he cranked out more pictures to prove he was Chris and he was in Nigeria. Sorry guy, I don't believe you. I never did.

How can someone I've never met profess their love for me in 2 weeks? Nope sorry that just doesn't happen.

I wrote all of this to let it be known ladies there are scammers of all kinds out there including online dating.

If you've ever received such a message or connection with a guy from the military here's a site you need to go to, MarriedtotheArmy.com, that lists all the fishy, suspicious things you need to look out for when a military guy reaches out to you and wants to online date you.

It's a scary world out there, but my biggest advice to you is this.... If you ever get that check in your gut that something isn't right. It isn't. If you need proof to make sure, search on line about things your "guy" is telling you. Always go with your gut, it never fails to be right.

I just want to keep you all safe out there.

Love does come at a sacrifice, but not this type of sacrifice.

Don't lose the faith girls and guys there are good ones out there. I truly believe that. We just have to go through a lot of weeds to find them.