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Woman gives Facebook fraudster €7,600

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Woman gives Facebook fraudster €7,600
File Photo: Tim Franklin/Flickr

A Styrian woman who thought she was helping out a Facebook friend ended up losing more than 7,600 euros to a suspected Nigerian scammer.

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Police in Styria are warning against Internet fraudsters, after a 50-year-old woman was tricked by a new Facebook friend who claimed to be looking for love, OÖ-Nachrichten reported on Monday.

He said his name was Alfred Wilson, he had trained as an architect, and he was Scottish.

Over months the friendship developed with regular communication through Facebook and phone calls. He often talked about his daughter, and the tragic death of his wife.

Eventually 'Alfred Wilson' requested some money from his Austrian friend, which he said he needed to resolve a series of personal emergencies.  

In early April, he explained that he needed 3,700 euros because he had relocated to Nigeria from Scotland, and Nigerian customs had seized all his worldly possessions.

In May 'Alfred' said he had suffered serious injuries in a car accident, and needed 3,900 euros to pay for medical care.

The woman transferred a total of 7,600 euros to a bank in Nigeria, which she is unlikely to get back, according to Austrian police.

A police spokesman advised people to use extreme care when sharing personal information online. 

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