www.ctvnews.ca Open in urlscan Pro
23.2.238.134  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Home


FOLLOW ON

W5 | Investigative
In-depth examination of a single subject requiring extensive research and
resources.X


THE 'SUCKERS LIST': HOW SCAMMERS REPEATEDLY TARGET VICTIMS

Avery Haines Host and Managing Editor, W5

@avery_haines Contact

Published Saturday, October 24, 2020 7:00AM EDT Last Updated Saturday, October
24, 2020 5:14PM EDT
W5: The Suckers List, part one
 
NOW PLAYING
W5's Avery Haines speaks to a woman who lost $300K in a romance scam only to be
targeted by scammers promising to get her money back.
W5: The Suckers List, part two
 
NOW PLAYING
W5's Avery Haines meets with a man claiming to be a scam victim who could
potentially be an unwilling participant in another scam.
Romance scam victims become targets once more
 
NOW PLAYING
W5 investigates fraudsters trying to re-victimize romance scam victims by
promising to get them back the money they lost.



SHARE:


Reddit





TEXT:

 *  
 *  

OTTAWA -- In the shadowy world of romance scams, one of the hottest commodities
is the so-called "suckers list."

This list contains the names, social media accounts and telephone numbers of
people who have been conned out of their money before. Fraudsters know that if
someone can be tricked once, they are likely to be easy prey to be tricked
again.

Wendy Dickel, a retired school bus driver in the Ottawa area is on a suckers
list. She is the victim of a romance scam, and is now being targeted for a
second time.


RELATED STORIES

 * Ontario woman caught up in romance scam puts life savings into Bitcoin
   machine
 * 'Scars for the rest of her life': Quebec man grapples with love scam that
   cost his mother $80,000
 * Pattie Lovett-Reid: Con man who inspired 'Catch Me If You Can' on how to
   avoid scams
 * American woman caught in a romance scam freed after being held by Nigerian
   lover for more than a year


RELATED LINKS

 * Think you're being scammed? Check with Canada Anti-Fraud Centre

Last year, Dickel realized that the Canadian soldier she was planning to spend
the rest of her life with was a complete sham. Wendy met “Sebastian” online and
believed him when he said he was on a covert mission overseas, so he could never
video chat or meet in person. She believed him too, when he said he desperately
needed money. Over the course of a matter of months, Dickel sent him $300,000.

 * W5 uncovers global network of organized crime targeting Canadians in romance
   scams

Dickel only realized Sebastian was a fake, after watching the 2019 W5
documentary, The Invisible Man, which investigated the suicide of a romance scam
victim named Colleen, in Delta, B.C. The similarities between their stories are
striking, and Dickel reached out to us in an attempt to track down her scammers
and warn other potential victims.



She had cut off all contact with Sebastian, but in the last year, she has been
bombarded by people promising they can get her money back. With her consent, I
responded to those emails and phone calls, pretending to be Dickel. It triggered
an undercover investigation that spans three countries: Canada, the U.S. and
Ghana.

 * Think you're being scammed? Report it to Canada Anti-Fraud Centre

Among our discoveries is that former scam victims are often used to convince
other victims they can get their money back. According to Mike Buckley, with the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the money-recovery scam is a natural
progression for these criminals.

“Romance scammers are experts. The same organization that takes your money will
continue to try to take it,”, he says.

RELATED IMAGES

view larger image

 * Various documents can be seen in this undated image. (W5)


SHARE:


Reddit

Report an error Editorial standards and policies Why you can trust CTV News



DON'T MISS

 * false
   
   
   STUDY OF YEAST COULD BE KEY TO HUMANITY'S SUCCESS IN SPACE
   
   false
   
   
   HOW THIS SUEDE JACKET HAS DEEP TIES TO INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY
   
   false
   
   
   TRAILBLAZING CANADIAN SWIMMER SHARES MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEY
   
   




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


TOP VIDEOS

 * false
   
   
   NEWLYWEDS SAY PHOTOGRAPHER SCAMMED THEM WITH BLURRY PICS
   
   false
   
   
   SUSPECT IN STOLEN CRUISER SAVED FROM TRACKS AS TRAIN ARRIVES
   
   false
   
   
   23 VEHICLES TOWED, DOZENS OF TICKETS AMID CONVOY ANNIVERSARY
   
   




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


CTVNEWS.CA TOP STORIES


 * WHO: COVID-19 STILL AN EMERGENCY BUT NEARING 'INFLECTION' POINT
   
   BREAKING BREAKING
   
   
   HOCKEY HALL OF FAMER BOBBY HULL DIES AT 84
   
   
   NEW ALCOHOL RECOMMENDATIONS COULD SPEED UP CHANGING DRINKING HABITS:
   BUSINESSES
   
   


 * FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS FAILED TO SPEND $38B ON PROMISED PROGRAMS, SERVICES LAST
   YEAR
   
   
   NDP TO CALL FOR EMERGENCY DEBATE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS OVER PRIVATE HEALTH CARE
   
   
   QUEBEC CARDINAL MARC OUELLET SET TO RETIRE AFTER OVERSEEING VATICAN'S
   BISHOPS' OFFICE
   
   




Advertisement


RECENT W5 STORIES

 * W5 EXCLUSIVE W5 EXCLUSIVE
   
   
   INTERVIEWING A NARCO HITMAN: MY JOURNEY INTO MEXICO'S CARTEL HEARTLAND


 * THE MINI INVESTIGATIONS YOU NEVER SEE, AND WHY JOURNALISM MATTERS

 * W5: The Informant W5: The Informant
   
   
   HOW AVOCADOS BECAME 'GREEN GOLD' TO MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS, AND A DEEPER DIVE
   INTO THE PIVOT AIRLINES SAGA

 * W5 EXCLUSIVE W5 EXCLUSIVE
   
   
   PIVOT AIRLINES CREW BACK IN CANADA AFTER BEING TRAPPED IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
   SINCE SPRING

 * W5 EXCLUSIVE W5 EXCLUSIVE
   
   
   W5 EXPOSES THE DRUG CONNECTIONS AND MONEY TRAIL IN THE PIVOT AIRLINES STORY

 * W5 Exclusive W5 Exclusive
   
   
   'COCAINE CARGO': EAGLE-EYED FLIGHT ATTENDANT ON HOW SHE UNCOVERED KEY
   EVIDENCE

 * W5 EXCLUSIVE W5 EXCLUSIVE
   
   
   EXCLUSIVE SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE SHOWS DUFFEL BAGS BEING LOADED ONTO PIVOT
   AIRLINES JET

 * CTV News Special CTV News Special
   
   
   50 YEARS AFTER HIS MOTHER WAS EXPELLED FROM UGANDA, OMAR SACHEDINA RETURNS TO
   HER VILLAGE

 * W5 INVESTIGATES W5 INVESTIGATES
   
   
   MOTHER CLAIMS NON-SPEAKING DAUGHTER WAS SECLUDED, FORCIBLY CONFINED AT N.B.
   SCHOOL WITHOUT HER CONSENT

 * W5 W5
   
   
   REMEMBERING THE SECRET BLACK MILITARY UNIT THAT HAD TO FIGHT TO SERVE CANADA

 * W5 Investigates W5 Investigates
   
   
   'WE WERE JUST CHILDREN': CANADIAN GYMNASTS SPEAK OUT AGAINST CULTURE OF ABUSE
   IN THEIR SPORT


 * CANADIAN FOLK LEGEND IAN TYSON HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF 89, FORMER WIFE SAYS





ABOUT W5


 * 





FOLLOW ON

Back to top