to think this is not genuine?

[ValerieCupcake]

Tried to do a reverse google search for this. Nothing coming up.

@Thoosa

How would she be if you sat her down and staged a proper intervention? If that wouldn’t go down well, could you do a not-so-subtle thing of telling her about a documentary or article on love scams?

I might try this, but I don't want her to know I have been looking at her FB friends. Her friends are hidden. This person has over 4,800 friends and all of them are Nigerian. Except my Aunt.

I'm going to do some research on these scams and chat to her subtly. Say I have watched a programme or something on it.

I think the medal is irrelevant in this situation.

He sounds like a “love scammer”. Young guy (often from African countries) try and befriend older ladies from western countries. Build an online friendship and leading to a romantic one. They try and suck you in. Then drop something like “I want to travel and visit you but I’ve lost my passport, I need £2000 sent to my account now”.

It’s so sad but so many women fall for it. It happens to so many.

I’d alert your other family members of this immediately.

might try this, but I don't want her to know I have been looking at her FB friends. Her friends are hidden. This person has over 4,800 friends and all of them are Nigerian. Except my Aunt.

Just tell the truth and say the photo of the medal caught your eye and you were intrigued about which league/country it was. Say it lightly and then segue into the serious stuff. People wouldn’t post things publicly if they didn’t want them seen. It’s not like you tapped her phone line.

Watch the BBC show "For love or money" it's all about romance scams.
It's on iplayer

The first result which came up when I google searcher the text across the top of the medal was this:

www.facebook.com/LMT767/posts/1056641201380993?comment_id=1056672151377898

Not linked to football, but linked to Nigerian crime

@ValerieCupcake

There is a show on BBC1 called Scam Interceptors, yesterdays one was about romance scams, about 10 minutes in

scamsurvivors.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=11

This is the website they were talking about

It looks like this man made a friend request on Facebook, and she accepted, despite him being a complete stranger. The number of friends he has (all all Nigerian except your aunt) is a massive red flag that he is a part of a romance scam network. She obviously did not have good security on her Facebook account and people are able to browse and try to "friend" her. Does she have a photo her herself on her profile? They look for vulnerable older women, often disabled/widowed etc. Could he have read her feed, looked at her photos and friends list (which people can forget to hide) and learned all about her before "friending" her?
How you approach it depends on her and on your relationship and whether you can warn her straight: No good can come of this at all and she needs to block him, lock down her FB account or preferably close it. If she called him "someone special" I bet he has already started asking for favours, items etc, then it will be money.

Sorry I was brash in earlier post op, I see now that it's not about the medal being genuine, it's about your concern for a friend and the medal is irrelevant.

If she hasn't mentioned it to you then I think to try and bring it up and then do an immediate intervention will make her feel silly and close up to you.

I'd advise asking in a friendly way 'so who is the special person who won a medal?' Then play interested girlie chat. Find out as much as you can. Then continue being friend but gently advise not to send money etc.

If it is a scammer, they are very clever, they won't directly ask for money, they will make it think it's her idea to give them money. At the first point you realise money is being asked for, report to action fraud. Be armed with information about the Facebook profile, get screen shots, importantly get the user's unique profile URL as this is the only way the police can obtain background information relating to the user. (To get this, if using the Facebook app, click the 3 dots the copy profile link )

Good luck op, hope your friend sees sense.

@Dancer47

It looks like this man made a friend request on Facebook, and she accepted, despite him being a complete stranger. The number of friends he has (all all Nigerian except your aunt) is a massive red flag that he is a part of a romance scam network. She obviously did not have good security on her Facebook account and people are able to browse and try to "friend" her. Does she have a photo her herself on her profile? They look for vulnerable older women, often disabled/widowed etc. Could he have read her feed, looked at her photos and friends list (which people can forget to hide) and learned all about her before "friending" her? How you approach it depends on her and on your relationship and whether you can warn her straight: No good can come of this at all and she needs to block him, lock down her FB account or preferably close it. If she called him "someone special" I bet he has already started asking for favours, items etc, then it will be money.

Yes all of the above.

And thanks to everyone for your comments.

She has hidden her friends list. I can only see mutual friends. On looking now at her posts which are public there are likes from Turkish men and another Nigerian.

Perhaps report the profile? Or catfish him back yourself.

A quick search on Facebook brought this up from the end of March, lord of pics of player. Could it be this?

Also pictures of players receiving medals, ribbon matches, can't be 100% sure but I'm gonna say genuine

"Abule Sowo" means someone who can make money out of earth he’s scooped out from the ground. Someone who can literally make money out of anything. A Midas of a man.

idowu raheem is a common name on facebook (I think). Like thomas cox in Nigeria?

Looks like something my DP would win at local 5 a side. He’s not on a proper team or anything. Just for fun.

Ugh this happened to my Gran. Then her new friend flew over to visit. Can you believe it, on the way here she lost her plane ticket and wallet at a connecting airport! Gran transferred her £600 emergency cash to buy another ticket, but something must have gone wrong as she never did turn up. 😖

When a handsome Nigerian man in his twenties shows social interest in a little old lady in UK, it is a scam for sure. Give her a copy of “Greetings in Jesus’ Name’ book.

The medal is probably genuine. Lots of people have random football medals from local Saturday competitions or whatever. That doesn't mean that the person who owns the medal is being genuine with your aunt.

Can you borrow her phone, go on her Facebook and block him?

action fraud do not take any action. it was set up to divert complainants.
they just compile statistics.
there is effectively no criminal enforcement against these crimes, esp if overseas origin. so it is a free for all.
everyone needs to keep these issues to the forefront of attention, esp for people who may be isolated, vulnerable, not working.
emphasise how the scammers are professional criminals, like all con-men, they are expert a reeling people in.
the victims should not feel ashamed and embarrassed. the criminals play on that.
there is also a lucrative side line in sucker lists, where criminals trade names of those who have already bitten, so might fall again.

sometimes talking about someone else and asking for advice might be useful. a vague person, friend of a friend at work, concerning situation, what would they suggest your friend say to her friend.
has your relative ever heard of such things. is it like old fashioned con men etc. just open up discussion. come at it sideways. good luck.

@MoggyP

It does look like the sort of medal you get at some levels of competition.

Are the names Nigerian?

Nigerian? Really?

@ValerieCupcake you say your aunt is vulnerable and recently widowed.

Does she have mental health problems or learning disability?
Would she have been aware in the past that communicating with people she doesn't know from Nigeria is not safe thing to do?

I'm sorry but you really are going to have to bring this up with her. There's good ideas on here about saying it's happened to someone you know snd watching a programme and discussing with her.
If you ignore it you're going to continue to worry about her

You can get medals done on ebay for anything, I get them done every year for my partner and sons bmx club, they're cheap and you can get matching trophies with.engraved plaques and everything.

Yes she obviously being scammed but the medal is totally irrelevant why are you focused on that?

Not sure what you googled but it's nothing to do with Raheem Sterling.
It's a name the Honorable Raheem Idowu. He has an old twitter. Aka bit means someone who makes money from the earth.
Just because she posted it doesn't mean the person has done anything. She may have just reposted something he has received. Unless she starts talking to you about losing money or wanting to go to Nigeria....there's not a lot you can do.