Young Hot Escorts dot Com Scam

[TonyAkron]

Greetings.

 

Despite the warnings on this site, I let my horniness get the better of me and sent money to be held in escrow for an escort.

 

This happened in early December, and was initiated by an ad on Americanmale.net for a guy whose name escapes me. An email sent to him was responded to very professionally, a web site was referenced which appears professional and legitimate, and I sent a Western Union moneygram for $175.

 

All communication was through email, very professional. However, after no show or call or response from a follow-up email, I knew it was a scam. Visit the site--it looks legitimate, and the guys are very hot-too good to be true for the rates. I did email americanmale.net and they removed the guy from their site.

 

Anyway, just wanted to describe my lesson. Not too costly, really, but I have certainly learned from it.

[Txpaytoplay]

Sorry to hear that....:-(

 

Sometimes we all think with the wrong head!!!:o

 

 

Just my 2 cents worth...and that is really cheap!!:7 :7 :7

[skins1]

there has been tons of discussions regarding this site. it is nationwide/cupcake scam. You gotta check theses boards first!

[Boston Guy]

Right now, I'd estimate that 80% of the new escorts listed each day on American Male Escorts are part of this scam. Great pictures, just don't think about sending money off into the hands of the scam artist.

 

There are things that can tip you off so you don't even waste your time inquiring about them:

 

1. Never a phone number posted

2. AOL or Yahoo email address; if AOL, usually no profile created.

3. Almost always list something about liking older guys

4. Usually mention overnights and travel

 

I'm on the verge of reporting the whole thing to the FBI. I'm going to send a note to the head of American Males Escorts first and give him a chance to clean up his site. But simply posting a "Scam Alert" notice is insufficient. He has to verify new postings as being legit. Otherwise, people will continue to get scammed.

 

The proof that people are being scammed is in the fact that new postings get created every day. If the scammer wasn't making money, he wouldn't do it.

 

He thinks he can't be traced. But the FBI would simply follow the money trail and be on his back in no time at all. Unfortunately, they'd also probably be on the back of American Male Escorts. But AME has known about this for quite some time and all they've done is put up the "Scam Alert" message. That's not good enough and gay guys continue to get scammed.

 

So I'll send my note to AME and give them a bit of time to do something. In the absence of positive action, I'll alert a friend who works for the FBI and let them take action. This scammer is absolutely guilty of lots of felonies, not least of which is mail fraud, and I'm certain the FBI would be happy to shut him down.

 

BG

[Guest Adono]

Of course it would be fine to catch and prosecute the scam artists, but it's hardly likely that law enforcement would give this a high priority, even with a friend in the FBI. Personally, I don't have a lot of sympathy for anyone who is stupid enough to send money to strangers offering services that may be illegal to begin with. This thread began with a "yeah I know I shouldn't have, but...." post, which is pretty much the only point, isn't it?

[LovesYng]

>There are things that can tip you off so you don't even waste

>your time inquiring about them:

>

>1. Never a phone number posted

>2. AOL or Yahoo email address; if AOL, usually no profile

>created.

 

I have had plenty of good luck using AOL, you just have to know what your looking for so you don't get burned and don't think using the other head

 

When in doubt I whip it out :+

[guptasa1]

I mean this respectfully, but really, what more CAN American Male Escorts practically do to stop this? They're a free site right now (may change), try to verify e-mails, and post a scam warning. Without actively TRYING an escort, how can you verify he's legitimate? In my opinion, you really can't (at least in any way I can think of - maybe someone has a better idea).

 

You can tell from the notices on the site they aren't really making much money off of AME, and I really don't think it's fair to expect them to do more, because in reality, I'm not sure what more with their current resources they COULD do. AME is a well-laid-out and free "find-an-escort" site, but not really good for reviews. That's what this site is for, and it's not even foolproof (though pretty darn good).

 

As far as getting the FBI involved, I highly doubt they'd even look into this. Let's face it - you'd be asking them to prevent people from being scammed who are committing an illegal activity. Not exactly something that'd go at the top of their list.

 

I do look at AME with interest, but I try to be cautious. Occasionally, I will test out an ad and give it a shot. But whenever I do it, I have to accept the possibility that it MIGHT be a scam, and any decisions I make, I have to live with. (Some of you may recall I set something up with someone I found on there recently based on a good feeling and some reassuring conversations - I still hope that turns out well, but if it doesn't, I can live with it...even though I obviously want it to work out.)

 

Anyways, just my two cents.

[Boston Guy]

>I mean this respectfully, but really, what more CAN American

>Male Escorts practically do to stop this? They're a free site

>right now (may change), try to verify e-mails, and post a scam

>warning. Without actively TRYING an escort, how can you

>verify he's legitimate? In my opinion, you really can't (at

>least in any way I can think of - maybe someone has a better

>idea).

>

 

There are lots of things that they could -- and should -- do. Any respectable business that finds itself a pawn in an ongoing scam has a responsibility to take action to prevent innocent parties from being scammed. AME simply hasn't done enough.

 

What could they do? Lot of things, such as:

 

* Charge a fee for posting

 

* Or, require that all posts have a verified phone number

 

* Or, require that all posters provide AME with a verified phone number. If an escort doesn't want to post a phone number for the public, they should be willing to provide a verifiable phone number for AME, on a non-published basis.

 

* Or, require that all posts are accompanied by a valid credit card that isn't charged except in the case of AME policy validations, in which case a $2000 non-refundable charge would be applied to the credit card.

 

You get the idea. They are providing a vehicle for an ongoing scam. This isn't something that is simply immoral, it's highly illegal. Both the FBI and the Post Office take fraud and mail fraud exremely seriously and both have units dedicated to this type of illegal activity. The "moral" aspect of shutting down this kind of scam would appeal to crusaders in todays political environment. Don't underestimate the reaction of the authorities if this is brought to their attention in a serious manner.

 

>You can tell from the notices on the site they aren't really

>making much money off of AME, and I really don't think it's

>fair to expect them to do more, because in reality, I'm not

>sure what more with their current resources they COULD do.

>AME is a well-laid-out and free "find-an-escort" site, but not

>really good for reviews. That's what this site is for, and

>it's not even foolproof (though pretty darn good).

>

 

Frankly, I don't care if they're making money. They're a for-profit enterprise that has been serving as the vehicle for a scam against gay men for altogether too long. If they don't take steps to stop it, others will.

 

 

>As far as getting the FBI involved, I highly doubt they'd even

>look into this. Let's face it - you'd be asking them to

>prevent people from being scammed who are committing an

>illegal activity. Not exactly something that'd go at the top

>of their list.

>

 

Based on my initial conversations, you might well be surprised. My only reluctance right now is that I have no desire to get the guys running AME (if they are guys) in trouble. But they're in business and every business has a responsibility to prevent illegal acts within their business. They are not fulfilling what I see as a very real responsibility to the public.

 

>I do look at AME with interest, but I try to be cautious.

>Occasionally, I will test out an ad and give it a shot. But

>whenever I do it, I have to accept the possibility that it

>MIGHT be a scam, and any decisions I make, I have to live

>with. (Some of you may recall I set something up with someone

>I found on there recently based on a good feeling and some

>reassuring conversations - I still hope that turns out well,

>but if it doesn't, I can live with it...even though I

>obviously want it to work out.)

>

>Anyways, just my two cents.

 

I appreciate your comments. But I'm unwilling to knowingly sit by for month after month in full knowledge of an illegal scam being perpetrated against gay men. My desire to look at hot guys on AME is nowhere near as strong as my abhorrence of this ongoing scam.

 

BG

[marc anthony]

Another American Male ad with Bruno Gaucho pics for a supposed escort named "Rex" in Orlando, Florida.

 

x(

[twinklover]

BG, I am an old friend from the Atkol forums under the same handle. I hope you're doing well and appreciate your efforts in this matter. I have followed the scam postings on the AME site for some time as well. I have successfully engaged a few escorts from posts on the site but they have been posts with a listed phone number. A legitimate escort should be able to provide a phone number, at least to AME if not to the public. Before I became aware of the scam (under the names of Nationwide, Cupcake, Younghotescorts.com and others), I wasted many hours sending out emails to phantom escorts. Most of the time the scammer(s) didn't bother to reply. When I received a reply and I had further questions and would not advance payment, the hateful emails would follow. I was fortunate not to have lost money from the scam even though I was naive and enamored by some of the phantom models. It would be no loss to me if AME was shut down because of its failure to take appropriate action to avoid its passive aiding and abetting of the scam. I think the comments made here should be forwarded to AME. The disclaimer is NOT enough when we all know the scam continues to be perpetrated practically every day through ads on the AME site.

[guptasa1]

>What could they do? Lot of things, such as:

>

>* Charge a fee for posting

 

As much as it's nice it's free, I do agree with you here. I think eventually AME will have to go to a pay site, and I think it makes more sense for escorts to pay to list an ad than for clients to pay to browse them. Whether it would totally solve the scam problems, I don't know. It would at least provide tracking information possibly.

 

>* Or, require that all posts have a verified phone number

>* Or, require that all posters provide AME with a verified

>phone number. If an escort doesn't want to post a phone

>number for the public, they should be willing to provide a

>verifiable phone number for AME, on a non-published basis.

 

While this is a good idea, it might be problematic for the person running the site to verify each and every phone number. I think it wouldn't probably be worth it unless AME became a pay-to-list site for them. But, if it were done, it would make scamming that much harder.

 

>* Or, require that all posts are accompanied by a valid

>credit card that isn't charged except in the case of AME

>policy validations, in which case a $2000 non-refundable

>charge would be applied to the credit card.

 

I can see this getting problematic if a "bad client" decided to get back at an escort for something.

 

>I appreciate your comments. But I'm unwilling to knowingly

>sit by for month after month in full knowledge of an illegal

>scam being perpetrated against gay men. My desire to look at

>hot guys on AME is nowhere near as strong as my abhorrence of

>this ongoing scam.

 

I see your position and respect it. I still think personal accountability has to be a part of it as far as doing your homework if you can, but it would be awesome if this scam was stopped completely, and you do make some suggestions that could help if AME is willing to implement them.

 

I guess I just hate to see AME get hurt if the FBI does take action (which I'm still very surprised about if they do). I don't think they MEAN to breed so much scamming. But I do see why you're doing what you're doing, and it'll be interesting to see how this turns out.

[Boston Guy]

Hey, Twinklover!

 

Great to hear from you! I just had a scary thought: I was about to ask "Where's Tyler?" but that made realize that his kid's probably in first grade by now. OMG, I'm getting old. :-)

 

Sorry you ran into problems with AME. I got tied up with the holidays and haven't sent anything to them yet. But I'm drafting it now and will send it to them by tomorrow. Your note was a good kick in the pants. So, thanks.

 

It would be great to see you here more often. I check in with Atkol from time to time still but not like in the old days.

 

Take care,

Seek

[twinklover]

OMG, the thought of Tyler's son being (almost) in first grade is making my hair turn gray. We did have some truly comical, as well as serious, momemts back then on Atkol. I stumbled on this site after breaking up with my bf over 7 months ago. The information is excellent. I recently had a most enjoyable weekend engagement with Trey Thurston whom I highly recommend and probably would not have hired but for the information on this site. An escort-client engagement can and should be a win-win experience for all concerned. But I do find it very difficult to sort through all the crap, including the scams and the misrepresented and do-nothing escorts. I'm sure "real" escorts have the same problem sorting through all the bogus clients, pic and info collectors, etc. Certain posters here have intimated that they will hire ONLY if the escort has been favorably and credibly reviewed on this site. Although I'm a little more adventurous, that is not bad advice. I wish you and the other escort "connoisseors" here a very happy and profitable New Year.

[Boston Guy]

I just noticed that the good folks at American Male Escorts have taken two positive steps:

 

1. They now require all new models to have a phone number for contact. There's a very large notice to this effect posted on their site.

 

2. They've deleted all models who were new within the last three months who did not have a phone number.

 

I want to publicly congratulate them on taking these steps, which should go a long way toward ending the use of their site for this scam. From all reports, the guys at AME are good folks trying to run a good site. It's a shame their party was ruined a bit by sleazeballs but it's great to see AME step up to the plate. My only regret is for the young guys who escort on a very informal, very casual basis who don't want to post a phone number. They're the ones who end up hurt by the actions of the scammers.

 

Again, congratulations to AME on two very positive steps.

 

BG

[BigK]

I hope that they verify the phone numbers...

[Boston Guy]

Well, yes. However, they're taking great steps to try to end this. At some point, we each need to extend some personal responsibility as well. If a client sends money to someone with an advertised phone number without first talking to the escort on that phone number, there isn't much more I can think of to do for that person.

 

BG

[Boston Guy]

Now that American Male has become considerably less scammer-friendly, my guess is that the scammers will try to shift to other escort-related websites. If so, we can try to work with those websites, too, to make them less friendly havens for scams.

 

If anyone is aware of the scam at other websites, they should post that here so we can monitor it and try to help the site(s) avoid the scams.

 

BG