VOA常速英语2007年-Buyer Beware of Internet Migration Schemes

By Margaret Besheer
Washington
05 November 2007

Criminals around the world are using the Internet to steal money from people in developing countries who dream about migrating to the United States and other Western countries. Posing as penpals or love interests they persuade hopeful migrants to send them money to help process their paperwork. VOA's Margaret Besheer reports these scams often target people in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Dennis Hernandez works in a warehouse¹ in a town in Bulacan province, about 34 kilometers northeast of the Philippine capital, Manila.

Nearly two years ago, the 42-year old began corresponding with a lady he met on the Internet. They exchanged e-mails and photos and after a short time she urged him to join her in the United States, where she claimed to live.

"She e-mailed me and then she promised me work in the U.S., and she gave me a promise to marry and to live in America," Hernandez said.

But she told him it would cost two hundred dollars to process the paperwork that would bring him to America. A huge sum for a man who earns about one hundred-sixty dollars each month.

His new friend also told him he would need to find nine other people to go to the U.S. with him, because the migration² organization would only process paperwork for a minimum of 10 people.

Hernandez sold his motorbike and borrowed money to get the funds. He also persuaded five other friends to put up two hundred dollars each for their own migration. But once he wired the money to his Internet girlfriend he never heard from her again.

These sorts of schemes are not new, but they continue to prey³ on the poor and vulnerable, exploiting their hope of a brighter future.

Sue McConnell is with the Better Business Bureau in the U.S. state of Ohio. Her office has received numerous complaints from people who have been tricked by these types of schemes. She urges people to be cautious.

"Be very skeptical⁴, especially if you are communicating with someone on-line who is a stranger, who you have never met. Even if they send you pictures of themselves, the pictures are going to be phony [false]. If they want money from you up-front or if they are referring you to some agency, and they want you to wire money, that is a big red flag that it is not legitimate⁵ right away," McConnell said.

Internet thieves give their so-called organizations real-sounding names. Others falsely claim affiliation⁶ with real groups such as the U.N. Refugee Agency or the International Organization for Migration.

Michel Tonneau of the IOM urges people to check with those groups to find out if their involvement is legitimate. He also advises doing some research.

"Check first in the webpage of these countries' ministry⁷ of interior or ministry of foreign affairs on how to apply to migrate to that country, and see if she or he has the effective profile for migrating to those countries of interest," Tonneau said.

Many international organizations also have warnings on their websites about such schemes.

Dennis Hernandez wishes he had been more careful and warns others to be cautious.

"I tell them to be careful. I tell them to be sure [about] the promise, the sexy lady, the money, the houses," Hernandez said.

He learned the hard way that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

1 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

2 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

3 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

4 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

5 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

6 affiliation   

n.联系，联合

参考例句：

• There is no affiliation between our organization and theirs,even though our names are similar.尽管两个组织的名称相似，但我们之间并没有关系。
• The kidnappers had no affiliation with any militant group.这些绑架者与任何军事组织都没有紧密联系。

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。