'Sackey Wasky' whacks wallets of Swedish men

Published: 15 Jul 09 16:47 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/20682/20090715/

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A cunning internet con artist posing as a love-struck woman from Ghana has succeeded in defrauding a number of Swedish men of hundreds of thousands of kronor.

Going by the name Sackey Wasky and lurking on the popular Match.com dating site, the fraudster managed to convince hundreds of men to open their wallets for what they thought were pleas for assistance for everything from plane tickets to shipping costs.

The scam was aided by authentic looking passport and visa documents meant to assuage any lingering doubts in the minds of Sackey Wasky’s unsuspecting targets.

“I must be honest with you that I really miss you so much. Since morning, I have been thinking of you and I really wish we could go out to have some fun, my one and only love,” Wasky wrote to one victim, who had requested to see her passport, in email correspondence reviewed by The Local.

“No matter what happens I will always love you.”

The scam was uncovered when a couple of Swedish computer hackers whose friend had been duped by the bogus beauty from western Africa managed to break into the fraudster's email account.

Among the hundreds of emails sent and received by Sackey Wasky, they found payment order confirmations and other evidence of her numerous cons.

Altogether, the hackers estimate that Wasky managed to rake in around half a million kronor ($64,000) in just the last year, the Aftonbladet newspaper reports.

“She presents herself under a number of different guises,” one of the hackers told the newspaper.

“Sometimes she’s a poor girl who can’t pay for the flight herself. Other times she’s well-to-do and has inherited gold from old relatives. But as soon as someone has started to send money, she gets problems and needs more money to travel.”

Some email exchanges are written in Norwegian, however, although Wasky explains her linguistic abilities as a result of working in a hotel in Norway, according to Aftonbladet.

However it remains unclear exactly where Sackey Wasky may be based and where he or she may strike next.

David Landes (david.landes@thelocal.se/+46 8 656 6518)

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#1
20:08 July 15, 2009 by Greg in Canada
There must be some very lonely but also very gullible men in Sweden.
Report abuse »
#2
20:16 July 15, 2009 by tigger007
what ever happen to common sense!?

you DON'T send money to someone over the interSEX oooops internet! some of these people are good in what they do and do it well. if a white or asian women says she is from africa HHmmm think,how many white or asian women that lives in africa? if something is too good to be TRUE,it might be
Report abuse »
#3
20:22 July 15, 2009 by Renfeh Hguh
I just love these stories... some men can be stupid when they have a boner
Report abuse »
#4
20:52 July 15, 2009 by peropaco
Tigger007... you need to get out or open those old history books, dust them off and read. There are white and Asians living in Africa for centuries now :-)
Report abuse »
#5
21:09 July 15, 2009 by CarlBlack
So why do so many Swedish men believe this romantic fairy tale of 'a princess in troubles who will love me forever after I save her' ? Following the promotion of perfect gender equality here, do they believe that in other not so developed countries such thing can really happen? Or more likely, are they just missing (even subconsciously) this old archetype not present in modern society so much, that they believe anything?
Report abuse »
#6
21:27 July 15, 2009 by tigger007
@peropace you are right in bible times! when was the last time u saw a full blown white or asian lady living in the heart of africa. since we have the interSEX they live all over the world. having the interSEX you can be dark as midnite or yellow as a baby chick in live in the north of sweden, you can be call a afro-sweden! ;) ;) ;) hahahaha
Report abuse »
#7
00:18 July 16, 2009 by red indian
Genuine question! why swedish men do that ?

Is not because swedish girls expressively

Depreciated and dummies.
Report abuse »
#8
08:48 July 16, 2009 by Nemesis
Good luck to her.

She might as well rip them of instead of date them, as all they do is get drunk, then become non functional due to excessive amounts of alcohol on a date.

Anyone who is stupid enough to send someone money over the iternet whom they have never met, needs to get a carer.
Report abuse »
#9
10:12 July 16, 2009 by Bra_billie_boy
Well this proves the popular theory yet once again. God has given men just enough blood to make one of the important organs to function properly at any given time. When the *special organ* gets the blood, the brain stops working and vice versa :)
Report abuse »
#10
10:16 July 16, 2009 by ziabach
lol I can never understand how people fall for this type of thing. I mean someone asking for cash to meet, something has to be wrong there, a bit of common sense shouldn't hurt.

Can someone give me money so I can come to Sweden? NO aww why doesn't it work for me

Report abuse »
#11
12:46 July 16, 2009 by Marc the Texan
Don't these guys realize that the best women in the world live in their own country!

The sad part is that these guys are usually talking to a man on the other end of the scam.
Report abuse »
#12
13:44 July 16, 2009 by Elcompadre
There has to be something wrong with these Swedish guys!! Who in their sane mind falls for this scams anymore. They are either too desperate or too stupid!!

Swedish has some of the most beautiful women in the world, how can Swedish men not appreciate that.
Report abuse »
#13
16:40 July 16, 2009 by Greg in Canada
Here's an idea - perhaps this could become a line of work for all those people complaining they can't find jobs in Sweden.
Report abuse »
#14
17:31 July 16, 2009 by CarlBlack
Hmm, so far no answer to my question in post #5. But a good point is picked by Elcompandre: 'Swedish has some of the most beautiful women in the world'. And I would also like to know why so many Swedes travel to Thailand for obvious purposes with those blond bombshells at home... Perhaps it's not so easy to ball up a cute chick... or Swedish women are too emancipated for men... Well, believing a scam is of course a stupidity, but it maybe points to a tendency which I see around: that many Swedish men are starting to look for a partner outside.
Report abuse »
#15
17:56 July 16, 2009 by Greg in Canada
I'd answer post #5 by saying that these men were simply chasing a fantasy. I'm sure they felt quite stupid after they realized they were scammed.
Report abuse »
#16
21:57 July 16, 2009 by NND
Considering most men in Sweden won't cough up for their round in a bar, I'm suprised they would send so much money and fall for such a obvious scam
Report abuse »
#17
22:57 July 16, 2009 by Elcompadre
I have heard from several Swedish girls as well as girls from other Scandinavian countries that many guys is their country do not approach girls unless they are really drunk, in which case they make a fool of themselves. (Not sure how true this is)

But apparently this guys have a very out going and generous personality over in the cyber world, strange!

Seriously, stop being such wimps!
Report abuse »
#18
09:59 July 17, 2009 by jack sprat
Very true Elcompadre,they either make fools of themselves with drink or have so much they cant even get it up, so little wonder the Swedish women are disillusioned and treat them with contempt whilst look further afield for a partner.

To Swedish girls a guy from another Western country is a major status symbol,almost as good as owning a Ferrari,and they very much look down their noses at those who are stuck with a Swedish guy.
Report abuse »
#19
10:39 July 17, 2009 by CarlBlack
Heh, no Swede here to defend themselves after these accusations? But since I am a guy from another Western country currently in Sweden, please tell me, jack sprat, where exactly can I see the behavior you describe, I will rush there :-) So far I just noticed that in order to make some Swedish girls not so cold you have to make them drunk too, and so alcohol is in fact a necessary social lubricant in this country.
Report abuse »
#20
12:19 July 17, 2009 by bjornnorgie
OH GHANA Republic is producing Criminals and fraud stars everyday. Only a few months ago a Ghanian was exported from Ireland for Drug dealing. This is getting out of hand.
Report abuse »
#21
12:28 July 17, 2009 by Kieruk
^

...is that meant to be sarcasm...?
Report abuse »
#22
14:35 July 17, 2009 by Elcompadre
Jack Spat is totally right!! I have heard about Swedish women who like to date foreign men numerous times, and I'm starting to think this is a big trend. I have met Swedish girls here in NY that are amazed when they walk down the street and some guy comes up to them and asks her for coffee. They usually say " a guy in Sweden would not do that" so i wonder do girls have to ask guys out or wait for them to be wasted to make a move?
Report abuse »
#23
15:16 July 17, 2009 by ziabach
I take it that this is what its like talking to Swedish People from what you have all been saying

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvvwNR3vF44
Report abuse »
#24
21:12 July 17, 2009 by CarlBlack
Elcompadre: In Sweden a perfect gender equality is supposed to exist, so a girl should be asked for a coffee with the same probability as vice versa :-) But in the end probably nobody asks nobody.

ziabach: "The video is not available in your country because of copyright restrictions"
Report abuse »
#25
21:13 July 17, 2009 by ziabach
Sorry to hear about that Damn location restrictions.
Report abuse »
#26
22:27 July 17, 2009 by The Indian
Bjornnorgie - Just because of a couple of bad apples from Ghana, don't dismiss the entire lot. It's like saying all Scandinavians are inherently racist because of a couple of examples. And don't for a moment think these scams don't happen in India where white women play the game on Indian guys.

Clearly this was a 'Let the buyer beware' situation. It's really hard to feel bad for any of those duped. I've been in Sweden long enough to see a fair number of vicious feminists. It's really funny because nothing significant is done to make them that vicious, unlike in most developing nations where women do get a raw deal. Swedish guys (when they're close to comatose drunk of course) have told me how they like women from Asia/Africa/Latin America because they're subservient/submissive. And I totally agree with CarlBlack - no one ends up asking anyone out, unless they're drunk enough of course. Moral of the story - gender equality does have possible drawbacks.
Report abuse »
#27
23:34 July 17, 2009 by Elcompadre
Gender equality is great and I think women should as men of. The funny thing is that some guys don't ask out a girl that passes by or that he meets at a bar( if sober) but can easily send a few thousand $$ over the internet. Its just a bit odd!
Report abuse »
#28
16:05 July 18, 2009 by manamann
I thought Swedish men where Gay?
Report abuse »
#29
18:52 July 20, 2009 by Weekend_warrior
A fool and his money are easily parted.
Report abuse »
#30
08:30 July 21, 2009 by Kieruk
apparently not...they just like to look stereo-typically effeminate.
Report abuse »
#31
13:18 July 21, 2009 by Streja
This is not something particularly Swedish. It happens all over the world with stupid men who can't find a woman on their own.

I know someone who sent like 200 pounds to a "girl in Romania" I saw the picture. She was a blonde bombshell and he, well, he was a 40 year old Brit who still lives with his parents. IN ENGLAND!

Plus, as you may or may not have noticed, most women in Sweden have a Swedish sambo/husband, so it's not really true that all Swedish women are looking for foreigners.

Besides, the consensus here seems to be Swedish men don't like Swedish women so they want Asian women because those are subservient, but at the same time Swedish women don't want Swedish men as those are too effeminate.

You men make no sense, but I think it's really to do with EGO. Just because you're foreign you think that YOU are better than Swedish men. Perhaps you envy them?
Report abuse »
#32
14:09 July 21, 2009 by Kieruk
Envy Swedish men? Why? What has nationality got to do with why someone is better then anyone else?

I just don't want to dress and act effeminately thanks.
Report abuse »
#33
14:17 July 21, 2009 by jeffi lost her first one
Hair-chested non-metros for the win. My mother taught me never to date a man who spent more time on his manicure and hair than I did.
Report abuse »
#34
14:44 July 21, 2009 by Streja
In what way do Swedish men dress and why don't you want to dress like them?

Are you based in Sthlm by any chance?

I don't think my dad puts mascara on you know.
Report abuse »
#35
15:08 July 21, 2009 by Kieruk
Skin tight jeans, tight tops, pointy shoes or very very white trainers, slicked back hair in a quif (generally could be a girl from behind, or from the side sometimes!)

And no, I am in Helsingborg.
Report abuse »
#36
15:28 July 21, 2009 by Streja
My dad doesn't wear that. My sister's husbands don't wear that. My uncle didn't. My grandad doesn't. My cousins don't.

I'm pretty sure most men in Dalsland, Norrland etc don't either.

If you can't tell the difference between men and women from ehind maybe you need glasses?
Report abuse »
#37
15:33 July 21, 2009 by Mzungu
..or lessons in sex education!
Report abuse »
#38
15:42 July 21, 2009 by Kieruk
Ahhh, ok...back to the good old 'Southern Sweden isnt REAL Sweden' thing.

I apologise sincerly, and fully take back what I said.

What I meant to say is 'In Southern Sweden many Swedish men wear skin tight jeans, tight tops, pointy shoes or very very white trainers, slicked back hair in a quif (generally could be a girl from behind, or from the side sometimes!)'

And I would love for you to tell me how to tell the difference between a long haired, effeminately dressed man and a woman who looks the same from the back...
Report abuse »
#39
16:11 July 21, 2009 by dave.smith
In general Swedes do dress a bit more stylishly than people back home in the UK, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Yes, tight jeans and white trainers do look a bit naff, but is it really any worse than Chav clothing, or trackie pees ?
Report abuse »
#40
16:13 July 21, 2009 by Kieruk
hell no, much better! But I don't think the chavs and trackies would attract any more then the Swedes do...!
Report abuse »
#41
19:08 July 22, 2009 by balty
Swedish men look great! Not only are they naturally handsome, but I really dig this so called "effeminate" style. It is so cute, sexy and non-threatening. It is great when guys take care of themselves. Women do so much for their looks and still make their own money, why shouldn't men do the same? I hear they are also good fathers. It is very appealing to the New Woman. :) Horns high!
Report abuse »
#42
12:43 July 23, 2009 by Streja
You're funny.

Hey go to Italy and there you can find men who really use a lot of perfume etc.

I never have any problems telling who is male or female in Sweden. How? Well the arses are different.
Report abuse »
#43
13:01 July 23, 2009 by Kieruk
hehe...please give me some pointers Streja!

What shoulf I be looking for to distiguish a Swedish male bum from a Swedish female bum? (assuming they are clothed, so nothig crude thank you!)
Report abuse »
#44
13:06 July 23, 2009 by Streja
You have to look at the way they walk as well. The men tend to walk more as if they are sqaure. Hard to describe hmmm I need a video.

Women tend to have handbags as well.

Look at the feet too. If they have big feet it's more likely a man.

If you can get a little bit closer and try to sniff them. Do they wear female perfume?
Report abuse »
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