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Police probe African death of scam victim
12:07pm March 4, 2013
At 67, West Australian widow and grandmother Jette Jacobs believed an online dating website had given her another chance at love and life.
Instead, WA police are now investigating her mysterious death in a rented villa in South Africa, while her family believe she may have been murdered by a Nigerian man who scammed her out of more than $80,000.
Ms Jacobs left her home in Wagin, southeast of Perth, in late November on a trip she believed would seal her online romance of four years with the man she knew as "Jesse Orowo Omokoh".
It emerged Ms Jacobs had sent at least $80,000 to Nigeria during this time and met the man known as "Jesse" during a visit to Johannesburg in 2010 without incident.
During her last visit, Ms Jacobs was to meet "Jesse" for a second time but after weeks of no contact, her family was seriously worried.
Local police found Ms Jacobs' body in a Johannesburg villa on February 9.
Her money, credit cards, jewellery, laptop computer and other personal items were missing.
Detective Senior Sergeant Dom Blackshaw of WA's Major Fraud Squad said there was evidence "Jesse" had arrived in Johannesburg two days before reporting her death and giving a statement to local police.
"The circumstances of Ms Jacobs' death are still being investigated but there is evidence that it is suspicious," Det Snr Sgt Blackshaw said.
"These relationship frauds are being perpetrated by ruthless overseas criminals who are members of organised crime syndicates.
"To travel to Africa to visit someone you have met on the internet is extremely dangerous and could, as in the case of Ms Jacobs, cost your life."
Ms Jacobs' son, who did not want to be identified, said the deadly scam was a warning to others.
"The second time Mum went over for a couple of months and did not return. The consequences of this internet scam has taken her life," he said.
"We all tried to talk her out of it, even some of her best friends. No one could convince her that it was not real ... she kept believing it was.
"We weren't strong enough to stop her. Hopefully we can make others understand there is nothing for them in Africa.
"Don't go, they are running a scam to lure people to go to Africa - and there is a possibility it could be a one-way ticket."
Gary Newcombe, WA's Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection, said the scammers were heartless professionals.
"This is a tragedy where someone who is simply looking for love has lost their life," he said.
The WA fraud squad, which is running Operation Sunbird to detect online scammers, revealed last month that WA victims had been conned out of nearly $4.5 million in the last six months.
Tragically, Operation Sunbird officers had sent a letter to Ms Jacobs, warning her she was the victim of a fraud - but it arrived after she had left for Africa.
9News (AUS) : African death of scam victim
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9News (AUS) : African death of scam victim
Last edited by FrumpyBB on Mon Mar 04, 2013 1:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Sent in by long-time member Camelion - thanks!
Reason: Sent in by long-time member Camelion - thanks!
Please try your best to block ALL your scammer´s still incoming messages and calls!
What is all this? => The FAQ
The scammers vs. Why is "he" still doing it?
Why is alerting the man in the pictures DANGEROUS?
Please click why confronting my scammer is terribly wrong
What is all this? => The FAQ
The scammers vs. Why is "he" still doing it?
Why is alerting the man in the pictures DANGEROUS?
Please click why confronting my scammer is terribly wrong

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Re: 9News (AUS) : African death of scam victim
Horrible!!
And apparently he was scamming with his real mug too, since she met with him.
4,5 millions just in 6 months, just WA and this is just the amount that is known to police. And how much unknown? They are making billions of dollars per year, I am sure they are robbing from our economies much more than their oil is worth.
When will our politicians finally wake up and impose some sanctions on this horrible country?? One day the world will be fed up with Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal, and this WILL happen, but will we live to see it?? Or our grandchildren will finally do what we cannot?

4,5 millions just in 6 months, just WA and this is just the amount that is known to police. And how much unknown? They are making billions of dollars per year, I am sure they are robbing from our economies much more than their oil is worth.
When will our politicians finally wake up and impose some sanctions on this horrible country?? One day the world will be fed up with Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal, and this WILL happen, but will we live to see it?? Or our grandchildren will finally do what we cannot?
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Re: 9News (AUS) : African death of scam victim
The Police fear the great-grandmother was murdered by the Nigerian man.
Mr Omokoh was the last person to see Ms Jacobs alive and told police he found her body. He has since disappeared and cannot be found.
Ms Jacobs, a widow who had six children, struck up an online relationship with Mr Omokoh four years ago and traveled to South Africa to meet him in 2010 before he proposed late last year. Over several years she sent $200,000 to Mr Omokoh and another man she met online, known only as Isaac. Despite warnings from family, Ms Jacobs went to South Africa in November to marry Mr Omokoh but he failed to turn up until last month, blaming visa troubles. Two days after he arrived from Nigeria, Ms Jacobs was found dead, with her jewellery and money missing. It is believed South African police initially thought she had committed suicide, as empty pill packets were found nearby. But the victim's son, who did not want to be identified, said this was out of character and his mother met with foul play. According to West Australian Police, it is the first such West Australian death as a consequence of an online scam.
Detectives had found an extensive paper trail showing the relationship stemmed back four years, with a number of emails between the two, including one where Ms Jacobs tells Jesse she is raising money for him – the money was meant to go to sick children.
“I am try as you know to raise the money and by the way you are the only one who know this ok,” she wrote.
“I will never tell anybody what I am doing here foe (sic) you ok. That is betwin (sic) you and me ok.”
“Thank you my sweet woman. Yes I know,” Jesse replied.
The WA Major Fraud Squad is now creating a database of scammers to see if Jesse had more Western Australian victims.
Ms Jacobs’ son, who did not want to be named, said her friends and family had tried to talk her out of going to South Africa, but she could not be swayed. The victim's youngest daughter, told a television news programme Mr Omokoh wanted to move to Australia but her mother wanted to settle in Nigeria.
"My mum paid the ultimate price, which no one should have to," she said. "We don't want to see this happening to anybody else."
A friend who did not want to identified, described Ms Jacobs as beautiful and big-hearted. She said Ms Jacobs was lonely. Her husband died in 2002 and her subsequent partner in 2009.
A detective from the major fraud squad, said police were in contact with Australian Federal Police officers in Nigeria about Ms Jacobs' death and investigations were in the early stages. He said her death appeared suspicious and he confirmed Mr Omokoh was a suspect.
Mr Omokoh was the last person to see Ms Jacobs alive and told police he found her body. He has since disappeared and cannot be found.
Ms Jacobs, a widow who had six children, struck up an online relationship with Mr Omokoh four years ago and traveled to South Africa to meet him in 2010 before he proposed late last year. Over several years she sent $200,000 to Mr Omokoh and another man she met online, known only as Isaac. Despite warnings from family, Ms Jacobs went to South Africa in November to marry Mr Omokoh but he failed to turn up until last month, blaming visa troubles. Two days after he arrived from Nigeria, Ms Jacobs was found dead, with her jewellery and money missing. It is believed South African police initially thought she had committed suicide, as empty pill packets were found nearby. But the victim's son, who did not want to be identified, said this was out of character and his mother met with foul play. According to West Australian Police, it is the first such West Australian death as a consequence of an online scam.
Detectives had found an extensive paper trail showing the relationship stemmed back four years, with a number of emails between the two, including one where Ms Jacobs tells Jesse she is raising money for him – the money was meant to go to sick children.
“I am try as you know to raise the money and by the way you are the only one who know this ok,” she wrote.
“I will never tell anybody what I am doing here foe (sic) you ok. That is betwin (sic) you and me ok.”
“Thank you my sweet woman. Yes I know,” Jesse replied.
The WA Major Fraud Squad is now creating a database of scammers to see if Jesse had more Western Australian victims.
Ms Jacobs’ son, who did not want to be named, said her friends and family had tried to talk her out of going to South Africa, but she could not be swayed. The victim's youngest daughter, told a television news programme Mr Omokoh wanted to move to Australia but her mother wanted to settle in Nigeria.
"My mum paid the ultimate price, which no one should have to," she said. "We don't want to see this happening to anybody else."
A friend who did not want to identified, described Ms Jacobs as beautiful and big-hearted. She said Ms Jacobs was lonely. Her husband died in 2002 and her subsequent partner in 2009.
A detective from the major fraud squad, said police were in contact with Australian Federal Police officers in Nigeria about Ms Jacobs' death and investigations were in the early stages. He said her death appeared suspicious and he confirmed Mr Omokoh was a suspect.
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Re: 9News (AUS) : African death of scam victim
Denial
A Nigerian man linked to the suspicious death of Western Australian great-grandmother Jette Jacobs has protested his innocence in an internet post, claiming he had nothing to do with her death in South Africa and did not steal her money.
It came as WA police revealed two other women have told them they had contact with Jesse Orowo Omokoh, the 28-year-old man who Ms Jacobs had travelled to South Africa to marry after they met on an online dating site.
Mr Omokoh was the last person to see her alive and told police he discovered her body.
In internet posts this week responding to a South African news report about Ms Jacobs' death and claims Mr Omokoh had disappeared, a man purporting to be Mr Omokoh denied any crime.
"I am shocked and confused about this whole story of me murdering Jette and even taking her money," he wrote.
"I never scammed Jette and had no intentions of doing that."
Western Australian police believe Mr Omokoh was the author of the posts because the writing was "consistent" with text messages he sent to a friend of Ms Jacobs.
Major fraud squad Det-Sen. Const. Robert Martin said Mr Omokoh had failed to mention that Ms Jacobs had sent him about $120,000 since striking up a relationship with him online three years ago.
He said police were also not aware of any evidence to suggest Ms Jacobs had planned to take her own life, despite Mr Omokoh's assertions she had sent him a text saying "she will take all her pills and just die off" because she was hurt that he was mad at her.
Mr Omokoh also tried to divert suspicion on to Isaac Addo, a man from Ghana who Ms Jacobs had also become friends with via the internet.
He claimed Mr Addo had tried to get money from Ms Jacobs and had also seen her in South Africa in the days before her death.
Fraud squad detectives investigating online scams are waiting for more information from the other two women - one on the East Coast and one in the USA - who also had contact with Mr Omokoh to find out whether they sent him money or met him.
Ms Jacobs' son, who did not want his name revealed, said the family were hurt and angered by Mr Omokoh's posts and wanted him to help police if he was innocent, adding it was too late to help his mother but his family wanted to try to stop other people falling victim to scammers.
South African police are still waiting for toxicology results to establish how Ms Jacobs died.
A Nigerian man linked to the suspicious death of Western Australian great-grandmother Jette Jacobs has protested his innocence in an internet post, claiming he had nothing to do with her death in South Africa and did not steal her money.
It came as WA police revealed two other women have told them they had contact with Jesse Orowo Omokoh, the 28-year-old man who Ms Jacobs had travelled to South Africa to marry after they met on an online dating site.
Mr Omokoh was the last person to see her alive and told police he discovered her body.
In internet posts this week responding to a South African news report about Ms Jacobs' death and claims Mr Omokoh had disappeared, a man purporting to be Mr Omokoh denied any crime.
"I am shocked and confused about this whole story of me murdering Jette and even taking her money," he wrote.
"I never scammed Jette and had no intentions of doing that."
Western Australian police believe Mr Omokoh was the author of the posts because the writing was "consistent" with text messages he sent to a friend of Ms Jacobs.
Major fraud squad Det-Sen. Const. Robert Martin said Mr Omokoh had failed to mention that Ms Jacobs had sent him about $120,000 since striking up a relationship with him online three years ago.
He said police were also not aware of any evidence to suggest Ms Jacobs had planned to take her own life, despite Mr Omokoh's assertions she had sent him a text saying "she will take all her pills and just die off" because she was hurt that he was mad at her.
Mr Omokoh also tried to divert suspicion on to Isaac Addo, a man from Ghana who Ms Jacobs had also become friends with via the internet.
He claimed Mr Addo had tried to get money from Ms Jacobs and had also seen her in South Africa in the days before her death.
Fraud squad detectives investigating online scams are waiting for more information from the other two women - one on the East Coast and one in the USA - who also had contact with Mr Omokoh to find out whether they sent him money or met him.
Ms Jacobs' son, who did not want his name revealed, said the family were hurt and angered by Mr Omokoh's posts and wanted him to help police if he was innocent, adding it was too late to help his mother but his family wanted to try to stop other people falling victim to scammers.
South African police are still waiting for toxicology results to establish how Ms Jacobs died.
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Re: 9News (AUS) : African death of scam victim
My condolences to the family. ..
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Re: 9News (AUS) : African death of scam victim
All Jette Jacobs wanted was a friend.
She helped out at meals on wheels, and had worked at a nursing home. But after her second partner died, she began living her life online. She thought she was helping a young man who needed money to raise his children and other malnourished children in Africa. Her son warned her that the man was a fake, and police tried too.
But the lure of a new life, and a marriage proposal from an exotic African man was too strong for her to listen to the alarm bells.
A letter from police warning her that Jesse Omokoh, the man who professed to be her lover but was in fact a heartless fraud, came too late.
Now her six children and 14 grandchildren are in mourning, and police in South Africa are investigating her murder in Johannesburg.
The web of lies that Omokoh constructed netted him up to $200,000, and Australian police have warned others may be caught in his scam.
Ms Jacobs' first husband died in 2002, and her subsequent partner pased away in 2009.
She filled her life with ten-pin bowling and her love of pet chickens in her home, but it was not enough.
Ms Jacobs was vulnerable and the flattery of a young man she met online was too tempting to resist especially when he propsed marrriage.
She flew to South Afica on November 22 to meet Omokoh, whom she had paid $20,000 to fly him there from Nigeria so they could be together.
But her dream of a new life ended tragically.
Ms Jacobs had met Omokoh on a prior trip in 2011 and had countless online chats with him, sending him money which he claimed was aiding sick children.
"She was a very kind, gentle woman who loved cooking, ten pin bowling and animals," Ms Jacob's daughter said.
The daughter, went on to say it appeared her mother had been fed tablets which killed her.
"I spoke to the detectives, their theory is she was probably fed the tablets, there was an awful lot of tablets missing," she said.
Ms Jacobs first had contact with another man known only as Isaac in Africa about four years ago and her daughter said Isaac had introduced her to Omokoh.
Pretoria police have spoken with him, but Ms Jackson, who travelled to South Africa to organise for the return of her mother's body, said he had professed no knowledge of the death.
"The police have spoken to him and he apparently knows nothing, he's saying he is all very innocent."
When police discovered Ms Jacob's body her money, credit cards, jewellery, a laptop computer and other personal items were missing from the villa.
Ms Jacobs is understood to have sent Omokoh who may be using an alias about $20,000 for visa and flights from Nigeria to South Africa and another large sum which she believed was part of his fundraising to help children.
In the end, Ms Jacobs, who had worked as an attendant at a nursing home, had exhausted almost all her funds more than $200,000 taken by the scammers, according to Ms Jacobs daughter.
But in a post online after Ms Jacobs' death, Omokoh tried to distance himself from the scam and from blame for Ms Jacobs' death.
"I am so shocked and confused about this whole story of me murdering Jette and even taking her money," he wrote.
"I never scammed Jette and had no intentions of doing that."
She helped out at meals on wheels, and had worked at a nursing home. But after her second partner died, she began living her life online. She thought she was helping a young man who needed money to raise his children and other malnourished children in Africa. Her son warned her that the man was a fake, and police tried too.
But the lure of a new life, and a marriage proposal from an exotic African man was too strong for her to listen to the alarm bells.
A letter from police warning her that Jesse Omokoh, the man who professed to be her lover but was in fact a heartless fraud, came too late.
Now her six children and 14 grandchildren are in mourning, and police in South Africa are investigating her murder in Johannesburg.
The web of lies that Omokoh constructed netted him up to $200,000, and Australian police have warned others may be caught in his scam.
Ms Jacobs' first husband died in 2002, and her subsequent partner pased away in 2009.
She filled her life with ten-pin bowling and her love of pet chickens in her home, but it was not enough.
Ms Jacobs was vulnerable and the flattery of a young man she met online was too tempting to resist especially when he propsed marrriage.
She flew to South Afica on November 22 to meet Omokoh, whom she had paid $20,000 to fly him there from Nigeria so they could be together.
But her dream of a new life ended tragically.
Ms Jacobs had met Omokoh on a prior trip in 2011 and had countless online chats with him, sending him money which he claimed was aiding sick children.
"She was a very kind, gentle woman who loved cooking, ten pin bowling and animals," Ms Jacob's daughter said.
The daughter, went on to say it appeared her mother had been fed tablets which killed her.
"I spoke to the detectives, their theory is she was probably fed the tablets, there was an awful lot of tablets missing," she said.
Ms Jacobs first had contact with another man known only as Isaac in Africa about four years ago and her daughter said Isaac had introduced her to Omokoh.
Pretoria police have spoken with him, but Ms Jackson, who travelled to South Africa to organise for the return of her mother's body, said he had professed no knowledge of the death.
"The police have spoken to him and he apparently knows nothing, he's saying he is all very innocent."
When police discovered Ms Jacob's body her money, credit cards, jewellery, a laptop computer and other personal items were missing from the villa.
Ms Jacobs is understood to have sent Omokoh who may be using an alias about $20,000 for visa and flights from Nigeria to South Africa and another large sum which she believed was part of his fundraising to help children.
In the end, Ms Jacobs, who had worked as an attendant at a nursing home, had exhausted almost all her funds more than $200,000 taken by the scammers, according to Ms Jacobs daughter.
But in a post online after Ms Jacobs' death, Omokoh tried to distance himself from the scam and from blame for Ms Jacobs' death.
"I am so shocked and confused about this whole story of me murdering Jette and even taking her money," he wrote.
"I never scammed Jette and had no intentions of doing that."
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Re: 9News (AUS) : African death of scam victim
Struggle theory on death..
16 March 2013
South African police are investigating the possibility Jette Jacobs was involved in a struggle before her suspicious death amid revelations the suspected Nigerian scammer she was planning to marry had been sent money by at least 20 people in six countries in recent years.
Ms Jacobs' broken medical alert bracelet was found in the Johannesburg guest house room near where her body was discovered on February 9.
Major fraud squad Det-Sen. Const. Robert Martin said South African police believed the bracelet could have been damaged in a struggle.
A specialist crime team has taken over the inquiry into the 67-year-old widow's death amid suspicions she was murdered. One theory is that she was force-fed pills, after empty packets were found near her body. According to reports, about 40 tablets were missing.
Western Australian police were now working with Nigerian and South African authorities to identify other people who had sent Mr Omokoh money and how much he had been given.
"We've ascertained at least 20 people have sent money to him over the past few years in a similar fashion to Jette Jacobs," a police spokesperson said.
Australian authorities are still waiting on reports from South African police about how Ms Jacobs died.
16 March 2013
South African police are investigating the possibility Jette Jacobs was involved in a struggle before her suspicious death amid revelations the suspected Nigerian scammer she was planning to marry had been sent money by at least 20 people in six countries in recent years.
Ms Jacobs' broken medical alert bracelet was found in the Johannesburg guest house room near where her body was discovered on February 9.
Major fraud squad Det-Sen. Const. Robert Martin said South African police believed the bracelet could have been damaged in a struggle.
A specialist crime team has taken over the inquiry into the 67-year-old widow's death amid suspicions she was murdered. One theory is that she was force-fed pills, after empty packets were found near her body. According to reports, about 40 tablets were missing.
Western Australian police were now working with Nigerian and South African authorities to identify other people who had sent Mr Omokoh money and how much he had been given.
"We've ascertained at least 20 people have sent money to him over the past few years in a similar fashion to Jette Jacobs," a police spokesperson said.
Australian authorities are still waiting on reports from South African police about how Ms Jacobs died.