Bluffton man scammed out of $15,000 by 'gold bar' girlfriend

A Bluffton man reported he was cheated out of $15,000 by a person he met through Skype, according to a report from the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.

The man said he was contacted by a person claiming to be a woman from Ghana named Godsent on Skype's instant messaging function in January 2015. The two exchanged messages for several months and a "virtual relationship" developed, the report said.

He later sent money to the scammer through Western Union, after "Godsent" told him several kilograms of gold had been found on her father's property. The scammer told the man they'd get a better price selling the gold in the U.S. and asked him to front the money for shipping costs and air fare.

The man continued sending the scammer more money, believing she would come to the U.S. and the two would get married. Western Union employees warned the man he was likely the victim of a scam, but he continued to send money, believing it was going toward the proper documentation to bring "Godsent" to the U.S.

The man sent a final wire transfer of $4,000 on Nov. 18. After speaking to family a week later, he finally realized he was the victim of a scam, the report said. The man estimated he had sent the scammer about $15,000 in total.

This story was originally published December 10, 2015 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Bluffton man scammed out of $15,000 by 'gold bar' girlfriend."