An online love scam based on stolen photos of a porn star netted millions of dollars
For more than a decade, a former porn star has been defrauded of thousands of dollars by using her photos. How does it feel to unknowingly get involved in so many romantic schemes?
Almost every day Vanessa receives messages from different men who think they have a relationship with Vanessa.
Some of these men even believe that Vanessa is their wife.
Many of the men in these messages are angry, if not confused, demanding that Vanessa return the money they claim she spent on living expenses, hospital bills, or paying for relatives. He was sent for help. But this is all a lie.
Vanessa doesn't even know these men. It should be noted that we are not writing his full name here to keep his identity hidden.
Since the mid-2000s, her photos and videos have been used for online romance scams dating back to when Vanessa Puran worked in the industry.
These victims extorted money through fake online profiles using Vanessa's name and past photos in what is known as 'catfishing' in the parlance of romance scandals.
These thousands of messages or trolling asking for money bothered Vanessa.
"The messages lead me to feel depressed and because of that I started blaming myself that if my photos weren't there, these men would never have used me to cheat."
Vanessa worked as a cam girl (internet porn via webcam) for about eight years.
Since she was a bit shy at first, she introduced herself as 'Janessa Brazil' and began to reassure herself that 'it's not me (camgirl), it's Janessa, so I shouldn't be shy.'
She put Brazil in her name not only because she was born there, but also because Brazil is one of the most popular searched words on the Internet.
According to Vanessa, her decision felt wise at the time.
I hate that name. But it helped me to become popular quickly.
For a while, it was all very well for Vanessa. Vanessa was paid up to $20 per minute for sex and exposure and enjoyed these relationships with her lovers.
I wanted to make them happy. I would have fun with them and they would be devoted to me.
According to Vanessa, at the height of her career, she was earning around a million US dollars a year and had her own website under the name Janessa, where she was very active online as a successful brand.
However, in 2016, his online profile turned dark.
It took almost nine months for the BBC to find Janessa, who was living in a modest apartment on the east coast of America, for her program 'Podcast Love'.
"One of the reasons for leaving content online was to try to stop scammers," he told the BBC. She told "Now I don’t want to give them the option to reuse anything,”
Vanessa first learned of the deception when a man posted in chat during a live show that he was her husband. The man insisted, telling him that Janessa had promised him that she would stop doing webcam shows.
He thought it was a joke but asked her to send him an email anyway.
But instead of stopping, this series increased and one after another, numerous contenders came in front of him who not only posted many comments during these shows but also demanded him to prove his identity several times.
These fraudsters during this time also made many strange requests from them such as wearing a red cap or photos that could be used in scams.
Constant comments and emails added to his stress which affected his work.
"It was all a nightmare to me and they all made me feel so bad but I didn't know what to do," she says.
At first, she tried to answer every email which took her several hours every day, then her husband took over the task.
My husband, who was also my manager at the time, started monitoring these messages. He told the victims of this fraud that we are not responsible for the money these men lost in the fraud.
She further said "If I had got all the money these people sent to the scammers, of course, today I would be a billionaire and not living here in my little apartment,"
Vanessa says that many men have a habit of taking care of women and that's why they can send money to someone they've never met.
"Even if they don't have money, they are willing to give just to feel loved," she says.
Roberto Marini is an Italian citizen who falls for the fake Genessa.
First, he received a message on Facebook from a beautiful young woman who identified herself as Hana, congratulating him on his success in the business on the island of Sardinia.
After three months of exchanging photos and loving messages, a woman named Hana started demanding money from him.
At first, it was for very small things, like a damaged phone, but then these demands grew.
The woman tells Roberto that her life is very difficult she has to take care of sick relatives and is also forced to work in the porn industry to make ends meet.
Roberto wants to save Hana but is frustrated that they never get to talk. Whenever they decided to call, sometimes Hana's phone would break or something.
One day Roberto discovers thousands of photos and videos of Hana online. But these photos were of a porn star Janessa Brazil.
Hana's love felt true to Roberto. He wondered if she did not want to reveal her true identity so that their relationship would not get into trouble. Roberto attended Janessa Brazil's live show and wrote in the chat, 'Is that you?'
They did not get the desired response. They had to pay for every minute so they didn't stay long.
In search of the truth, Roberto emailed all the names he thought were the real Janessa. During the interview with Vencia, we also saw a message from Roberto in her inbox.
In this 2016 message, Roberto wrote, "I want to talk to the real Janessa Brazil." In response, Vanessa wrote, "I'm the realJanessaa Brazil."
Roberto asked them a few more questions to see if they had talked before. It was their first and last contact via email.
But the story does not end here. The cheaters followed Roberto.
Robert says that he sent two and a half million dollars in four years. A major part of this money was borrowed and borrowed from friends and relatives.
Roberto later started warning people through his online post that a few scammers were making off with Janessa's stolen photos.
But despite all this, they still believe that they must have had a connection with the real Genessa.
"This is a sign of a successful deception," says Dr. Anushal Reiji, a criminal justice expert in Philadelphia.
They have also discovered a criminal network manual that contains instructions on how to avoid a phone call that might reveal their secret.
"This scam is carried out familiarly, primarily sending love messages, then starting to threaten to end the relationship, and then followed by a request for financial assistance so that lovers can meet."
According to Dr. Anushal Reiji, "This is a formula that is a nightmare for all those who have gone through the experience, but it still does the trick."
Dr. Reiji says, "As human beings, it is, part of our nature to help each other."
Vanessa, on the other hand, says that she hates these cruel ways. "They show love and then take it away." People become desperate and ready to do anything.'
Dr. Reiji believes that Roberto was betrayed by an organized gang.
He says that many organized groups in the world are doing this work in Turkey, China, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Nigethe ria, and Ghana.
Roberto was once asked to send money to Ghana where there is an organized online fraud gang known as the 'Sakawa Boys'.
The BBC tracked down one of them. A young man named 'Ofa' told us that 'this job takes time' and he feels bad, but he has earned $50,000 so far.
When Offa was shown Janessa's photos, he said he didn't use them but said it was easy to understand why fraudsters would be interested in the photos.
He also said that for a hoax to be successful, he would need a variety of images of women, in which they could be seen doing everyday tasks.
Vanessa believes that her photos are used because she keeps sharing moments of her life.
The never-ending list of cheating victims left Vanessa deeply traumatized. Acting daily in front of the camera began to take its toll on his mental health and his marriage.
Vanessa said that she was tired and drank before the show. She says that she hates the videos of that time because she can see her sadness in them.
In 2016, Vanessa decided to give up work. She says that she left home and her husband and went in search of a new life.
She is now training as a therapist and writing her memoir, aiming to take control of her story.
To this day, Vanessa has not approached the authorities about the misuse of her photos. They believe that their complaint will not be taken seriously.
"They'll look at me and say you're a porn star and laugh at me."
Vanessa has grown stronger over the years.
She knows that online scammers might not stop using her photos, but now she can understand why some people fall into the trap.
According to Vanessa, 'We can be fools when it comes to love. I know, it has happened to me.
By: Hana Ajala and the Love Janesa Team, BBC World Service
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