Scam victim lucky to be alive

[brak]

Scam victim lucky to be alive

Steve Larkin
August 13, 2007

A SOUTH AUSTRALIAN farmer held hostage in Africa for 12 days in an internet bride scam has returned home, saying he is lucky to be alive.

Des Gregor, 56, of Hoyleton, arrived at Adelaide Airport last night after being freed from his African captors, who were ultimately duped by police.

Mr Gregor travelled to Mali last month to meet his supposed bride and collect a dowry of $100,000 in gold.

But on his arrival on July 27 he was kidnapped by a gang, beaten, stripped, had his cash and credit cards taken, and was held hostage at a flat in Bamako, the capital. He was told he would have his limbs hacked off with a machete unless he arranged a $100,000 ransom.

Mr Gregor was freed last Thursday when Australian Federal Police persuaded the kidnappers there was money to be collected by their captive from the Canadian embassy in Bamako.

The gang briefly released him and police rescued him.

"I especially thank the Australian Federal Police for the effort that they put in and also the Mali police," Mr Gregor said. "They did a fantastic job in conjunction with the AFP, and if it wasn't for them I reckon another couple of days and I wouldn't have returned."

Mr Gregor said he was beaten with a machete and bound by the legs when he was held captive, in a one-room flat.

When he arrived in Mali he had no suspicion he was a victim of a con, he said.

"The first indication I had that there was something wrong was when we got to the flat, they called out for somebody's name and the person that was supposed to meet me weren't there.

"We walked in and there was one bloke with [what] I would say [was] a home-made pistol and another one with a machete."

Mr Gregor said he was given "a good belting with a machete. I still have the scars to prove that.

He gave them what he had, he said. "They then made me strip. That is when they got the wallet and that had $A675 in it."

Mr Gregor arrived in Adelaide with none of his possessions and issued a warning to others seeking love over the internet. "Just be careful, make sure you check everything out 100 per cent."

linky

Next time Mr. Gregor you get an email like this think with your brains and not your dick. Apparently he had also flown to Russia previously to meet his future Russian " bride".

Rinse Repeat.

[Stan187]

What is with these *******s? If you can't find a woman in your own giant country, you need to just stay a bachelor.

[brak]

What is with these *******s? If you can't find a woman in your own giant country, you need to just stay a bachelor.

Or maybe he should get himself one of these

[dave lukins]

Or maybe he should get himself one of these

Stig how did you know that was there Have you just returned from Russia or Mali???

[entropy]

Mali? I mean come on. It's in the Sa-Hell belt. Normal people don't go there.

And especially not for post-order brides.

And $100.000 in gold is probably more than the Malian state budget. If someone offers you that and you believe it, you deserve being beaten with a machete.

He is incredibly lucky to be alive, all he has to blame is his own stupidity.

[dave lukins]

He is incredibly lucky to be alive, all he has to blame is his own stupidity.

On return to Australia, lets hope he was reunited with his stiff white coat, and promptly returned to his cell

[brak]

Stig how did you know that was there Have you just returned from Russia or Mali???

Lets not go there dave

[dave lukins]