My fiancé is held for ransom in the UAE, what do I do?

Question

My fiancé is being held at the airport. He has been working on an oil rig for 3 months and is from the USA. He got paid in cash. His luggage was checked, and now the officers are threatening him with jail. They are demanding 1 million dollars each! Even after the airport confirmed the money with the company that paid him in cash, and was told on Monday that he could leave on Tuesday morning, the situation has not resolved. The airport officers have appointed an attorney for him and are holding his money and suitcase, which is essentially a ransom. The lawyer is also involved. They keep targeting him because he is American.

I need help.

Answer 1

I'm sorry have to say this, but it's a scam.

If you have not spent a large amount of time in with your fiance in person, then it is definitely a scam. By "in person" I mean not chat, not phone, not video call, but you and him together in the same place at the same time. It may seem unbelievable to you that a person can spend so much time with you online, be so nice to you, declare their love for you, promise to marry you, and yet all along be just trying to cheat you out of money, but unfortunately these things happen all the time. The very fact that you are seriously considering sending a very large sum of money makes these scams worth it for the scammers. They can be playing this game with many people at once, and if any one of them sends a lot of money they will be rich. You also have to ask why they contacted you instead of your fiancé's family, company etc.

You absolutely must not send money. If you send money the only thing that will happen is they ask for more until you stop. The most you should do is contact the US embassy in the country where he is being "held". They will almost certainly tell you the same thing I am. Do you have your fiancée passport number? Date of birth? Place of birth? Names of other family members? Address in the States? If you don't, these are other giveaways that you are the victim of a scam. The embassy will need to know them.

If you do actually know your fiancé in person and have spent lots of time with them in person, then contact the US embassy in the country and report the situation, or talk to US law enforcement.

Answer 2

If you have met your fiancé in person, see the answer but DJClayworth for if not, make sure the person you are communicating with is the person you think it is.

Ask for details only that person can know which you have not yet mentioned in communication with them. Simple things like names of siblings, pets, streets where they have lived. Color and brand of a first car. Details of a date out of the two of you together.

A voice call, whether telephone or app, will work.

A scammer can never know all details of a persons life, but if they have been able to read messages the two of you send each other they might know those details, so ask about things you have not mentioned in mails or use a wrong name or detail and see if they correct you.