Possible Gay Romance Scam from Benin

I'm doing this because I'm worried that my landlord is being scammed.

A few weeks ago, he started texting a man he met on the gay dating website, Adam & Adam. The man's name is David Hardy, and he claims to be an oil contractor working in Cotonou, Benin for the past six months. He's contracted out to Oriental Oil Company, but will not say who contracted him out to the company. He also claims that he's been a self employed oil contractor for twenty years, though his pictures make him appear in his mid to late thirties at the oldest.

Last week, he said that he was planning on traveling back to the US, but sold all of his property, and needs a place to stay.In order to do this, he wanted my landlord to send his personal driver money, but the transfer was stopped. The bank claimed this was because the driver was under investigation. On top of this, the potential scammer sent a copy of his next paycheck to show that he had the money on the way. His family is non existent as his parents are dead, and he's an only child.

All of this sounds suspicious to me, and I just want to confirm this. Any help is very much appreciated. Thank you!

Can you post text of the messages? We can easily tell the writing of an American who's been in Benin for a few months from that of someone who's been in Benin all his life.

[AlanJones]

he wanted my landlord to send his personal driver money, but the transfer was stopped. The bank claimed this was because the driver was under investigation.

This just sums it up - firstly, why would someone need a total stranger to pay money for him - he claims to be an oil contractor working overseas, so he'll be earning good money, but is begging for money off random people on the Internet. And then there is the fact that the transfer was blocked - another victim has obviously reported the bank details after being scammed.

I can't post the original texts as they are on my landlord's phone. From what I have heard, he has very poor grammar, which is another marker.

The reason he needed the money transfer( or so he claims) is because the people in Benin wouldn't accept his money, since it was American. Again, just strikes me as suspicious.

Thanks for the help so far!

[AlanJones]

The reason he needed the money transfer( or so he claims) is because the people in Benin wouldn't accept his money, since it was American. Again, just strikes me as suspicious.

Yet more lies - any bank in any country will operate a Bureau de Change to change currency, so he could easily have got his hands on local currency. It is all just an excuse to get money out of your landlord.

Yeah, that's what I thought. When I was overseas, I never had that problem, but I was on a base. I'm also finding that the time zone he claims he's in is not five hours different from mine, but six. This is confirming what I've been suspicious off all along.

Thank you, again.

Update and further proof that this is a scam: he's asking for more money to fly back from Africa, and claims that they won't take his credit card, nor does he want to cash his checks because of how much he makes. Wouldn't he be able to put his money in the bank from a paycheck? This doesn't add up.

My landlord has been talking to a man who claims he's an oil contractor in Benin. He says he can't use a credit card, nor any of his money overseas, and now an electric company is holding his passport until he can pay a bill. He has asked my landlord for money all ready. I have tried explaining to my landlord that something does not seem right, but he will not listen, only saying, "Oh, I'm not worried about it. He wouldn't lie to me." Am I right in thinking this is a scam? What should I do if it is?