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I've had a relationship for a month with a woman I met online. She is selling some things to make money to buy medicine from Africa for her mother. She wants me to give the buyer of the items my bank account info so he can put the money in my account, which I will then use to purchase the meds. I feel like this is a scam but I have feelings for the woman and don't want to believe she would scam me.

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    And how do you know if the driver's license is valid? I wouldn't go near this scam unless this woman's friend is a Nigerian prince ;->)
    – Bob Baerker
    Apr 12, 2020 at 22:39
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    When you showed her your ID, did you conceal any of the information on it? If not, this might be a combination of identity theft plus the scam where someone pays you X+Y amount and asks you to send Y amount back to them or to someone else.
    – shoover
    Apr 13, 2020 at 0:12
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    "The website where we met used this method to verify user's identities to differentiate them from scammers." That would make me wonder if the actual purpose of the site was to find marks for scammers. Would you recognize even a blatantly fake license from a different state or country? Not to mention the wonders that can be worked with Photoshop.
    – Charles E. Grant
    Apr 13, 2020 at 0:34
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    I'm no expert on dating websites in particular, but most websites / forums I'm familiar with will differentiate scammers from regular users by banning the scammers as soon as they're identified.. My guess would be that this "method of verification" is just a scam in itself, to make you trust these "verified users" more easily.
    – Steve-O
    Apr 13, 2020 at 13:28
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    As for the photo, consider that the scammer has scammed other people before. He may have asked one of his previous marks to take such a photo specifically so he can turn around and send it to people like you. Thus, even if you could tell the license is legitimate, it's not guarantee the photo is legitimate.
    – Steve-O
    Apr 13, 2020 at 13:29

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Sure sounds like a scam to me, too.

This is very typical, the scammer crafts some baffling scenario that requires you to serve as a middle-man in a financial transaction. Typically it also requires the middle-man to compromise their bank information or to receive money in a way that is reversible while sending money in a way that is not reversible.

You are right to be suspicious, and they will try to make you feel bad for not wanting to participate. The fact is there is no reasonable explanation for why you need to be involved in this transaction. Likely if you suggest alternatives that don't put you at risk they will get frustrated and insistent.

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