ORLANDO, Fla. – A Miami cruise line manager has been fighting fake impostors for more than a year. You’ve seen his story several times on clickorlando.com.
But now he says he finally has a social media platform to expose the fake accounts.
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Alessandro Cinquini has been fighting to expose online imposters who are using his photos in a global romance con game.
“Mike, believe me, I receive, still, messages every day,” he said.
Instagram has confirmed his personal account is legitimate. A blue checkmark is all it took, but it’s something he’s been trying to get for more than a year.
“That’s the big problem with social media, is that you as a normal user, you can’t reach out to them but people can still use your photos and do whatever they want with your photos,” Alex said.
Now he wants to use his platform to issue a warning to women who may be talking to “Alex imposters” — it’s not him.
Ironically, Alex’s girlfriend, Nicole was actually contacted by an Alex imposter, months before they ever met.
“When I first start messaging with Alex, he said can we video chat?” Nicole said. “I was like OK this guy is trying to make sure I’m not a catfisher.”
It’s something he’s experienced through the messages he’s received from the U.S. to India, single women, lured by the chiseled good looks of Alex the Officer through his photographs, being used in someone else’s lie.
“They probably hope that this thing is going to work and I can feel sometimes their frustration when I don’t reply,” Alex said.
Bindi Gosai, 31, spoke to News 6 from her home in Gujarat, India this past May.
“I trusted him, I really trusted him,” Gosai said.
“She lost money to an Alex imposter. The elaborate deception included a promise of gifts, a ring and marriage. “My mind was telling me that something is wrong, how can someone send you so many things, how can someone love you like this,” she said. “I literally failed my money.”
“We all try to find love, we all try to find our soulmate to make this life a little bit better,” Alex said. “And then this situation can make their life even worse.”
Alex said he and Nicole are close to setting up a foundation to help victims of these romance schemes. He’s hoping his persistence finally makes a difference.
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