(Online Dating Industry Journal) There has certainly been a lot in the news about potential online dating fraud and lawsuits lately. Online Dating Industry Insider has already mentioned the recent lawsuits against online dating industry giants Match.com and Yahoo! Personals, the lawsuit brought against a convicted sex offender using True.com's online dating service, and the story of the two women awarded refunds from Great Expectations. As if those weren't enough, we've just found out about yet another lawsuit (and sentencing) regarding online dating.
Earlier this month, a man was sentenced in federal court for defrauding a woman he met through an online dating service out of $176,000. 50 year old Rob Mailloux, of Hyannis, Massachusetts, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner to 1 year and 1 day in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Judge Gertner also ordered Mailloux to pay restitution in the amount of $176,766 to the victim. In July of this year, Mailloux pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging him with eight counts of Wire Fraud.
At the earlier plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the evidence would have proven that from November 2002 through May 2003, Mailloux defrauded a Virginia woman that he met through MatchMaker.com, by befriending and romancing her. MatchMaker.com is an online dating service which allowed members to post and respond to personal classified advertisements, and to communicate with each other through email. Through numerous conversations over the Internet and then by telephone, Mailloux induced the victim to lend him money by lying to her about his finances and military status.
Mailloux falsely told the woman a number of things. The man allegedly told the woman he had a million dollar house on Cape Cod, that he owned a company with 15 employees, that he worked for the Pentagon as a computer whiz, but, also, that his substantial assets were frozen due to a civil law suit against him. None of these statements prove to be true. In reality, Mailloux had been unemployed for years, having been discharged from the military in 1991, and received monthly disability payments from the Marine Corps and Social Security.
Mailloux started to ask the woman for money in December 2002 to cover business and attorney expenses. In January 2003, Mailloux was able to induce the woman to mail him her credit card, alleging he needed it to buy a computer and pay business expenses until his lawsuit was resolved. Throughout the course of the next several months, Mailloux used the credit card repeatedly for his own personal benefit and in ways the victim did not approve or authorize. In particular, Mailloux withdrew cash using the victim's credit card at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. Mailloux eventually spent over $82,000 using the victim's credit card. Based on more lies, the victim closed her Individual Retirement Account and wired over $45,000 to Mailloux's bank account for him to use for purported business expenses. Finally, in May 2003, Mailloux sent an e-mail posing as his mother (something he did often to the woman), in which he falsely represented to the victim that Mailloux was missing in Iraq. He then followed with other emails, again posing as his mother, where he wrote that Mailloux's status was shifting from "Killed in Action" to "Missing in Action" to "Prisoner of War." At that point the woman got suspicious and found out none of it was true.
This is yet another in a series of recent lawsuits that seem to be giving online dating a bad name. Online dating services better hope that these stories of criminal and unethical behavior by online dating services and online daters themselves will be counter balanced by the more positive stories of matchmaking magic and online dating success.
I know this man, he is my mom's Rob is my mom's ex-husband and he did the exact same thing to her!
Posted by: Connie | September 13, 2006 at 04:39 PM
I know Rob Mailloux also...his real name is Oscar. This is a sick man. He is Bi-Polar as well as being a pathological liar. I was one of the unlucky women whose path he crossed...also on Matchmaker.
Posted by: Michele | January 02, 2007 at 05:43 PM
What's really sad is that you women are still checking on what's up with Rob, four years or more later. What about moving on with your life. I, too, am one of the "intelligent" ones who was sucked in by him. We were all just ridiculously stupid. We can't blame it all on him. I have seen him with the bipolar illness adequately treated and his mood is stable. It's his character pathology that's very deep. No one can say how we'd have all turned out if we were raised the way he was raised. It's not a fantasy he invented--the abuse. It was very real. He's on his own again, girls. Be careful but remember only we get ourselves into these messes. And, remember, there but for the grace of God go I.
p.s. It's been a while for you folks. Let it go.
Posted by: marie | March 30, 2007 at 11:27 PM
Oh my God, Connie your mother Cathy has turned you into a pathological liar just like her. You didn't meet Rob on matchmaker. You were his 12 year old step daughter when he was with your mother. Seems you forgot he took you and your mother out of the low life appartments you were living in. Your mother screwed Rob over so bad. She cheated on him, tried to get his house like she tried to do to your dad Ron. I know so much more as well, as I went to school with her just another thing Rob paid for, she always talked about how much she could get out of him. She stood up in class one day and told us she had cancer. Just another lie of hers. She also sold money from an account that belonged to your grand mother and father, then said your dad took it. Rob also got her a new camry because she had no credit, as she had over 50k on credit cards from before she met Rob. You do remember the green camry right? There are many of us that still hang around togather form school. Ask around town and see what people will tell you. I and other know what a great guy Rob is, he may have his issues, and he has paid the price. I know this much you can always count on him as a friend, he is kind, giving. I can only pray your learn the truth and to tell it. I really think you need to remove your lies from this site.
Posted by: town cryer | April 07, 2007 at 11:08 PM
That last comment was from the master of manipulation himself. I can tell. He wrote an email just like it once to his ex-girlfriend, only he used my name as the author and said wonderful things about himself too. Only problem Oscar is that no one you went to school with would ever say nice things about you.
Posted by: Ex-in-law | April 13, 2007 at 02:58 PM
Alright enough of the lieing and bull out there. I am "Roscars" nephew and trust me I am not proud of it. Besides using my dead grandmothers name, he also used my name in fraud. He is a very sick man despite what you other women have to say. Wake up and open your eyes and see who he really is. I know first hand that he is sick, and psycologically messed up. I don't know what kind of spell this man has you under but you better snap out of it quick. You can't deny the fact that he is a no good miserable loser looking for anyone he can drag in with his fake personality and made up life. He comes from nothing, and has worked for nothing. So there for he is NOTHING. What kind of man walks away from his own children while they are suffering inside and out? You all know about his children right? All three of them? And a new addition adds a grandchild to the sick line up. This man needs to wake the hell up out of his own nightmare before he turns everyone elses dreams just into that. Do you think that he can even look himself in the mirror and see what he has done? The sad thing here is that he can and he does. This man gets a better sleep at night than all of us out there suffering from his twisted games. Wake up oscar and face reality. This is life despite your many efforts and attempts to make it your own little screwed up world. Get over yourself, and quick, because everyone has cought on to you. No one believes you, not even your own "real" family. How does that make you feel you sick coniving piece of no good scum of the earth jerk off. Do us all a favor and get the help you need. Anyone else out there that has any lies to put up here, read this before you do so, because I know more than any of you.
Posted by: Nick | April 14, 2007 at 04:43 PM
Dear Rob-
You need help- get it... it is for your own good!
P.S. You are a liar, a loser, and EVERYONE knows it... thanks!
Posted by: Emily | April 14, 2007 at 06:08 PM
By DAVID KIBBE
TIMES BOSTON BUREAU
BOSTON - A married, unemployed Hyannis man has been accused by federal authorities of romancing a Virginia woman over the Internet and defrauding her of more than $176,000 through a series of tall tales, including stories that he was captured or missing in Iraq.
In one instance, Rob Mailloux, 50, of 135 Pitcher's Way, posed as his mother and sent the woman an e-mail saying he had been killed in action in Iraq, according to a federal indictment.
"In fact, defendant Mailloux was in the United States during this time," the indictment said.
Mailloux also allegedly claimed that he lived in a $1 million home and had a computer programming business with 15 employees, which the indictment said was not true. The indictment described him as a "man with very limited financial means."
Mailloux was arrested at his home yesterday and led into U.S. District Court in Boston with his hands cuffed behind his back for an initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler.
Mailloux, who told the judge he had served in the Marine Corps, wore glasses and appeared disheveled in faded blue jeans and a gray T-shirt. His lawyer, Jeffrey Higgins, of Chelmsford, told the judge that Mailloux had not taken his medication, including Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug, since the previous day and may have been confused. After the hearing, Mailloux could not stop his hands from trembling.
He was held without bail pending an agreement between Higgins and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz on the conditions of his release. He could appear in court as soon as today for a determination on bail.
"He does pose a serious risk of flight," Ortiz alleged.
Higgins argued unsuccessfully for his immediate release.
Mailloux said he lives with his wife and two stepchildren. Higgins declined comment on the case yesterday before huddling with Mailloux's wife in a courthouse hallway. Higgins told the judge Mailloux's wife was willing to put up her home as collateral for bail.
Mailloux is charged with eight counts of wire fraud. Each count carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $250,000 fine, plus restitution.
He was arrested by Postal Inspector J.P. Kleinberg following an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Detective John Fallon of the Yarmouth Police Department.
The indictment said the Virginia woman, who was identified in court papers only as "Ms. H," contacted Mailloux after seeing a profile he posted on matchmaker.com, an on-line dating service.
Federal authorities said Mailloux wooed the woman over the Internet and the telephone, and at various times posed as his mother and a nephew in e-mails to confirm his romantic interest and ask for money.
Mailloux falsely told the woman he owned a company that developed computer programs, and his company was being sued, and all his assets had been frozen, according to the indictment.
Federal authorities say he told the woman he would pay her back once the lawsuit was over, but he kept saying the case had been delayed. He allegedly told her he needed money for business expenses, his mortgage and legal fees for the court case.
According to the indictment, he induced the woman to wire him $2,132 to buy a laptop computer for his non-existent business; send him her L.L. Bean credit card, which he used to make more than $82,000 in purchases and withdrawals; and wire him more than $45,000 from her Paine Webber Individual Retirement Account.
The indictment said he used her credit card to withdraw more than $2,000 at Mohegan Sun casino on the pretense of paying his lawyer for the story he concocted about his business being sued.
He allegedly defrauded her of more than $176,000 from November 2002 to June 2003.
"Defendant Mailloux falsely represented to Ms. H. that he never gambled and that he only visited the casino because it did not require a Personal Identification Number for credit card cash withdrawals," the indictment said. "In fact, as defendant Mailloux well knew, he gambled regularly and had no attorney handling his 'lawsuit.'
Prosecutors said Mailloux promised to make her a partner and bookkeeper in the non-existent company.
When he failed to meet her as planned in Virginia, he allegedly sent an e-mail, posing as his mother, falsely claiming he was attacked and stabbed by gang members along the way and had his laptop stolen. He asked the woman for more money to replace the computer, according to the indictment.
Federal authorities said his tall tales continued to grow as he tried to avoid seeing the woman. He e-mailed that he had been called to the Pentagon to work on computer operations and was sent overseas, which the indictment said was false.
Posing as his mother and nephew, he continued to ask the woman for money for home and business expenses, the indictment alleges.
"It was further part of the scheme that on or about May 29, 2003, defendant Mailloux, falsely purporting to be (his mother), falsely represented to Ms. H that defendant Mailloux was missing in Iraq, and on or about June 8, 2003, falsely represented that defendant Mailloux's status was shifting from 'killed in action' to 'missing in action' to 'prisoner of war,' while in fact defendant Mailloux was in the United States during this time," the indictment said.
Posted by: Emily | April 14, 2007 at 11:09 PM
I can't believe there haven't been more comments on this site. I know there has to be alot more women out there with something to say. How about you Rob....nothing to say in your own defense??? I know you visit this sight. I hope you have gotten some help...for real this time.
You know living a true and honest life really isn't all that tough, you should try it some time. It's time to man up and get yourself on the right track and try to do something to redeem yourself in the eyes of the people that at one time truly loved you. Yes...maybe it's too late for that, but it's certainly never to late to try. I sometimes wonder if you are capable of loving...or if everyone that has come into your life has simply been a pawn and to you it was all just a game. I know what kind of person you are capable of being...I have seen him...and I loved him...but he nevers stays for long.
Posted by: Madison | April 18, 2007 at 05:09 PM