When Love Turns Diplomatic: My First Encounter with the “Portfolio Box” Scam

By Dana Scully

I’ve been tracking romance scams for a while now, and most of the patterns are familiar: a stolen photo, a fast-moving romance, and eventually a request for gift cards, wire transfers, or crypto. But this one was different. This was my first encounter with what scammers call the “diplomatic package” or “portfolio box” scam.

It started like the others: a man using stolen photos of a well-known doctor, building a slow-burning relationship with me. He never gave the real name of the person in the photos, just called himself “William.” After months of sweet talk and emotional grooming, he finally revealed his crisis: because of “bandits” and instability in the region where he was working, he had to get his personal fortune out of storage.

That’s when the “diplomatic courier” entered the picture.

The Pitch: A Diplomat and a Box of Money

I received an email from someone calling himself Diplomat Michael Gates with the email address unitednationdiplomatic33@outlook.com. The email subject line was simply “Re: Portfolio” – as if this were a legitimate, ongoing business matter.

Here’s what it said:

“Please be advised that in order to clear the portfolio box from the warehouse and begin processing for its release and onward delivery, a payment of $2,950.00 must be made no later than Wednesday. I have spoken with Mr. William, who confirmed that you were the designated contact.”

This was the hook: I was now supposedly the “designated contact” for William’s secret box of wealth. The diplomat emphasized his loyalty and pressed me for fast payment:

“Please confirm when the payment of $2,950.00 will be made so I can begin clearing the portfolio without delay.”

It’s classic advance-fee fraud—but dressed up with the trappings of international diplomacy.

What They Wanted From Me

The second message laid it out even more clearly:

“In order to proceed with delivering William portfolio, we kindly request the following details from you: Full Name, Address, Phone Number, Nearest Airport to You.”

This is where the scam diverges from the “normal” romance scams I’ve seen. Instead of just asking for a transfer to cover hospital bills or a plane ticket, they created a whole bureaucratic process:

• A warehouse fee of nearly $3,000
• Personal data collection (full address, phone, nearest airport) to make it feel like an official delivery was being scheduled
• The impression of urgency and confidentiality (“no later than Wednesday”)

In other words, they were staging an entire fake logistics chain.

How It Differs From Past Scams I’ve Seen

Most of the romance scams I’ve tracked have a straightforward money ask: “send me iTunes cards,” “help me with medical bills,” or “pay for my flight.”

This one was more elaborate. Here’s what made it unique:

1. The Use of an Outside Actor – Instead of just the “romantic partner” asking for help, a second persona (the “diplomat”) was introduced. This adds credibility and pressure, as if multiple people are counting on me to act.
2. The Package Storyline – Instead of directly asking for money for himself, William claimed he was sending me something valuable (a portfolio of cash and documents). My payment was framed as just covering fees to release it.
3. Staged Legitimacy – They used formal language and official-sounding titles like “warehouse,” “processing,” “onward delivery,” and of course, “United Nations Diplomatic.” All of it fake, but enough to sound plausible if you’re already emotionally invested.
4. Bigger Payout Angle – In theory, once I paid, I would receive a box of wealth. This sets up the victim to rationalize the cost: $2,950 seems small compared to a supposed box full of money.

The Reality Check

Once I took a step back, the red flags became obvious:

• Real diplomats don’t deliver personal packages.
• No courier asks for your nearest airport; they deliver to your door.
• Payments for “release fees” are the oldest scam trick in the book.
• The email came from a free Outlook account—not an official organization.

This was not a love story. It was a well-worn scam pattern, just dressed up with diplomatic language and a fake courier service.

Why This Matters

This was my first documented case of a diplomatic package scam, but it won’t be my last. These scammers are evolving—moving from simple gift card cons into elaborate, multi-character dramas that involve fake couriers, warehouses, and fees.

The lesson: if someone you’ve never met asks you to handle a package of cash, or if an email claims to be from a diplomat demanding a fee, it’s 100% a scam.

I didn’t send the $2,950. Instead, I saved the emails, traced the patterns, and I’m sharing this so others know how these scams work.

Behind the Scenes: Why This Looks Like an Organization, Not Just One Scammer

When I first started studying romance scams, most looked like one person behind a keyboard — a single “lover” making up excuses and asking for money. But this “diplomatic portfolio” scheme shows signs of something larger.

1. Multiple Characters – This scam wasn’t just “William.” A second voice appeared — Diplomat Michael Gates — who sent formal emails and made requests. That means either one scammer was juggling two personas or, more likely, multiple people were coordinating. Many romance scam rings operate out of call-center style setups where one group plays “the lover” and another plays “the official.”
2. Structured Process – The emails referenced a warehouse, release process, and onward delivery. That kind of staging suggests a script they’ve used before, not something made up on the spot. Organized scam rings often have ready-made templates for these “diplomatic package” stories, which they adapt for each victim.
3. Specific Payment Target – The fee was set at $2,950. That’s not random. Many organized scam groups have fixed tiers for how much they ask at different stages: small enough to seem plausible to a victim, but high enough to make the scam worthwhile.
4. Use of Free but Semi-Professional Channels – The diplomat emailed from unitednationdiplomatic33@outlook.com. While clearly not a real UN address, the formatting (“unitednationdiplomatic”) shows deliberate branding. Organized rings often register dozens of these lookalike accounts, giving them a pool of “official” identities to use.
5. Operational Geography – These scams are rarely run from where they claim (Iran, UN, etc.). Instead, they’re often coordinated by groups in West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana), Eastern Europe, or Southeast Asia, who’ve built entire underground economies around romance fraud. The level of sophistication here — months of grooming, a courier persona, and a large-dollar request — fits that pattern.
6. Based on the timestamps, the “diplomat” persona was likely working in a timezone around UTC+7/+8 (Philippines, Malaysia, or nearby) — not Africa. The activity matched their late morning work hours, which is the typical shift time for scam call centers in those regions.

Why That Matters

Seeing this as organized crime changes how we respond. It’s not about catching “William Garrett” — he doesn’t exist. It’s about recognizing that this was one case in a conveyor belt of hundreds, all run by groups who train their members, share stolen photos, and recycle scripts.

That’s why this scam felt different. It wasn’t just one smooth talker making up lies. It was a system designed to wear me down, gain my trust, and then slot me into a pre-written scenario where the “diplomat” would take over and extract money.

And that’s why education is key. These groups thrive on repetition and scale. Every time one person learns to recognize the “diplomatic package” storyline, it weakens the scam for everyone.