THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS DESIGNED TO STOP EMBARRASSMENT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS, IF AN ON-LINE NO-CONTACT ROMANCE IS TAKING PLACE – WHAT ARE THE DANGER SIGNS?
It can happen to anyone, at any age!
The sad loss of a spouse or partner with years of love and devotion.
What can fill the gap once the hurt of loss begins to ease, with the passing of time?
Some people cannot be alone, they need that “other half” to boost their lives. Lots of people are totally capable of interacting in real life with others, and adapting their lives to take in new relationships, whereas others will hide behind closed doors, and solace themselves with the internet, and the promise of long distance romance and relationships with unseen or unknown persons, as they feel it is safer to have people held at a distance to begin any relationship.
Many internet sites have on line introductory services, where the user is completely at the behest of the service vetting those who advertise on it.
This is where a problem lies, with false adverts and client photos not being the actual person you think that you are talking via messages, or relating to on line.
Your new friend is often based overseas, so that easy contact physically is no good or hard to achieve, but they keep painting a rosey future together, often with risque photos that they say are them, to entivce you in to their plot.
You will be receiving praise and promises of a full lifestyle change with benefits, and this will soften your thought process over a period of weeks or months, dependent on the skill of the person on the other end, and your own gullibility in believing them.
Then the hard calls start – “I want to meet you, but I have no transport, or money for air fares. I have a sick relative that will need care while I am visiting you and I cannot afford it.”
All very believeable in the way they spin their hard luck story after they have lined you up over a decent time of interaction, and you then send an amount of money over to them, usually by an untraceable international money transfer service, so that the person is free to travel on a pre-planned date in the near future.
They plan the date for travel, and you are eagerly anticipating finally meeting your new loved one, and then a sudden emergency arises – the ill relative has taken a bad turn, is going in for an immediate operation, and they have no medical expenses cover.
This will be the first “big hit.” If you fall for this one, then you will receive more requests for larger problems down the line, all promising that you will be repaid when they arrive to see you, all taking huge amounts of your savings as payment for various pleaded needs.
If you eventually click that something is wrong, all contact suddenly freezes – phones go dead, internet contact and mails are blocked – they’ve got your cash, thanks, good bye sucker, on to the next one !
And now – the sheer embarrassment, and realisation of how much in monetary terms has been lost forever. have you lost your savings, your childrens’ inheritance, your home, have you taken bank or credit card loans out in the belief they would be repaid? You would be amazed how many people do all of these things, thinking that they will find love !
There are many safer ways to re-kindle relationships if you lose a long term partner – so do not fall for the internet romance scams!!
Next week – credit and mail fraud avoidance.