Romance scams

I remember that case, Witzend. What is even more awful is (as I recall it) that the poor young woman was pregnant - by the man who had tricked her. It was his intention to kill them both, along with blowing the plane out of the sky. I've wondered about her (& her child) too....

RosieandherMaw

OldFrill

Smileless2012

Just seen this featured on 'Rip Off Britain' with the usual advice being given, but surely all that needs to be said is never send money to someone you've met online and never met in person.

If only life was that simple eh.

Why isn’t it?
We’ve all lived a good few years, possibly kissed a few frogs whether or not we found a prince,but we’re hardly innocent maidens.
Common sense is just tat, surely?

I actually did kiss a frog years ago.

To be fair it was one of the school Dads dressed up as a frog for a Bastille night. 🐸

Davida1968

I remember that case, Witzend. What is even more awful is (as I recall it) that the poor young woman was pregnant - by the man who had tricked her. It was his intention to kill them both, along with blowing the plane out of the sky. I've wondered about her (& her child) too....

Oh, even worse.

I wonder how she is now?

And I hope he never sees beyond prison walls again.

Hindawi got sentenced to 45 years in prison but was paroled after 26 years.
Why?

I married a frog who initially seemed like a Prince. It didn’t last dear reader. I saw the light quickly but did thst thing so many women do. I tried harder, in the mistaken belief he’d respond by ceasing to morph into a frog. It didn’t work, how could it.
I packed my bags and was very careful who I kissed thereafter, I found my prince 💙

Iam64 🙂

I guess loneliness plays a big part in this. Someone giving you attention and listening to you over a period of time. Vulnerable and lonely people can be easy targets.
I sometimes despair when I hear it’s happened again after all the warnings. In saying that I do not know the state of mind the vulnerable person is in so who am I to judge.
My heart does go out to them.

RosieandherMaw

OldFrill

RosieandherMaw

We" all aren't the same. There are some incredibly emotionally vulnerable people who can be taken coerced and controlled. Often these people seem anything but vulnerable to family and friends. It's really not a joke, it's very sad

Nobody has ever suggested any jokes are involved. Clearly there are emotionally vulnerable people of all ages, but the advice is applicable to all.

Look at what you wrote, "frogs,Princes,Innocent Maidens" all very "ha-ha" on what is a very sad topic. .

Oh for heavens sake - talking about kissing a few frogs before finding a prince (or not) - what is your beef with that Old Frill ? I imagine most of us have been there, done that except maybe some who’re still working their way through frogs .
That’s life.

Innocent maidens - again what is your problem. Having reached the years of discretion (hopefully through a few decades of indiscretion ) I think it is safe enough to say that innocent maidens we are not.
What happened to “lived experience”?
No I don’t feel offended at your criticism perhaps bemused and thank you Iam for your concern, but if I can’t say what I feel on this site with impunity, it’s not for me.
Perhaps that was the intention?
Just one thing - I won’t be bullied,

You asked me a direct question, l responded. You took exception to my saying it wasn't a joking matter and l responded by indicating where I'd interpreted you being jokey
There are one or two on this forum I ignore and they ignore me. We can't all get along and that seems a fair solution. With respect I'll add you to that list.
I'd be grateful if you did likewise.
Happy Days.

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

Well 7Kabalee you tried and failed to disrupt all the threads last night so I m surprised you’re still on GN
We’ll see what they have to say
REPORTED

With respect I'll add you to that list.I'd be grateful if you did likewise
Happy Days
Chill, Frill 🕊️.

Sheesh - this is a forum for older women, most of us are grannies. I wonder how we help our grandchildren negotiate the ups and downs of life at school, without cutting someone off, flouncing, taking umbrage 🙈

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002mbxt
A very good podcast on various scams.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgmn7vdpy0wo?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark
after40yrs of internet stupid people

.

Witzend

El Al have been the safest airline to fly with for many many decades now, as their security is so tight.
.

There is so much information available around now about scams it's a shame that somehow there are still people getting scammed. I signed up to the Which scam alerts email that alerts people to all new scams that are emerging, it's free and well worth signing up for.

That being said I would add that anybody can fall for a scam and it is nothing to do with intelligence, I almost fell for one a couple of years ago, the scammers are so innovative these days.

I agree! They even sound foreign and if writing grammar is usually poor. My dad always said 'Beware if it sounds too good to be true it probaby is! You just cannot be too careful these days. A very elderly friend got sucked into that. She was flattered and liked the attention 'these' fake people' gave her on FB. Gave them her phone number! She really thought they were coming over to see her... I told her it was a scam but she would hear none of it... gave up and contacted her family.. now not on FB or anything phone calls go through a screening system.. Sad that this is our society now.

I used to have a friend M, living alone and having inherited money from both parents...she met someone online and in a few weeks I couldn't stop her talking about him!
I remember I felt very dubious and said to her "This isn't a lending-money relationship, is it?"

I went on getting more worried, but the end of it was, she broke off the relationship with me!
I've never heard any more but often wonder....

I'm on FB and Insight Timer. On both platforms I get 'friend requests', always from men I don't accept any of them, even if they're people I actually know! Mind you, while my relationship with my late husband was one of equality, there's no way I'd embark on another. I value my independence.

RosieandherMaw.
Sorry but I think OldFrill is right. We read and post on this site as we feel at the moment/having read a post. Diffirent opinions are voiced - but they are not to be taken to heart/or offence taken.
Iam64 - spot on! Well said.

Paddington1914

RosieandherMaw.
Sorry but I think OldFrill is right. We read and post on this site as we feel at the moment/having read a post. Diffirent opinions are voiced - but they are not to be taken to heart/or offence taken.
Iam64 - spot on! Well said.

I think what Iam64 might have been saying was that what OldFrill said ie:
There are one or two on this forum I ignore and they ignore me. We can't all get along and that seems a fair solution. With respect I'll add you to that list.
I'd be grateful if you did likewise.
was really not what mature people should be doing ie:

I wonder how we help our grandchildren negotiate the ups and downs of life at school, without cutting someone off, flouncing, taking umbrage 🙈
As it is not a good example to our grandchildren.

That's how I read it anyway, apologies to Iam64 if I've misunderstood.

Paddington1914’ looking back, it’s clear I cross posted wuth rosiesmaw. My comment was in no way meant to criticise her

To add, I’m often surprised at offence taken in response to a fairly innocuous comment, but we are all different.

I watch Scam interceptors and subscribe to Which? scams. These folks have an opinion that we are all rich and fair game.

One lady said she had given them just £165 (approx) and they told her she must have some more to "protect" and we heard him getting pretty abusive that she was lying to him. They had called back to try again, when the interceptors got hold. They spoke to the scammer and asked him if he was ashamed, and he actually said that we in the UK could afford it.
I think that the romance scammers think the same, including the ones who actually want to use the relationship to get into the country. How many delusional/fragile/lonely older women are gently and persistently persuaded that this Greek Adonis loves them for themselves rather than their money, their home and their lifestyle? Perhaps if we were more involved in our friends/families/neighbours this might be less likely, do we think?

Who'd have thought Sir Tom Jones needed £500 to get his car mended before he could visit someone in Wales?