Anybody else received this private message?

I received a PM from someone named CAllred1.
I blocked him/ her/it, as I don't remember anyone of that name posting on here before, and did not want a private conversation.

I expect she is still blushing!

There was one lady on a thread who addressed me as Angus and said she would love to meet up if I wore my kilt!

Think I may have cooled her enthusiasm when I explained my username and I was a female. Never did see her name again on any subsequent threads ?

Not even any from lovelorn maidens from furrin parts desperate to fly in and meet you? You'd be buying the ticket, natch.

I haven’t received any of these PMs but as others have misread my username and called me ANgus no surprise ?.

He thinks old ladies will believe any old drivel. Clearly hasn't met many.

He PMd me too Jane10, definitely suspicious but from what he said I don't think it was money he was after! He mentioned 'the other thing'!

Would never have expected grooming on Gn of all places! Maybe he thinks we are all sad old ladies.

I just received a PM from someone called alexliniking. I was very suspicious and have blocked him. I think he was a 'he' as he opened the message 'Hello my dear'.
Anyone know this person?
If you are this person and aren't actually suspicious please reply on this thread. I don't want to take up your offer of a private conversation.

Apricity, thank you for the compliment.

Intelligent and successful career women, can have deep insecurities, that make them vulnerable to scams like this if they are played cleverly enough. Often what they respond to is not the internet scams, but charming attractive men who come into their lives, treat them well, with dinners and holidays and then ask for the loan etc etc.

Monica has put it very well (as usual) but it is not only credulous or desperate women who get sucked in. There have been a number of articles in the Australian media citing intelligent women who have handed over huge sums of money to these scammers. They are deeply ashamed and embarrassed about their gullibility and also the loss of very significant sums of money. The victims are often reluctant to report the scam to the relevant authorities for these reasons. The scammers are very, very skilfull groomers who identify and use the individual's personal vulnerabilities. It is easy to scoff at the absurdity of it all but do not underestimate how clever the groomers are at their job. The groomers are often a team of workers and not just one person.

Just delete and block any unknown 'friend' requests on FB or emails or messages on Messenger. Do not engage with them in any way including making 'jokey' responses.

If Tom wanted money from me through that post, hard cheese Tom, I haven’t any ?

What is it they dont get from us? Why do they do this,? Seriously I'm puzzled.

annep, The people behind these scam letters are fraudsters wanting to get money from us. That is also the reason that they do what they do, to get money.

They work by appearing in our inboxes pretending to be men in middle life doing seemingly exciting interesting, and well paid jobs, but because they have always on the move, the archtypal 'rolling stone that gathers no moss', they have never married had children etc. Now they want to find that 'special lady' .

They pose as men of middle years to attract credulous and, possibly lonely middle-age-plus women, who may be lonely, newly divorced, with some money, or women with careers who have savings and own houses. They lead them up the garden path by developing an interest in them, essentially grooming them, in the same way paedophiles groom children, but what they are after is money not sex.

At sometime in the relationship, they will arrange, for example, to fly to London to meet their target, but at the last minute say that they were mugged and the money stolen, or they had problems transferring money and could the target wire them the air fare money as a loan with a promise to repay. Then bit by bit, pound by pound, they will try to bleed the victim of all her money.

Most of us have the sense to treat these letters with the contempt they deserve, ignore them and block the sender. Sadly, a few, a very few, of the more credulous or desperate women will fall for it, and do not just lose their money but their trust in themselves, their self-esteem and personal respect. It can lead some women caught this way to suicide.

Yes, I have had that same message! Hopefully no one has fallen for it!

Aah I see now. Goodness it would be so easy for some to fall for this kind of thing. There are so many ruthless people out there.
Thanks Elegran

"She told me her age was five and twenty
Cash in the bank of course she'd plenty
I like a lamb believed it all
I was an M-U-G
At Trinity Church I met my doom
Now we live in a top back room
Up to my eyes in debt for "renty"
That's what she's done for me."

Elegran they will be very unlucky because the dosh is in my head!

Stand by, Charleygran! After that post you will be a magnet for PMs from lonely widowers!

Damn, my computer has been out of order for nearly 2 weeks so I have missed out. Of course I would lend the money- what else am I going to do with my pile?

annep, It could be about money. After establishing a cosy correspondence, getting more and more affectionate until they are saying that we are the best thing that ever happened to them, wish we could meet etc. etc. they tell us that they will be in our country and we can meet up at last! Then they report that something has happened to stop the plan, and they have to pay out £XXX to sort it out. Unfortunately their bank balance is temporarily a bit low at the moment (they will have a plausible explanation for that) so could we lend it to them until we meet? If we are daft enough to transfer the cash using bank details, that is the last we hear from them, and our bank account could be cleaned out.

Or it could be someone who wants entry to Britain as a spouse, chatting us up until we are longing to see them, they come here on a visit with an legitimate address to quote if asked where they are staying, and then either charm us into marrying them or disappear once their visitor visa expires.

Or they may just be exercising their "charm" to get an international harem of virtual girl-friends to boast about.

What is it they dont get from us Elegran? Why do they do this,? Seriously I'm puzzled.

I'm another one who has not been chosen, instead I've had yet another call telling me there is a problem with my Internet. I've left them hanging on while I go to check my router!

I suppose if they get a one in a thousand response rate, it is worth having the other nine hundred and ninetynine binned. The philosophy is "If you don't ask, you don't get". We just have to make sure they don't get it from us.

I blocked him immediately, his name is the only name listed as blocked .

It doesn't block all senders, only the person you wish to block.
Once you have received an unwanted message and you have opened it, you then have the option to block.
After I reported a spam post, I had to block a specific sender who was harassing me for daring to report him. I'm still receiving PMs from others.