# Would this scenario be strange to you? ...scam? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 5, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656 "2005-11-05T15:13:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/21 "2005-11-06T15:32:40Z")
My gut says there are some people in New York sitting around laughing their asses off about your friend. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/22 "2005-11-06T19:16:23Z")
[Read this Dope Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=265555&) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/23 "2005-11-06T21:18:33Z")
Maybe she’s from Nigeria. They’re very giving with their money over there. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/24 "2005-11-06T23:15:50Z")
Excellent set-up for a sting going on here. She’s in “big time” law enforcement (read as: don’t bother going to any authorities, I will probably out rank them anyway.) Look at all these wonderful gifts I have given you (actually, a lot of hot air). Oh, by the way, we will need $5000, of YOUR money to get this GREAT deal done, when it’s over you will get AT LEAST $500,000 back, probably more like $1,000,000. What? You aren’t going to put up the money after ALL I have done for you? How can you pass up such a great deal? I thought you were smart. Uh huh. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/25 "2005-11-06T23:37:54Z")
[QUOTE=ccwaterback] Excellent set-up for a sting going on here. She’s in “big time” law enforcement (read as: don’t bother going to any authorities, I will probably out rank them anyway.) Or … you can trust my judgement, I’m on the RIGHT side of the law. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/26 "2005-11-07T00:50:14Z")
excellent search-fu, **even sven**! the situation sounded familiar to me, too, but I had no idea what to search on. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/27 "2005-11-07T13:22:21Z")
Someone’s lying… either the girl or your friend. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/28 "2005-11-07T14:35:06Z")
> [@even sven](#): > > [Read this Dope Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=265555&) I remember that thread! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/29 "2005-11-07T15:08:30Z")
If this isn’t a scam, I’ll eat my umbrella. It HAS to be a scam; people with lots of money do not give it away to random losers they meet in online games. It. Just. Doesn’t. Happen. Ever. The trouble is that once a person gets hooked by such a scheme, they will be quite prone to denial about it all; the scammers will be quite obliging and creative in offering ready-made rationalisations for the poor mark, so that he can say “but… but… this isn’t like that, because she really _loves_ me” or whatever the bait happens to be at the time. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/30 "2005-11-07T16:18:46Z")
I am an internet multimillionaire. I don’t want to reveal my identity, but you have probably all used the website i started. I am worth over $5 billion, and i’m currently contemplating buying houses for all my favourite Dopers. See how easy that was? Seriously, **ParentalAdvisory** , tell your friend that there is still swampland going cheap in Florida if he’s looking for a bargain. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/31 "2005-11-07T16:41:29Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > My gut says there are some people in New York sitting around laughing their asses off about your friend. Right here! 😃 I’ll ask my FBI agent day-trading business owning multimillionare friends if this is legit. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/32 "2005-11-07T16:44:42Z")
I don’t want a house, but I think it would be cool if you could get one of those Mr. Voice guys to do my voicemail message. Think you can handle that for me, **mhendo**? “In a world…where the line between good and evil is blurred…[DeadlyAccurate] isn’t here right now. Leave a message…if. you. dare.” On-topic: If it’s not a scam, this “girl” (is he positive she’s really female?), is a compulsive liar who may be trying to impress him with her power and wealth. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/33 "2005-11-07T18:15:39Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > Besides, how does this person have time to have an upper level law enforcement job, run a business, be a day trader, and play some dumbass game online. All of those things take a huge amount of time and focus. Plus, to have done all this **by the age of 25** is absurd. This is what sets off alarm bells for me. No way anyone in ‘upper-level law enforcement’ just 25 years old, especially if they’re running a side business, day trading and playing online games. I say keep the social security number and bank book under lock and key. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/34 "2005-11-07T18:33:38Z")
Lie…Lie…LIE! Simply put…SOMEONE in this mess is lying. Listed in order of plausability… -This “25-year old girl in upper law enforcement” is lying (Actually, any portion in the quotation marks is doubtable). -Your aquaintance is lying. -The OP is lying (although, for the life of me, I can’t think of any reason why!) There’s simply not enough corks to plug the holes in the story. ---
**Author:** ![Emerald\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Emerald\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emerald_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/35 "2005-11-07T18:47:23Z")
I am a horrible person. I’m fidgeting and pacing, my heart is racing. I can hardly work, and can’t concentrate, I’m so excited. I keep coming back to this thread and clicking refresh every five minutes. I NEED to see the final post, where **ParentalAdvisory** reveals that it was all a lie and we find out that there was no money, no job in law enforcement, no day trading. When that happens, I will grin, I will sigh, I will lean back in my chair in exhultation. I will spin around, jump up and pump my fist in the air in triumph. I will need to take a walk around the block just to calm down. I will feel vindicated, proud, superior, and that long German word that starts with Schadensomething. I will gloat to myself. I will treasure the knowledge that I knew All Along that it was a scam and I am So Smart and would never fall for something like that. I will hold this memory in a special part of my mind, and years from now, I will take it out and caress it like a treasured keepsake. There is seriously something wrong with me. Is there somewhere I could go to get help for this? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/36 "2005-11-07T19:18:01Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > They have yet to meet, maybe talking for about 2 months, and already she’s bought him a new 2006 sports car, pre-ordered, some $20,000 _over sticker_; to have it by the beginning of the year. As well as houses for a select few of his family members. And they’ll be moving into a town house together. See, this is why I could never be a scam artist. I’d underestimate the other person’s stupidity. I’d tone the story down to make it a _little_ more plausible. For example, I probably would have stopped at the townhouse and car. Even people with Rockefeller-sized fortunes don’t usually **buy houses** for “select few” family members of their spouses, much less for family members of _people they haven’t met_. “Come on”, I would say. “Nobody would believe that. It will give away the game.” But if he’s telling the truth, the OP’s friend believed it, and (unless this is a giant whoosh) even the OP is unsure. > [@](#): > > She’s in upper level law enforcement. And I don’t want the government to get all Libby’d on me, so let’s just say that it would be quite obvious to figure out which agency it was. Owns her own business, and day-trades. And she’s 25. Even upper-level law enforcement doesn’t pay that well. So if she’s that rich at 25, she would have to have inherited wealth– **lots** of it. Ergo she wouldn’t need to work a full-time job, own her own business, and day-trade (even assuming she had time for all of the above). In addition, it would probably be a conflict of interest for a person working in “upper-level law enforcement” for the FBI or CIA to do so. Again, I probably would have stopped with the law-enforcement gig. And I probably would have made myself 30, not 25. That’s why my scams wouldn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/37 "2005-11-07T19:47:51Z")
> [@Freddy the Pig](#): > > In addition, it would probably be a conflict of interest for a person working in “upper-level law enforcement” for the FBI or CIA to do so. It’s against FBI policy for agents to own their own businesses. ---
**Author:** ![eviladam\_part\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/da6949/32.png) [@eviladam\_part\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eviladam_part_2)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/38 "2005-11-07T20:47:43Z")
at best, it’s someone playing a cruel joke and nothing will come of it. i’d bet on identity theft or similar scam though. “hey, i’m flying out to meet you, and i lost my wallet and i’m at the airport waiting for a connecting flight. could you western union me some cash for a plane ticket?”, etc that’s a fairly common russian mail order bride scam. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/39 "2005-11-07T21:31:11Z")
I guess I should have more qualified my response. At BEST, it’s a lie (and a poorly crafted joke to pull on someone) At WORST, it’s a scam. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/40 "2005-11-07T22:19:04Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I am an internet multimillionaire. I don’t want to reveal my identity, but you have probably all used the website i started. I am worth over $5 billion, and i’m currently contemplating buying houses for all my favourite Dopers. > > See how easy that was? > > Seriously, **ParentalAdvisory** , tell your friend that there is still swampland going cheap in Florida if he’s looking for a bargain. Your a swell guy **mhendo**. If you need my SS# for any of the messy paperwork i’ll be happy to supply it. Any if you need a certified check sent to you for a couple grand to cover closing costs i’ll mail that to you also. You are getting me a house after all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656.md?page=3)