# 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:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/41 "2005-11-07T22:41:16Z")
> [@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. The bit about the houses is so outrageous that I’d like to hear more detail. The car isn’t real yet, as it’s only been promised via a teleconference supposedly with the dealer. How real are the houses? Are they also promises, or have they moved into them yet? And as others have pointed out, it’s unusual for someone in law enforcement (or any government job) to also own a business (and be a day trader). I work for a private company, and I have restrictions on my outside business activity, so I’d be doubly sure such rules would apply for LEOs. And all that at the age of 25. Possibly if she inherited the business, but otherwise unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/42 "2005-11-07T23:50:23Z")
Since the, “It’s a trick, you fool!” angle has been pretty much covered, there’s something else that should be considered: even if every single thing this woman has told your friend is completely true, there’s something seriously fucked up about her. I got nothing against internet relationships - that’s how I met my boyfriend, after all - but buying a car (let alone a house, let alone _multiple_ houses!) for someone you’ve never met in real life… boy, that just screams “desperate” on so many different levels. She’s rich and powerful and young, but she meets her potential mates on Everquest? And falls so instantly in love with them that she’s willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on them, without even bothering to make sure the other person is who they say they are? No way anyone does that without some serious mental/physical issues in play. I think your friend might be better off with the scam artist: if this woman is telling the truth, she’s almost certainly a morbidly obese burn victim with Tourette’s syndrome, or something. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/43 "2005-11-08T07:25:07Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > I may be the one being played here, but this is what I was told…there is a possibility that I’m being played by my acquaintance, and everybody else he’s told, so enthusiastically (about everyone in our circle). So either he’s pranking us all… I wouldn’t rule out that possibility either. Back in 2000, I think it was, I was active on another message board that had a small, intense membership, mostly women. One of the women claimed that the man she’d been dating had borrowed money from her for something or other, then disappeared, along with her credit cards and as much of her portable, saleable possessions as would fit in the backseat of his car. And now she’d had to freeze her bank account (he had the number) and she couldn’t make rent, and she couldn’t even buy milk for her child, boo hoo! I wasn’t able to help at the time, but most of the other members sent money orders, which were acknowledged. But when asked about how/if she was going to pursue legal recourse, her answers were very vague, and she was gone from the message board in less than a week. Permanently. Emails to her bounced back, and the phone number she’d given was changed to unpublished. That may or may not happen with your acquaintance, but I’d be wary of a similar sob story from him. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/44 "2005-11-08T12:26:02Z")
Yeah… what does Zotti do with _our_ $15 a year? HUH? 😉 [sub]Well, not plastic surgery, that’s for damn certain![/sub] As for the OP: I’ll just agree with the rest here. No way is that true. Is your friend gullible? I dunno. A few years ago, I believed some online stuff that I seriously doubt was real in hindsight. We all live and learn I guess. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/45 "2005-11-08T16:22:20Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > My gut says there are some people in New York sitting around laughing their asses off about your friend. This is what I, and my other friends think as well. > [@Mangetout](#): > > 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. I thinking this as well. > [@DeadlyAccurate](#): > > On-topic: If it’s not a scam, this “girl” (is he positive she’s really female?)… So far I have seen a picture, not too bad if I don’t say so myself. > [@Emerald Hawk](#): > > 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. And it’s possible you may get your wish. But with what I understand now, I’d put it all on black right now if I could. It seems real. I suppose I’m really not the best person to put it into words to make it sound convincing. But if it’s fake, I won’t dissapoint you, **Emerald**. > [@kidchameleon](#): > > It’s against FBI policy for agents to own their own businesses. I did not know this. I want to show this thread to my buddy, but I don’t know if that would be wise. > [@eviladam](#): > > at best, it’s someone playing a cruel joke and nothing will come of it. Yes. But at worst, it’s someone playing a cruel joke, with real consequences if it doesn’t work out. And that would suck (assumming what I’m told is true). * * * You see folks, I agree with what most of you are saying. But if what I’m being told is true, I would really like to know what (if any) ulterior motives there are with this style of courting. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/46 "2005-11-08T16:25:06Z")
> [@Coldfire](#): > > Is your friend gullible? Actually, he’s quite intelligent. I wouldn’t be surprised if he frequented this board. He knows what’s up about your classic spam stuff on the internet, so I’m surprised by this as well. ---
**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 8, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/47 "2005-11-08T16:52:01Z")
Is your friend smart enough to know that no matter how good it may appear that he shouldn’t be giving out his SS# under any circumstances (hey, she needs it to complete the title for the car under his name right?) or forwarding any of his own money to cover any costs (hey she just sent me a check for $30,000, so I sent her one for $3,000. Hey, her check bounced and she just cashed mine. How come she’s not answering my phone calls anymore?) ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/48 "2005-11-08T19:54:59Z")
About 10 years ago while in high school a friend of mine met this girl while on vacation… the two became penpals. This girl apparently had a friend who was moving to our town soon. So she started having this other girl call my friend just to chat it up. My friend… hell I’ll use names… Bill thought this girl seemed pretty cool and decided to have her call our friend Josh thinking the two might hook up when she moved here. So she calls on night while we are all hanging out and we all talk to this girl. She seemed just like a really cool girl we all liked her. Her dad was a real estate developer so she had money. She was also a teen model… Dream come true right? So Josh starts “dating” her on the phone thinking she was moving up here in a couple of weeks. Well the date of her moving to town kept getting pushed back. After a month Josh just ‘breaks up’ with her. During this whole time we are all talking to her regularly. She was so cool and charismatic that our friend Eric then started dating her over the phone. Then the pictures arrived in the mail… Not a model by any stretch. She wasn’t ugly… just very homely. But Eric didn’t care. Then she started making bizarre promises and saying she had just mailed so an so a leatherjacket or a cd player that never would arrive. One day she called me and asked “Did you get the ballons I sent?” “No.” “You were supposed to get them in 3rd period. I already paid and everything.” “Didn’t get them.” After literally 3 months of this the bloom was off the rose and we just started humoring her everytime she called. And she called A LOT. After promising to mailk us all airline tickets to come down to see her I told her “Stop calling. Seriously. Don’t ever call any of us again.” She stopped. Some people just have to lie. ---
**Author:** ![TheBoneyKingofNowhere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@TheBoneyKingofNowhere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoneyKingofNowhere)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/49 "2005-11-08T20:55:07Z")
> [@Emerald Hawk](#): > > 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? 😃 Funniest thing I’ve read on these boards in a long time! ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/50 "2005-11-08T21:29:45Z")
Me-thinks your pal has already given some (too much) personal information during the 3-way call to the ‘dealer’. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/51 "2005-11-09T04:39:56Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > So far I have seen a picture, not too bad if I don’t say so myself. A picture? Um, there are many pictures out there. I had a Peruvian flatmate once who used to cut pictures out of bodybuilder magazines and send them off to Russian mail-order brides. Producing one does not constitute proof that the girl either exists {have you considered that your mate is either bullshitting or playing a joke on _you_}, is fabulously wealthy, or is mind-bogglingly generous to someone she’s never met. As for the “ulterior motives”, it’s either some spotty 17 year old snickering while he fucks with someone’s head {OK, I’d never do it either, but with someone as clueless as your friend sounds one would have to be tempted…}, or he’s going to be forking out on his credit card soon because she’s a _little_ strapped for cash, seeing as how all her liquid assets are tied up in a big share deal which she’s not at liberty to reveal right now, but is going to set them both up for life. What’s the matter, honey, I thought this relationship was going to based on trust? Don’t you _trust_ me? ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/52 "2005-11-09T04:46:38Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > …she’s almost certainly a morbidly obese burn victim with Tourette’s syndrome… A big fat fucking liar, liar, pants on fire, you mean? ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656/53 "2005-11-09T13:14:05Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > A big fat fucking liar, liar, pants on fire, you mean? Now \*that \* was funny. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-scenario-be-strange-to-you-scam/329656.md?page=2)