Chapter Ten

Scam Alert – Good-to-Know Information

Everyone says to be careful when you get involved in online dating. Over the years I’ve found little “tidbits” which might have signaled to me that Eric might not be exactly who he said he was. Even so, all along my heart ruled my head so I looked past these things. According to datingNmore.com, here are a few tips that “THEY MIGHT BE A SCAMMER IF…”

• Their last names are usually Cole , Moore, Smith or Williams.

• They say they are “God fearing” and search for “God fearing.”

• They claim they are honest and caring.

• They immediately want to get off the website and onto Yahoo IM or MSN IM.

• Their grammar is not consistent with how Americans speak.

• They give you a phone number but it’s typically a calling card or a call center; you can rarely get them on the phone.

• A majority of them claim to have lost a spouse/child/parent in a horrific traffic accident or airplane accident or if any of the above are sick or in the hospital.

Reflections:  If you can’t see the whites of their eyes, stay away! If I had seen this list before we started “dating”, I might have been a little more cautious. No one told me to be wary of online predators…no one told me that widows were targeted by scammers. Why would I EVER suspect that someone would not tell the truth? My pictures were real. My information was honest. Look out – naïve, trusting Pollyanna here!