Email
October 27
Just thought I would drop a line as a warning to everyone regarding a well-known dating website and scammers.
I am a lady of a certain age who has never even entertained the idea of using a website to find new friends or perhaps more.
During lockdown, I felt down, unsure of myself and one of my friends said why don’t you join and have a laugh and a chat, it will cheer you up.
Anyway, with a little help from my friend I was up and running.
The matches started to come through and I thought this isn’t that bad and chatted back and forth. Then they asked for my email address and WhatsApp details.
Most were on contracts working abroad, being held up because of the lockdown. They all wanted a relationship, offering marriage and talking about their children, like me their partners had died.
They wanted to come and spend time with me, once lockdown was over which I panicked about, but it was nice waking up and having a message to read and just feeling part of something.
We chatted in general about all kind of things, music, and life but sometimes it felt you were talking to two different people, the wording was off.
Then after a few months, one said the machinery had broken down and he had the money but was short of €7,000 and could I help?
Another with another machine problem asked me to transfer €2,800. And there were more all asking eventually for money.
I am not a silly woman by any means, I just felt vulnerable, hurt and thought how could these people do this to others. I felt like sending a message saying “Well done, you were good, you nearly had me!”
Personally, I was strong enough to see what was happening and just cut them off, but some women might go along with it and give them money or anything they asked.
Am I still on the website? Yes, but as soon as they ask ‘What are you looking for?’, you know and then I block them. One actually asked what my favourite food was, I said “Italian, Indian, etc. he came back saying, “fried rice”.
Obviously, there are genuine people on the website, who just want to talk, have a laugh and perhaps get together for a coffee but I have to say I have had my fair share of scammers.
I am sure it also happens to men as well.
Name withheld
