The Beauty of Scammers

 

Ah, my dears, it has been a while since I sat down to discuss the beauty of scammers.

“Beauty?” You ask.

“Yes, beauty,” say I.

Salvador is an excellent example of scammer beauty.  Yes, even a hardened scam hunter such as I may hope that they are wrong when the conversation begins.  The picture of the man may make the heart race a little harder.  Perhaps those first words, that I know are too good to be true, make me wish that they were spoken in truth.  And then the real Salvador emerges and I am forced to snap the trap shut and let him know I am fully aware of his intentions.  And the possibility of trusting anyone on line shrinks a little more.

Here for your reading pleasure is the conversation between this Brazilian, who supposedly now lives a few miles away and, as with all of them, is enthralled with my beauty.

Sal:  Hi

Me:  Hello

Sal:  How are you?

Me:  Excellent.  It’s a lovely day.

Sal:  Ok.  That’s nice.

There is no further contact until the next day.  At 10:22, another message appears.

Sal:  Good morning, beautiful  (This is the point where I wish he was being truthful, but realize he is just another scammer.  Sigh).  How is your day?

Me:  Busy thus far.  (And this is where the scamming truly begins, although many who are not familiar with it would think it is just conversation.)

Sal:  What is your field?  Do you have any kids?  Would love to know more about you.

I can play along, so I do.

Me:  Right now I am retired, or so they keep telling me.  If retired means taking care of disabled relatives, then I suppose I am, indeed retired.  Have two lovely children, a boy and a girl.  Neither have ever gotten involved in drugs or anything vaguely like it and both grew up with kind hearts, but are very independent souls.  How about you?  Any children?  What do you do for work or enjoyment?

Sal:  I’m a professional architect who travels all over the world.  My daughter got married 3 years back.  She is 27 years old and got married to an Australian man.  They both have two beautiful children.  I live alone and am just looking for a serious relationship.  Where are you retired from?

Me:  Never really retired.  Stopped working at resorts in Florida when my husband became ill.

Sal:  (Sadly, this is the worst of many hints that something is off)  Oh, ok, so since then, how are you taking care of yourself.

Me:  I manage.  I am by no means wealthy.  I have two family members to care for with what finances I do have and have little for the fun things in life.  I have a brother, whose life I saved by returning home and getting him to doctors, and a daughter who will always live with me.  

No matter how beautiful I am, he just hasn’t bothered to call back.  Caring for my family never seemed to bother him until I said I used all my finances to care for them.  At that point, all interest was lost, as I knew it would be.

If you have read other articles on scammers on the dating sites, you were able to pick out the signs throughout this conversation that shouted ‘scammer’ and possibly hacker of a real person’s information.  Did you see them?

Remember the little things that give away a scammer:

1. Men always compliment women on their beauty, even if their picture makes them look like Godzilla.  Women do the same for men, except they compliment them on their overwhelming masculinity or handsomeness.
2. Invariably, they work at a job that takes them far from home on a continuing basis.
3. Should you talk more than a couple of times, they will want to know your financial standing.  Some are very gentle about it, such as dear Salvador, but the main thing to remember is they will find a way to get your money or have you cash in stocks and bonds, etc., when they have wooed you to fall madly in love with them.

When these three things appear in any conversation with a person online, the best thing to do is RUN.  Cut that person off permanently from any contact and look further for the man of your dreams.  There is a site named Plenty of Fish, meaning there are more men and women out there, so don’t settle for a man like this one.  He has a life to live and truly doesn’t care whether you live or not!