17-01-2017, 05:13 PM
1
Duped.
In my early internet days I befriended a woman on a Canadian Forum who had cancer. After many months of building up a cyber friendship - not just with me but a few other members as well, she stopped posting.We were worried sick and a week later her son came on the forum to break the news to us that his mum has ended her life - the pain was too much.
I sat at my computer and sobbed.
We had a special commemoration thread to talk about her life and the friendship she brought to us.
A few weeks later, we had honoured her, cried for her & put her to rest with our fondest memories.
The forum got back to normal and a few weeks later the forum chief broke the news to us that this 'dead' member had been trying to join under a different name!
She sent us all emails cursing us and saying she'd done no harm. I guess she was a complete nutter but she fooled me and a few others.
I do tend to take people at face value and even now believe a story until proven false.
How about you?
Have you ever been duped by an internet 'friend'?
17-01-2017, 05:27 PM
3
Re: Duped.
Over the years I have met many people on forums who posted 'stories' that turned out not to be not genuine.Firstly, I think everyone who joins a site is entitled to be given the benefit of the doubt and the validity of their posts accepted until time/experience proves something different .
Secondly and this applies in the main to advice and support given to members, if time demonstrates a member is not genuine it doesn't matter if people have responded to them nothing is lost .
The advice and support may be of use to another person who finds themselves in a similar situation and searches the Internet looking for support
.
17-01-2017, 06:25 PM
4
Re: Duped.
Originally Posted by carol
->
In my early internet days I befriended a woman on a Canadian Forum who had cancer. After many months of building up a cyber friendship - not just with me but a few other members as well, she stopped posting. We were worried sick and a week later her son came on the forum to break the news to us that his mum has ended her life - the pain was too much.
I sat at my computer and sobbed.
We had a special commemoration thread to talk about her life and the friendship she brought to us.
A few weeks later, we had honoured her, cried for her & put her to rest with our fondest memories.
The forum got back to normal and a few weeks later the forum chief broke the news to us that this 'dead' member had been trying to join under a different name!
She sent us all emails cursing us and saying she'd done no harm. I guess she was a complete nutter but she fooled me and a few others.
I do tend to take people at face value and even now believe a story until proven false.
How about you?
Have you ever been duped by an internet 'friend'?
But I have had a friend on a forum who was been stalked online.
One day .. the Admin of the forum announced to us all that this friend had just died unexpectedly.
I confess, I did shed a few tears as he was a good friend and I knew I'd miss him ... and I did make a very open post from the heart saying how sad I was.
And, you've guessed. The next day he rolled up on the forum frantically trying to sort it all out. It had been his stalker.
I wouldn't have minded so much, as I was so relieved and glad he was alive, but some of the members on there took the mickey out of me for days ... and days .. they saw it all as a joke and I'm afraid it all wore a bit thin.
In the end I had to re-evaluate some of those people.
17-01-2017, 06:25 PM
5
Re: Duped.
Originally Posted by carol
->
In my early internet days I befriended a woman on a Canadian Forum who had cancer. After many months of building up a cyber friendship - not just with me but a few other members as well, she stopped posting. We were worried sick and a week later her son came on the forum to break the news to us that his mum has ended her life - the pain was too much.
I sat at my computer and sobbed.
We had a special commemoration thread to talk about her life and the friendship she brought to us.
A few weeks later, we had honoured her, cried for her & put her to rest with our fondest memories.
The forum got back to normal and a few weeks later the forum chief broke the news to us that this 'dead' member had been trying to join under a different name!
She sent us all emails cursing us and saying she'd done no harm. I guess she was a complete nutter but she fooled me and a few others.
I do tend to take people at face value and even now believe a story until proven false.
How about you?
Have you ever been duped by an internet 'friend'?
I have also met some people in reality whom I got acquainted with first on forums, only to discover they were nothing like their forum personality, and not the sort of people I would wish to know in real life. These days I only post on forums to have my say, NEVER to get involved with posters personally.
17-01-2017, 07:05 PM
8
Re: Duped.
Originally Posted by Meg
->
Over the years I have met many people on forums who posted 'stories' that turned out not to be not genuine.Firstly, I think everyone who joins a site is entitled to be given the benefit of the doubt and the validity of their posts accepted until time/experience proves something different .
Secondly and this applies in the main to advice and support given to members, if time demonstrates a member is not genuine it doesn't matter if people have responded to them nothing is lost .
The advice and support may be of use to another person who finds themselves in a similar situation and searches the Internet looking for support
.
Originally Posted by carol
do tend to take people at face value and even now believe a story until proven false.
17-01-2017, 07:09 PM
9
Re: Duped.
[QUOTE=tarantula;1074881].I fell for her tragic tale of woe and parted with the equivalent of £1000 in American dollars to help her out. Suffice to say I later discovered that others had fallen for it too but she was a fake!
[QUOTE]
£1,000 - WOW!!!!!
I didn't think Tarantula could be taken in like that!
If my forum 'friend' had hinted at needing money I would have smelled a rat but at no time did she ask for any.
She just wanted attention. She even posted pictures of a bald headed woman with cancer saying it was herself.
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