With all the appalling violence that has been rained down upon us, I have another issue to add to the list of social ills: scammers. They slither and worm their way into the lives of the most vulnerable, causing irreparable harm.
I am an administrator of a widow and widowers group, which provides worldwide outreach to those who are bereaved. Our group, as of late, has become inundated by duplicitous scammers.
Masters of deception, it takes a keen eye to weed out their spurious claims. Stolen photographs of women are used by men posing as woman to enter the group. Some pose as newly bereaved. Most grievous is a narrative detailing their spouse’s death and the pseudo grief they are suffering.
Members of our group will offer support and that’s where the fishing expedition begins. The charlatans will try to get private telephone numbers with various ploys and tactics. Because bereavement is a lonely business, some widowed folks are bilked out of a sizable amount of money.
Those who use Facebook or dating sites have been exposed to scam artists. These individuals will catfish folks with a false identity and trick them into a romantic relationship.
I can spot scam artists immediately on Facebook. Some are not very bright. They use the same “come-on” and profile. Posing as military officers, doctors, or pilots, they flatter with “Hi, pretty” or “You have a beautiful smile” or beautiful something or…
