Manti Te'o's Girlfriend Scam

[TornadoWoman]

We still don't know if Te'o is telling the real story about the scam, but he and his family will be on Katie Couric's show tomorrow to discuss it.  In the mean time....

 

Last week, the story of Notre Dame football player Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend was the talk of the nation. According to Te'o, he never actually met "girlfriend" Lennay Kekua in person, despite numerous public accounts of their relationship. Instead, the "love of [his] life" only existed on the internet.  As the story goes, Te'o overcame the loss of his girlfriend (in the story, she died) to play "valiantly" through the football season. In the end, he found out she never even existed.

Could you fall for such a scam? Every year, countless Americans do just that. "Catfishing," when someone pretends to be someone they are not using social media, can be very dangerous for unsuspecting victims. According to the BBB, "catfish" can use deception to get "romantic attention, personal information and/or financial support."

Manti Te'o wouldn't be the first victim of such a scam, nor would he be the last.  Internet relationships can be dangerous.  I'm amazed at how many victims I've read about, seen on TV, or have actually known, who have fallen for this scam.

http://www.bbb.org/blog/2013/01/catfishing-new-label-for-old-scam/

[Grandma Helen]

I had some guy contact me on a dating site and tell me he was a General in running the troops in Afghanistan.  I reported him to the site and his profile disappeared. 

[TornadoWoman]

When I a receive a message like some of what was in one I received yesterday, I just say to myself "What a crock!"  It's so easy to tell that it's a message sent over and over to many women.  When you have it in your profile that you're not interested in a long distance relationship, and someone lives many states away, and you also say that you're only interested in dating men between 55 and 70, and the man writing lists his age as 38, what are they thinking - either "Sugar Mama" or strictly a "booty call."  Here's just some of what was in that message.  Also, he doesn't even sign it with his name - just "R."

 

"Every once in a great while (and that can be a long time), I am blessed to find a profile that is breath taking, mind blowing...you can feel free to choose a description. As you might imagine, yours is in that  category. It isn't easy to just be yourself and project that in words. You do. Instantly, I could tell you are one of the rare gems. You don't hide behind cliches or provide a long check list of good things and bad. Instead, you put your heart out there and tell readers (and instant admirers) who you are. You have your priorities aligned with goodness, grace, and generosity. Your work is an extension of that. Am I assuming too much from a few paragraphs? Maybe. But that heart and soul is valuable. And must be honored. 

Further, your words are warm, kind, funny, sweet, and intelligent. Your writing and photos are filled with life,  and enormous fun (you seem like a blast to hang out with!). You are exceptionally beautiful as well. I don't want to sound like every other man writing, but you are a stunning, mesmerizing woman. Photos in so many different places and events--and yet that smile doesn't end. Like the most beautiful rainbow. 

It would be an honor to know you. I can't quite say why _____ suggested your profile to read, but, boy I am sure glad they did. I want to learn more."

 

So I sent my usual polite response to messages like this:

"R,  Thank you for writing. Just to let you know, I'm not interested in corresponding with anyone who's not in the Houston area or who's not in my selected age group (see my profile). However, I DO wish you the best of luck in meeting that special someone!"

 

[Grandma Helen]

Long distance relationships with a real live warm person is hard enough.  I'm confused how I'd ever "fall in love" with someone I've never met.  I might find them cute, funny, nice etc, but couldn't fall in love or consider them a boyfriend etc.  I've met any number of guys on these sites that I enjoy joking with or talking with, but it ends there.  This football player is very young so maybe that played into it.  I think he thought it was all real.  How embarrassing it must be for him.