this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2024
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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Just found out a neighbor (man in his 60s) was being love scammed. Relatives have been warming him for six months it's a scam.

Now he's spent all of his savings and he's been evicted.

I have some sympathy, but I can't help but think his pig headedness is a big contributor here.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Happened to my FIL and it wasn't even over the internets. Real life.

She even forged his will.

Regarding your neighbour's pigheadedness. The scammers target people with those personality traits, they test for it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'm curious - what are the personality traits and how do they test for it?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

ignorance, pigheadedness, gullibility, sexism.

They will look like an obvious scammer so it weeds out the ones who know about scams.

They tell obvious lies and see if the other person will let the lie pass. They test to see if the victim, if male, is sexist, a sexist victim doesn't think they can be outsmarted by a woman. They play victim. They flatter. etc etc

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Interesting. Well I just found out this guy has been scammed by a phillipino woman before. Guy bought the woman a farm in Thailand then she dumped him.

So this is actually round 2 for being scammed. At this point I want to believe it's some kind of mental illness.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

It would take a certain personality to believe that a random international internet stranger who is much younger, very good looking, flirty and generous with flattery would develop an instant adoration and sexual attraction for someone they’ve never met.

I think there might be a subgroup of victims who fall for it out of loneliness, even if they may suspect something is not right they continue because it’s respite from their loneliness. But sounds like your neighbour is not in that group, and just has a lot of ego.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Sometimes people are just very lonely. Combine that with naivete and pride and you have a very vulnerable person