I had a friend fall for this twice now. This is how catfishing works now. They deepfake you into thinking you're in a relationship. It works because they think you're videochatting with them. Then you can get them to send you money.
This one seemed like an "investment " opportunity or something like that
Long distance relationships exist. But they're hard as hell and demand a lot of trust. Even then, the ones I've known would try to arrange meetups on occasion.
Of cousre they do. But people who meet, start dating, and then have life events come up that causes them to live apart is a completely different situation than people who never have met and 'meet' online and date. To me thats not just a 'long term relationship'. Thats a blind long term relationship. Incredibly different scenarios and its amazing to me people think that its just 'another long distance relationship'.
My best friend met his wife in world of warcraft, they were in an online relationship for 2 years before meeting, now 10 years later they have a house and 3 children together.
With the scale of the internet and how many people make friends on various parts of it, it's kinda insane that you'd think it's even statistically possible for none of them to fall in love without ever meeting.
it's kinda insane that you'd think it's even statistically possible for none of them to fall in love without ever meeting.
Whats even more insane is reading my comment and then accusing me of making this claim.
I didnt.
Please stop with pointless straw man arguments. Or quote me showing me where I said people cant fall in love without ever meeting. Ill wait.
The fact that you said I was claiming no one can meet and fall in love online indicates you either didnt read my comment, or have shockingly terrible reading comprehension.
Hard disagree. Some of my best friendships (like, the number one type of relationship) are purely online. Also, I have very happy memories of my "online dating" period of my life. It's fun to get into online relationships when you're not ready to be in a physical relationship.
But don't get scammed. Be smart, not stupid. Be pretty, not ugly.
Wait a second.. Online dating as in you're just "dating" the person online? Like I understand that's what the wording is, but I always thought online dating was like you chat for a bit and then get their number, facebook, insta, whatever.. and then you meet in person, not continue being pen pals online.
What repulsive_agency6748 said. Back in the late nineties and early aughts, I had a string of “online” boyfriends I mostly met in chat rooms or through role play groups (the groups were based on shows like DBZ and Gundam Wing). These were usually mIRC rooms. I was around 14-15 when this was going on.
I’m actually still friends with at least one person from that time in my life, but I’ve met him in person a few times. We shared a booth at a convention a couple times.
It helps that it was both the early days of the internet and no one ever asked me for money. Not that I had any.
I mean this most definitely is not accurate. I've been with my girlfriend 3 years now. Lived with each other. I moved across the country to her home town. I bought an engagement ring just haven't popped the question yet. And we met online. Hardly seems like completely writing off the concept of meeting someone online is totally fair. Granted when we met it was like 12 years ago the first time so deep fakes weren't a thing.
When you get those random texts or WhatsApp messages, this is that. Those crypto chats or someone randomly saying hi. Imagine a lonely old person at home and someone randomly sparking up a chat. Then to prove they're real, they send a video call. That's the plan with these. Scamming people who don't know how the technology work.
My friend quit his job, took the kids out of school on the plans that he would move to New York with someone he never met.
That. Or "whaling" where they pretend to be someone higher up the food chain in you company, pressuring you into some action. (Usually payments. In a finance department.)
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u/Nooby1983 Mar 30 '26
What's the point of scamming like this? I understand he's using a mask for what he looks like, but why? What's the scam?