Have you ever doubted a friend online?

At a writing site where I've been a member for 7 years, a woman (?) pulled off quite an elaborate hoax that lasted for about a year, back when I first joined. She was one of my so-called e-friends and popped in at all the right times to offer support. Soon, her story evolved. First, her 13 year old daughter had a relapse of her leukemia and was hospitalized, then died. Everyone rallied around her, while her daughter was hospitalized and when she supposedly died. Then she was in a car accident and she supposedly died. Her son (younger than the daughter) logged into her account to let everyone know. Searches were getting easier and easier over the internet, and no one could find any mention of the accident that was supposed to kill her. And it was soon discovered that "she" was part of an elaborate hoax. Perhaps if some of us had been more internet savvy, we would have realized that her handle was a clue to the fact that "she" was merely spinning tales. I never knew that "woo-woo" was a code for those who also create hoax existances on the internet. And I guess neither did hundreds of people at the writing site who sent cards and flowers to her daughter when she was in the hospital. No one ever said, but I imagine that some people send money as well to help out.

Afterwards, we all felt pretty foolish, and many vowed to never trust another online person again.

I can't be that way. I've always been too trusting and remain so.

If a person treat's me with respect, I do the same..I don't try to figure out the problem's they have with other's. It's not my affair's. They try to blow smoke up my my butt or something like that..Well they are gone..I don't like lier's, I don't like Drama queen's either.=p

Oh, I do not worry about such things.

I have seen these people on every site I've been on. There is always an elaborate story and an endless litany of tragedies. Ultimately they just move on to another site where they can sucker in a new group of people. I believe these people suffer from Münchausen syndrome.

If I am not mistaken, I believe that Munnchausen syndrome would be making people sick to get them well? Or am i thinking of something else.

It's sad but true. I am so skeptical of anything I read online. And only really trust someone when I have associated with them for a long time or have had some contact with them via real world or at least telephone call. I also have a pretty good memory and will google someone or someplace in a heart beat. :)

I've learned to become skeptical of people I meet on line. Heck, some that I became very friendly with went on to later show how nutz they were.
Munnchausen syndrome is where a person makes someone else (usually their child) sick in order to receive the sympathy and attention from others.

Yep...I've made good friends with a couple people out here and then they died.... Right...found out later everything was a hoax. So I take most everything I read anymore with a grain of salt.

I try to use common sence but I do tend to take people at face value and believe what they say

the thing is that I talked to this person many times on the phone, however, now that I am looking back I'm wondering about things that could be inconsitencies in their story. I want to believe them but every time I turned around something bad was happening. I have to say right now that this person has not contacted me since October.....but so many things have happened and I can't verify one single thing. This person has removed me from AIM friends list as well, and I just don't know what to think anymore.
I tend to always believe that people are honest and its my downfall, but this person knew so much about me, things I didn't tell either her or her relative, very private and personal information. This person knew who my former landlord was, could tell me things that no one else could tell me about him, things that were confirmed through a second source and things I didn't ask. But as time has gone on I keep looking back and trying to find anything that would support what she has been through, but the more i try to search the more unanswered questions I have.

I mean something as simple as a large donation to a hospital for cancer patients and cancer research would be made known or easy to research.
Mooch

Mooch

Well, not necessarily mooch, sometimes those things are kept pretty confidential. I've had people treat me the same.....close friends and suddenly they disappear. Don't know why they do that, but it happens. Try not to think about it too much. It's their loss and probably their problems.

There is a friend of some of us here on gather that i am having trouble believing. I have just came in touch with him in the last few days.I am not sure what to think or to trust him or not.I will keep you posted,I think he is to good to be true

hello mooch

yeah, i guess that i have had online friends do me that way in the past before. i do not claim to be a hoax or anything else. i can only spread my time so thin as anybody can do and i know that i still owe you a big favor. i was sick with a virus right before christmas hit and i did not get to finish my holiday shopping what so ever. so i had to go with what things that i did have bought up when christmas day rolled around this year. also i have been working a part time job since the first of october last year, six hours a day and now after the holidays are over with my boss emails to let me know not to come in tuesday morning when the boys go back to school because that his plumbing business is slow. so here i am trying to earn at gather and a few more websites. i really like it here at gather thou. also, my club pogo membership is due again sometime in february and i need to post post post so that i can earn enough money to pay for my own club pogo membership this year.

take care and have a beautiful evening and thanks for letting me know about gather!

anyone who has been on the internet for any amount of time has run into these kind of people.....there was a person i talked to for over 4 years in another county.....he and his wife were coming to see me..... i offered for them to stay in my house..... their tickets had been bought....about two months before they were due to come his conversations became more and more anti american...... red flag went up.....i was quick to tell him....you don't need to be in my house......our four years of conversations ended on a bad note.... but i am an american and proud of it.....nobody knocks my country....

There are always a few that want to take advantage of others.

yes. I have felt that way also. my instincts are usually right.

10 - Wishing you much success in this New Year!