feeling distressed. The internet is a place of death and suffering. She wouldnât want to go on a social networking site for anything in the world.
Silvia
The protagonist of this story does not want to give her real name. Sheâs a young woman of 32 who in the spring of 2016 received a friend request from a forty-year-old Frenchman, a handsome guy who said his name was Henry Dupont. Weâll call her Silvia:
«He messaged me immediately on Messenger - says Silvia - telling me I was his type and heâd fallen in love with me. He put lots of little hearts and kisses, he wrote sweet things to me. I felt a little uncomfortable, because his zeal seemed excessive, considering that I barely knew him. In fact, I didnât know him, Iâd only seen a picture of him, which although nice, was not very meaningful for me as to who this person was.
So, I ignored him for a couple of days. I didnât want to be invaded like that in my private life by unsolicited affection.
Henry contacted me again, I answered out of politeness. I read his loving words and meanwhile I thought that perhaps I was acting unfairly towards Gianni, my companion who I hadnât been getting along with very well lately. We were arguing for every silly little thing and going out together less often than before».
Henry turns up online again every evening, he talks to Silvia and tells her about his life. He tells her heâs a widower with two children, a boy and a girl. Then he touches on the very sad topic of his wifeâs death which happened several years earlier. He speaks to her of his loneliness, with two small children to bring up without their mother. He sends her touching photos of the children with their daddy (a sad and disconsolate man!). Silvia very correctly informs him that she already has a companion and is not interested in other affairs, especially with people she doesnât know directly. But Henry doesnât desist, he sends her more pictures with flowers, beating hearts, endearing little teddies and phrases full of tenderness.
Silvia is cautious, and this can be deduced from her words. Sheâs not a woman who is used to making light-hearted decisions. If she did, she would feel guilty towards her companion because, although their relationship is a little difficult, sheâs aware that he doesnât deserve to be cast aside.
The womanâs resistance to Henry is effective, however her slightly veiled initial interest increases day by day. After all itâs unusual to be the object of so much attention and affection. There is reason enough to be flattered.
One evening Henry writes to her that the following day he will fly to Ivory Coast, where his family has a real estate business. Silvia wishes him a pleasant journey.
For two days she hears nothing from him. Then he starts writing to her again spending time chatting online to her. He tells her that those moments are the only peaceful ones of his day. He isnât happy in the environment around him. In fact, he doesnât go out at night, he doesnât mix with anyone and above all he doesnât trust anyone because heâs in a dangerous place. The roads are lined with prostitutes, robbers, pickpockets.
One evening he tells her heâs chatted to his daughter. Sheâs sent him a kiss writing: âSMACK!â in large letters. Silvia is moved by this and smiles. She tells him itâs beautiful having such affectionate children.
After the roses and flowers, we can expect an ill-fated event
Contact between Henry and Silvia is interrupted for about ten days. She doesnât get in touch with him. After all, apart from the flattering declarations of love, sheâs not really interested in him. Or at least, sheâs not interested enough to go looking for him or get worried about his absence.
Henry suddenly gets in touch again, telling her heâs been mugged shortly before returning home. Without beating about the bush, he asks her to help him out with some money, because heâs been left high and dry. He has nothing. He tells her the details of the armed robbery that heâs suffered at the hands of two thugs. Frightened of being killed Henry gave them everything he had on him: his wallet, his credit card, his gold watch.
Silvia answers that she is sorry. Henry insists on asking her to send him money. She doesnât have money and tells him so, but Henry continues to describe all his trials and tribulations. He says he has nothing, not even the minimum to be able to eat. Silvia advises him to make a complaint to the police. He answers heâs already done that, but all the same, heâs still without any resources. Only she can help him.
«No.» replies Silvia. «I donât have money to give to anyone. I can barely cover my own expenses!»
«Youâre heartless!» the man rants, «I need the money for my children!»
So, she starts questioning him. The usual questions that would come to mind to anyone. She asks him where his relatives in the real estate business are. She wants him to explain why his children are in Ivory Coast and not in France.
Henry gets cross, he tells her she hasnât understood a thing of what heâs told her. He makes excuses for his contradictions. Then he changes tone and asks her for a lower figure. A thousand euros will suffice. «Can she send whatever she can! Heâll pay back every cent.»
Silvia interrupts the conversation. Embittered she does some research and discovers heâs a scammer.
She was about to fall for it too, but in this case, sheâs always kept a level head. She didnât let herself be enchanted, a little thanks to her personality, a little because basically that unknown man never really seemed completely convincing to her. To be precise, letâs say the romantic talk on his part was fake, there never was any on her part.
Daria
«It happened to me as well. Two months of really loving letters and sweet words that any woman would love to hear».
This is how Dariaâs story begins; she calls the person who scammed her a shady individual. She says she used to think these things happened to old-age pensioners or to little naïve, lonely women, and she specifically uses derogatory phrases to define the individuals in this story, because sheâs full of contempt for herself. She feels stupid, with no excuse, just a poor, weak woman. Daria tells her story on Massimo Cappaneraâs blog, the clinical psychologist who is an expert on web scams and invites people to tell their stories of what happened to them, so those reading are warned and donât fall into the same trap.7
I spent two months living in the clouds
Marcello says heâs Italian when he approaches Daria. But from how he expresses himself, itâs clear that heâs not. She points out that his written Italian is not very good, and he justifies it by explaining that he was born in Italy, but his mother is German. His father died when he was a child, and on the death of his father, his mother decided to relocate to Great Britain where they lived for many years.
Daria speaks several languages and she tells him to choose whichever he prefers: Spanish, English, German.
«Iâm a widower, and I have a twelve-year-old daughter - he explains - I travel a lot on international business. I take my little girl and the baby sitter with me because I donât like leaving
