Ex Police Offer Scammed, Loses £500k
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Did anyone see this on GMB?
I know I will sound very hard hearted but I just cannot understand how anyone can willingly give up this amount of money and then publicly decry their own stupidity. Why would you give that amount of money away to perfect strangers? She did it not just once, but to two different men! You would think an ex police officer would know better.
I do realise how unsympathetic I sound but I have never been able to understand those who fall for online sob stories, especially in view of the publicity that they engender.
One good thing about not having that kind of money is I can't be scammed out of it. Got to wonder if the publicity is to try to get money back
Yes the kindness of people has shone through time and again during covid and gofundme pages are the norm these days. But in the end the money ends up in the scammers pockets as she will never get it back except by others paying for her mistakes.
I actually admire people who when scammed will speak out (even though it might make them look stupid or gullible) it puts others on their guard, and also prevents perpetrators to continue getting away with it.
I personally know several people who have been scammed, who've done absolutely nothing about it. (they appear more stupid to me),
I also know many other people who think only the stupid get scammed, they usually discover they were wrong the hard way. (or were they actually wrong?).
Just shows that anyone can be scammed. You have to thank her for her courage to admit it happened especially when people speak harshly about it! We have friends who were scammed many many years ago, they were very lucky and got their money back but it’s NEVER mentioned.
Judging by the comments I think it is clear we are talking of many different types of scamming.
I can see that anyone can fall foul of con artists, those who appear to be honest traders where you pay and get nowt, those who tell you they can fix your house or pretend to be giving you a free covid jab but then charge for it.
What I can't understand is falling for someone online and giving them money for no apparent reason but a good sob story.
I havent seen GMB so dont know the facts of that ladies case. However I would agree with you about falling for people online you have never met & sending large sums of money is idiotic. I suspect that often those people are so desperate for love / a relationship they allow themselves to believe it's real. It's sad but stupid. Any relationship that begins with someone asking for money should set your alarm bells ringing surely.
Exactly anyone honourable would not start out on a potential relationship by asking for or giving money. And to do it twice is bonkers.
My first thought on reading the title : Wouldn't it be great to have that much to lose! This officer must be on a fantastic pension!
Then I remembered an article I read, wasn't it money she got when her husband died? Sheer stupidity, falling for flattery...
Yes she apparently got the pay out when her husband died whilst in the service. I assume he died in the line of duty for her to have received that much but they just said on gmb that he died unexpectedly.
I don't expect he would be happy to know the money she got for his death was lost to men online that, as an ex police officer, she didn't stop to think may be suspicious.
Lynibis He is probably turning over in his grave. She can't have wasted any time getting a new partner either!
Lynibis no I didn’t see the tv item but I read a similar headline recently and didn’t bother reading the full article because I thought ‘who on earth would so that’ . Very sad. They say to avoid making any major decisions after a bereavement. Poor lady. Did she managed to get any of the money back?
No not at all, these online scammers are notoriously hard to find and prosecute. Even if they were found there would be no guarantee of getting the money back if it's hidden away in an account somewhere.
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