People Never cease to AMAZE me. Stay safe.

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I am glad you were able to get out when you did. How sad people groom others in this way. Leaping on their good nature. Then you are accused of being awful if you smell a rat. I was recently nearly had myself by a sob story. I am an intelligent person. I managed to just spot it in time like OP. Something just didn't sit right with something they said and I checked it. Good reminder that there are bad people out there. Awful the others cast you out by just suggesting it didn't seem right though.

 

[tinkerone]

I learned years ago that you can't believe everything people tell you. I have a close friend who does and I have nicknamed her Pollyanna, she finds that amusing. She's a good and kind person but I can't tell you the number of times she has come back to me and said, 'you were right'. I find it very hard to believe if the story smells at all off. I question everything.

Its sad that people would do this. She has to be a very sick person to want to get that type of attention and to make others look bad if they don't want to buy into the stories. I have seen others like that, she's certainly not alone. The damage she did on that cruise, well, I shake my head. Maybe though some of the believers will learn a lesson from it all. That would at least be a good outcome. So sorry that this happened to you. Sounds like you had a better cruise than some of the others though so theres that.

 

[ECH37]

I don't consider it heartless to suggest someone mourn something personal on their own with their actually friends and family. When I'm on vacation with my wife and daughter I have no concern to have a mourning cake for someone I have never met or known. I'd find that strange.

I have noticed, from going on cruises just how different people can be. Growing up in the northeast (Boston) I feel most people here tend to be a little more cynical in general and seem to keep to themselves more, where others I've met on the cruises from other areas seem more social and friendly/talkative. Some people like to assume the best in others, which is admirable, but unfortunately may also leave them prone to being taken advantage of as well.

 

[phinz]

Just because a few think your wrong, believe in what your saying for the common good, all too often the correct voice is drowned out by so called self appointed experts.

I agree. Boorish know-it-alls can be very tiring.

 

[Jennifer777]

I would never go have cake with someone I have never met, to mourn someone I have never met during a vacation with my family, and that says a lot, because I'm not usually one to turn down cake. Good call OP.

 

[JW9DVC]

btw, is the timing of this thread and some other thread just a coincidence?

Do you have a link to other thread?

 

[JW9DVC]

I agree. Boorish know-it-alls can be very tiring.

I was told my words were bullish, lol.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I was told my words were bullish, lol.

Never ever let what others say or post about you effect you, focus on the fact you were correct.

Some form friendships and blindly support each other, when they haven't looked into true facts. Some may gang up, that's thier issue not yours, personally I think they will regret their actions now.

Keep your principals, you were correct, do not let those words eat you up.

 

[JW9DVC]

Thanks for sharing. In what context did she ask anyone's credit card info?

That was just what I understood from others that were still in the FB group. Again I wasn't prevy to it all as we were kicked out.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

That was just what I understood from others that were still in the FB group. Again I wasn't prevy to it all as we were kicked out.

Kicked out?

Wow they were really taken in, weren't they? Some have that effect. They can say anything and people believe them 100%.

 

[JW9DVC]

Here is a screen shot from a person she be friended. I removed the person that was scammed, this is her story. If others were on this cruise and missed it. Now you know.

 

[Allison]

I've seen it happen here, unfortunately. Big stories about difficult pregnancies, heart conditions, cancer, losing a child and it was all a scam. Those that tried to warn others were called heartless and mean until the scam was exposed.

It is a terrible thing for people to do.

 

[bumbershoot]

This woman faked her mothers death and situation in genera, attempted to get credit card information from these new friends and should honestly seek some sort of medical treatment in my belief. it was reported later right after the cruise that she had ruined some of her new close friends birthday celebration at Palo. She was invited and or pushed herself into the mix.

I'm glad you weren't, ultimately, taken in.

people who do this do not care or understand the effect.

People who do that WANT the effect.

And there are liars IRL, of course. I grew up with a girl from a fabulous family but who just lied about everything. Stole random things from the store (a gallon of milk? really? we were 10.), lied about things she had done with boys (we were 10 still, come on), etc. I went to a different school for 4th grade, just a couple towns away, and she told everyone I was across the country, she wrote letters supposedly from me and shared them, etc etc. Weird. Right now a friend and I are trying to get the estranged daughter of another friend (who has been in a coma nearly 2 weeks now) to come back and visit her mom, and the girl SAYS she wants to, but keeps lying about having to work. Yesterday she told my friend that she couldn't go that day because she was working; my friend and I were sitting in her workplace at the time while on the phone with the daughter. Some people don't know how to not lie.

While not the same level, I belong to a leftover FB page. There was actually people who joined who were locals and would basically do their grocery shopping by responding to everyone leftover offers. Even taking the strollers.

WOW.

Here at home, a friend (who lives pay check to pay check - barely -- and gets USG help), recently helped a woman who said she was collecting baby clothes to help a family who lost everything in a fire. So while my friend was going to have a yard sale to get a few dollars to help buy clothes for her own children gave bags of baby clothes to this woman to help, found out days later that this person did this to collect items to have a yard sale for herself and there was no family needing help.....

Wow again!

For some reason some people lie awake at night worrying about people they don't even know. I've tried to understand it but can't. I don't know if it's schadenfreude or what, but some people have to be this way. I have friends like this and it's just beyond me.

Since I recently said something like that...while some online denizens keep a wall completely up, others have the walls only partially up. For me, in the passport situation, my husband was traveling at the time and was being messed up by the storms in NY, and I had been up trying to help the situation (while his corporate TA dropped the ball everywhere). I was worried about him driving for hours after very little sleep. A few years back he had had a bigger situation where he was in Panama having missed a flight by 24 hours (shared responsibiliyt for that between the TA who booked it and hadn't booked a hotel for the time that would have been in between no matter what (in other words she hadn't caught it either), DH who didn't carefully review it, and me who wrote out helpful travel cards for him while he was packing and didn't catch it either) and it was just really scary. Troubles while traveling are scary, and especially when one has been through the airport and can picture where the person might be can really weigh on a person's mind. I'm also a bit of a problem-solver, I try to help, and I was trying to do that. I was, of course, irritated by some missing info.

But the moment a person online asks for money, I'm out. I don't invest myself that heavily in the person so that money will cross hands.

The ONE time I contributed to a stranger's gofundme was after multiple news articles about the situation (I'm not sure if I even found out about it on a message board...might have simply been through the news). And it was an amount that might help them but wouldn't harm me. Heck, DH will give money to people on the street until he sees the same person with the same story more than twice.

Anyway, that's just my perspective. There's a level of investment and worry in other human beings, but it's not THAT high. I mean, I didn't get in a car to drive to Vancouver to help that person. (the person is not a scammer...it's just an example of worrying into the late evening about a stranger)

I've been on various boards and forums for over 16 years and have seen all kinds of crazy. Faked illness, faked suicide, faked pregnancy. Some wanted money, some wanted attention, some wanted...I don't even know what

Ah, memories. weddingchannel and theknot were my first forays into the online world. Talk about your wild stories. There was a series of people with the same stories (dating! engaged! terminal diagnosis. married at the last minute for eternal love. new husband showing up to announce the death of the new wife. so much medical debt. etc) and all the usernames had "moon" in them. It's been over 10 years since I last saw one of those and still if someone has "moon" in their username I hesitate.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Just goes to show that you have to be careful no matter where you are.

OP - do you know how your friend found out the woman was a fake? Did she mess up or did your friend find out some other way?

 

[TestingH2O]

But the moment a person online asks for money, I'm out. I don't invest myself that heavily in the person so that money will cross hands.

This.

I was in a group while I was pregnant. We were all due the same week.

These women got scammed THREE TIMES by different sob stories. THREE TIMES!

I guess I understand some people still are pretty trusting. I'm not, but others are. However, to fall for the routine that many times just shows a lack of good sense.

 

[JW9DVC]

Just goes to show that you have to be careful no matter where you are.

OP - do you know how your friend found out the woman was a fake? Did she mess up or did your friend find out some other way?

Was posted on the FB page by person scammed. That post is above and was forwarded to me by a friend still in the group. Since I was voted off.

 

[hanscarlet]

This.

I was in a group while I was pregnant. We were all due the same week.

These women got scammed THREE TIMES by different sob stories. THREE TIMES!

I guess I understand some people still are pretty trusting. I'm not, but others are. However, to fall for the routine that many times just shows a lack of good sense.

Was it BBC or Cafemom by any chance? I saw a lot of scammers in those groups... it's unfortunate how often it happens in online communities... I can't imagine being bored enough with my life that I would scam perfect strangers on the internet... it's sad and mean to do to nice people

 

[FigmentSpark]

Was posted on the FB page by person scammed. That post is above and was forwarded to me by a friend still in the group. Since I was voted off.

Sorry, I meant how did she find out she was scammed. I wondered if she wised up or if the con was over and the woman just disappeared.

Good for you in listening to your instincts, but it sucks that it put a damper on your vacation.

 

[TestingH2O]

Was it BBC or Cafemom

The Bump.

Ironically, one of them changed her SN and became a mod! I wrote off the site entirely at that point and had my baby drama-free. Well, as drama free as any preeclamptic, 38 week birth of an 11 lb 6 oz baby can be. Ha!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Ah, memories. weddingchannel and theknot were my first forays into the online world. Talk about your wild stories. There was a series of people with the same stories (dating! engaged! terminal diagnosis. married at the last minute for eternal love. new husband showing up to announce the death of the new wife. so much medical debt. etc) and all the usernames had "moon" in them. It's been over 10 years since I last saw one of those and still if someone has "moon" in their username I hesitate.

LOL! Weddingchannel was one of the first message boards I got involved in and remember this poster you are referring to.