>> Announcer: Erin Knewtson is
suing her former friend,
Amy Schwager, for a loan to
bring her boyfriend back from
Afghanistan.
>> Judge Judy: Ms. Schwager, you
met somebody online.
>> Yes, I did.
>> Judge Judy: Tell me when you
met them online, what site you
were on, and what the person's
name was.
>> I met a gentleman online on
PlentyOfFish, and I've known him
for over two years.
>> Judge Judy: Where does he
live?
>> He lives in Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
>> Judge Judy: And where do you
live?
>> Butterfield, Minnesota.
>> Judge Judy: Had you ever met
him personally?
>> No. We did video-chat, and --
>> Judge Judy: Had you ever met
him personally?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: And how long have
you been a friend of
Ms. Knewtson?
>> I've known her for...
several years.
>> Judge Judy: How many?
>> Five, six years.
>> Judge Judy: From where?
>> Butterfield, La Salle,
Minnesota.
>> Judge Judy: I mean did you
know her from work, socializing?
>> Work.
>> Judge Judy: What kind of
work?
>> Bartending.
>> Judge Judy: And this guy that
you met online and had been
chatting with for two years --
he traveled out of the country?
>> Yes, he did.
>> Judge Judy: Where did he go?
>> He went overseas to
Afghanistan and Nigeria.
>> Judge Judy: For what?
>> Military.
>> Judge Judy: So, he's in the
military, you think?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You think he's in
the military.
>> I think he's in the military.
>> Judge Judy: And I'm assuming,
for the purposes of this case,
not assuming that for the truth
of what you're going to tell me,
but only your motivation for
asking for money from
Ms. Knewtson --
you did ask her for money?
>> I did.
>> Judge Judy: And she did give
you $750.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: And you sent her
$750, and according to you,
$2,000 of your money to this
person who you had met online
who was in Afghanistan.
>> I had sent him $750 and the
rest later.
>> Judge Judy: When?
>> Approximately four months
later.
>> Judge Judy: What did you send
him the $750 for that she gave
you?
>> He had been discharged.
>> Judge Judy: You mean he'd
been kicked out of the army?
>> He had been discharged.
I don't know if it was honorably
or dishonorably.
>> Judge Judy: Well, if they
discharge you, they usually
bring you home first.
They don't leave you in
Afghanistan.
[ Laughs ]
[ Laughing ] They don't say
goodbye -- the military doesn't
say goodbye -- to you and leave
you in Afghanistan.
[ Laughter ]
>> He had stated to me on
occasion that he was discharged
and they would not help him
home.
>> Judge Judy: [ Laughs ]
This is some government.
[ Laughter ]
Get you in the army and then
they send you thousands of miles
away and then they say, you
know, "Get home on your own."
Can you imagine how many
volunteers we would have for the
army?
>> Right?
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
So, this is what he told you,
and you believed him...
>> I did.
>> Judge Judy: ...because you
wanted to.
Anyway, you took $750 from
Ms. Knewtson.
You asked her for it?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And why didn't
you give it back to her?
>> She knew clearly that --
>> Judge Judy: Don't tell me
what she knew.
Don't tell me what she knew.
>> We had talked about it.
The reason I had asked her for
$750 was she was gonna be
getting extra money for sending
the money to Charles.
He had stated that he was gonna
pay her double back.
I have evidence.
>> Judge Judy: [ Laughs ]
[ Laughter ]
>> I have --
>> Judge Judy: Listen.
Women sometimes want to
believe -- they want to believe
so desperately -- the lies of a
mate.
This wasn't even a mate.
This was somebody that you never
even met.
This was like --
What's that scam, Byrd, that
people call you now?
You know, "I've been kidnapped
in Afghanistan, and they're
holding me for ransom" and
"They're holding your grandchild
for ransom.
Please send $10,000 to this
number or we're gonna send home
pieces of the finger" or "I am
here and I have no way to get
home.
Please send me money"
or "You have inherited $100,000.
In order to collect the
$100,000, all you have to do is
wire $2,000 into this bank
account, and then we'll be able
to release the paperwork and
send you the other $98,000."
Only thing is you believed it.
>> I did.
>> Judge Judy: You believed it
because that's what you wanted
to believe.
I mean, I'm listening to your
story.
"I can't get home because I'm in
the military, and now I'm no
longer in the military, and they
told me I have to get home by
myself," and you say to
yourself, "Really?
Really?"
You have to return the money
to her.
$750 -- judgment for the
plaintiff.