CATHERINE SHORT, FROM FLORIDA, FELL IN LOVE WITH A MAN THAT SHE
MET ON CHRISTIANMINGLE.COM.
UNFORTUNATELY, SHE NEVER MET THE
MAN IN PERSON, AND HE ALSO
SCAMMED HER OUT OF $185,000.
SHE IS SEVENTY-ONE YEARS OLD, AND
AGAIN SHE MET HIM ON CHRISTIANMINGLE.COM.
HE KEPT
ASKING FOR PRICEY GADGETS, AND
SHE KEPT BUYING THEM FOR HIM.
SHE WAS WARNED BY HER SON, BUT SHE DID NOT BUY IT.
FINALLY, SHE SOLD HER HOME TO GET HER HANDS ON THE
$185,000, TO GIVE IT TO THE SCAMMER.
NOW HER STORY IS BEING USED AS A CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS
ABOUT FRAUD ONLINE, SPECIFICALLY IN FLORIDA.
I FEEL SO BAD FOR HER, SHE SAYS, "I'M A TRUSTING PERSON AND
IT TAKES A LOT FOR ME TO SEE THAT SOMEONE COULD HURT
SOMEBODY AT MY AGE."
THE GUY SAID TO HER THAT HE WOULD BUY HER A GOLD RING WITH
HER NAME SPELLED OUT IN DIAMONDS, THAT HE WAS IN LOVE
WITH HER.
HER FAMILY WAS LIKE, HE IS SCAMMING YOU.
SHE WAS
LIKE, YOU DON'T WANT ME TO BE
HAPPY?
I'M PARAPHRASING A LITTLE BIT.
HE SAID IN THE BEGINNING, I
NEED TO SEND THIS TECH STUFF, GADGETS, I'M GONNA SEND IT TO
UNDERPRIVILEGED KIDS.
DONíT LET YOUR FAMILY STOP ME FROM HELPING THE
UNDERPRIVILEGED KIDS.
THEN HE HAD TO PAY A HOSPITAL BILL IN
PANAMA.
THEY DONíT JUST GO TO THAT RIGHT AWAY, THEY WORK IT IN.
YOU
BUILD THIS RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST.
THESE SCAMMERS, THE FIRST
THING THEY DO IS, YOU TRUST ME, DON'T YOU?
YOU KNOW WHAT I AM
SAYING?
AND SORRY FOR MAKING THIS WEIRDLY POLITICAL, BUT TED
CRUZ SAYS SIMILAR THINGS.
YOU TRUST ME RIGHT?
I'M NOT
SAYING ANYTHING BAD, COME ON A LITTLE FURTHER.
AND THEN FINALLY, AFTER HE'S GOT
HER COMPLETELY ON THE HOOK HE SAYS, OKAY SELL YOUR HOUSE AND
GIVE ME THE $185,000.
NOW SHE IS OUT ON THE STREET AND IS TRYING TO FIND A JOB.
MY HEART HURTS FOR HER.
I REMEMBER THAT CROWDFUNDING PAGE
THAT WAS SET UP FOR THE PIZZA
PLACE THAT WANTED TO DISCRIMINATE
AGAINST GAY PEOPLE.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LET'S HELP CATHERINE SHORT.
YOU CAN SAY THAT IT'S HER FAULT, SHE DIDN'T LISTEN TO HER FAMILY,
BUT YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT
NEED FOR COMPANIONSHIP IS WITH SOMEBODY.
IT BECOMES MORE
DIFFICULT AT THAT AGE, AND I THINK IT'S ONE OF MY BIGGEST
FEARS.
ENDING UP ELDERLY AND ALONE, AND LOOKING FOR
COMPANIONSHIP AND NOT BEING ABLE
TO FIND IT.
TO GET SCAMMED LIKE THIS, WHAT A PERSON.
AND OF COURSE THEY THINK, I'M GONNA LOOK FOR SUCKERS,
WHERE SHOULD I GO?
ANYONE WHO'S ON ANY DATING SITE COULD BE A VICTIM OF
SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
ITíS NOT TO SAY THAT THEY ARE CHRISTIAN AND THEYíRE MORE
GULLIBLE, IT IS PEOPLE LOOKING FOR LOVE.
AND ESPECIALLY WHEN
THEY ARE AT THEIR MOST
VULNERABLE, AS ANA POINTS OUT, AS THEY GET ON IN THEIR
YEARS.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR COMPANIONSHIP, AND SOMEBODY SAYS
THAT IS THE TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE.
REALLY, AMONG THE
WORST PEOPLE ON EARTH.
UNFORTUNATELY THE MONEY IS GONE.
AUTHORITIES TRIED TO FIND IT, IN
THE WIND.
ALREADY GONE.
LAST THING THAT IS TERRIBLE ABOUT
THIS, OTHER THAN THE DAMAGE IT DOES TO HER AND PEOPLE LIKE HER,
IS THAT IT MAKES US ALL QUESTION
EACH OTHER.
SO WHEN YOU ARE ON A DATING WEBSITE, NOW YOU WILL
HAVE TO WONDER, IS IT REAL OR
ARE THEY PLAYING ME?
THAT SKEPTICISM AND LACK OF TRUST, IT
BREAKS THE BONDS OF HUMANITY.
IT DOES MORE DAMAGE THAN JUST THE
PEOPLE THAT IT EFFECTS.