![]() I try to engage him in talk about his humanitarian mission in Syria, but he steers the conversation in the direction to what I’m cooking for dinner and when I get off work. Meanwhile, the doctor who looks like a “Bachelor” star is back with more questions - do these guys ever do anything but ask questions? He’s probably just reading from a script, but he gets to “Do you live alone?” way too fast. The construction executive greets me by firing off a series of questions that set off alarm bells. The Alaskan is very insistent about moving our conversation to another app, and that’s supposed to be a red flag, so I stop messaging. I have other suitors: a man who lives in Alaska and a 40-something American construction executive who is working on a project, also in Syria. I say I have to go, and now it’s his turn to be miffed: “I guess my friendship is not welcome thanks sweetie.” I was imagining a cat-and-mouse game with a skilled con artist, and instead I’m ducking questions from a guy with the emotional intelligence of a floor lamp. The answer is yes, but I manage to dodge the question, which strikes me as rushed and intrusive, even given the increasingly seamy scenario. But he just forges on, asking me if I am happily married. I tell him the truth: I’m married, with two kids and a cat, and I assume the game is up. Then he gets right down to business, asking for my age and marital status. Army doctor on a peacekeeping mission in Syria. His profile says he was born in Italy and now lives in California, and after a little chitchat about the time and the weather he tells me he’s a U.S. The one who looks like a “Bachelor” star takes an early lead. I open the floodgates on a Sunday afternoon, and by Monday morning the sweet talk is pouring in. Who are these guys? And how good are their cons? But I’m also ticked off that scammers might see me as an easy mark. I’m appalled, of course, and I want to do my part to educate the public about an underreported threat.
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