I happened to have been a relay operator and had one of these romance scam calls drop on me back before they had any protections against that shit so I had to sit there and listen to a dude getting all sappy and sending money to someone typing anonymously and merely using me as a medium to talk. Saddest shit I’ve ever seen, and the only way I could even imagine the tactic working is on extremely lonely people. Because it was not subtle and most reasonable people could have seen right through it.
I happened to have been a relay operator and had one of these romance scam calls drop on me back before they had any protections against that shit so I had to sit there and listen to a dude getting all sappy and sending money to someone typing anonymously and merely using me as a medium to talk. Saddest shit I’ve ever seen, and the only way I could even imagine the tactic working is on extremely lonely people. Because it was not subtle and most reasonable people could have seen right through it.
The hope induced by the scammer to get the victim out of their loneliness is powerful enough to trounce any counter-logic the victim can muster
Lives of victims and their families have been shattered by these scammers