Part Two: It’s a Jungle Out There–Dating in My Fifties

A post by my friend Kathy Cox:

In my first post, I mentioned the craziness of internet dating, and ended by giving a brief description of Nick (pictured above), a 52 year old man who recently emailed me expressing great interest in getting to know me better.

Nick’s online profile listed Wilmington, NC as his hometown, which is where I live.

However, in his second email to me, he mentioned flying from Wilmington home to California. I questioned him on it. He explained that he had never tried online dating before, and while on a recent business trip to Wilmington, he met a friend and business associate who suggested he look online to find the woman of his dreams. The friend helped Nick create his profile, and listed Wilmington as his hometown.

When I still objected to the distance between us, Nick explained that he travels on business and he could fly to meet me, once we got to know each other better through emails and phone calls. Since I just experienced a difficult break-up with a guy I really cared for (he had mental issues), I decided it wouldn’t hurt to email and talk with someone new for a while before meeting him.

Before we talked on the phone, Nick told me he had lived in Greece all his life until moving to California seven years ago, and begged me not to laugh at his accent when I heard him speak. He certainly did have an accent!

Nick also told me his first wife was Asian, and she died of cancer five years ago, leaving him with two fairly young children, a girl age 10 and a boy age 12. I was surprised at the young ages of his children! He emailed me several pictures:  of him, of his children, and of him with his children.

Nick was always very complimentary, telling me how beautiful I was and how he loved hearing my “tender and lovely voice.” LOL!

He would call, email or text me every day, and began describing how he was falling in love with me, calling me “darling” almost constantly.  He said, “after we fall in love, I will fly to meet you.” Then he started asking me if I loved him. Of course I didn’t, because I hadn’t even met him, but I said, “yes” because I wanted to meet him.

One day Nick told me he was awarded a bid worth two million dollars to furnish a hotel chain in England with art and sculptures, and he had to fly to London to purchase the items to fulfill the contract.

Next he called me from London and said he couldn’t purchase what he needed and had to fly to Malaysia to buy Asian art and sculptures. We spoke while he was in Malaysia, and he gave me a sim card number so I could call him (very briefly!).

A little more than a month from the day he sent the first email to me, Nick called me very early in the morning. He was still in Malaysia, calling from a shipping company where he was arranging to ship the art and sculptures to London. He said there was a problem with his credit card, and HE ASKED ME FOR MONEY!!

I immediately realized “Nick” was a scammer. I told him several times I couldn’t send him any money; then he got mad and said I was wicked! I hung up on him, and that was the end of “Nick.”

I am sure that the man I talked to is not the man in the pictures. In retrospect, I’m mortified that I fell for his lies, but he was quite convincing.

Thankfully I viewed the entire “relationship” as humorous, although many women send money to these scammers and refuse to believe they are being scammed.  So ladies, be careful when engaging in online dating!!

Kathy Cox lives in Wilmington, NC and has two grown sons living in Raleigh, NC. She recently received her master’s degree in gerontology and is doing consulting work with a non-profit Aging in Place organization.  She also sells printing and works as an innkeeper on Bald Head Island, NC.