07/23/2026
Recently, an elderly widow stopped by our office.
She's in her eighties.
She wanted my opinion about a man she'd met online.
He was younger and handsome.
He claimed to be a retired executive, traveling the world.
Somewhere along the way, he made her feel important.
He made her feel seen.
He shared pictures of his children and grandchildren. As she talked about them, you could tell she had come to care about them too.
He talked about spending the rest of their lives together.
Then the promises became even bigger.
He mailed her what appeared to be a legitimate check for a staggering amount of money—complete with a watermark and every detail you'd expect to see on a legitimate check. He asked her to hold onto it for him.
He claimed he was sending her cash, gold, and jewels in a secure shipping container. He even sent her a video showing them being packed into the container.
All she needed to do was pay the shipping costs.
As I listened, it became clear she already knew what I was going to say.
She'd been scammed before.
She recognized the warning signs.
But there was something in her eyes.
Hope.
Almost as if she was pleading with me to tell her that her instincts were wrong... to tell her that this wasn't a scam.
Not because she wanted the money.
Because she desperately wanted this to be real.
So, I quietly asked,
"If you think this might not be real... why are you still talking to him?"
She smiled and said,
"Because he talks to me every day."
That answer has stayed with me.
She didn't want his money.
She didn't care about the cash, the gold, or the jewels.
She wanted someone who thought about her every day. Someone who looked forward to talking with her. Someone to share pictures of grandchildren. Someone to make her feel like she was not alone.
Who among us doesn't want that?
That's what makes romance scams so heartbreaking.
These criminals aren't just stealing money.
They're stealing something even more valuable.
Hope.
They prey on one of the deepest desires every human heart has—to be loved, to be seen, and to matter to someone.
If this story makes you think of a parent, grandparent, widow, widower, neighbor, or friend...
Don't just warn them about scams.
Call them.
Take them to lunch.
Invite them over.
Tell them you're thinking about them.
Sometimes the greatest protection against an online scam isn't another security program.
Sometimes it's reminding someone they don't have to search for love from a stranger because they already matter to the people around them.
This story is true. I've intentionally changed or omitted identifying details to protect this woman's privacy, but the events and conversation really happened.
❤️ Please share this story. You never know who might need to read it today.
— Erik
Computer Samurai
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