Sometimes people get so lonely, they act with desperation; especially if they have been in long term relationships that have either failed, or a loved one passes.

This is where unscrupulous people target and stalk the unwitting.

One hears of it often; you know, internet scams on senior citizens where they get taken in for hundreds of pounds, and even sometimes thousands!

It even makes it to the news on both TV and in the newspapers. You may think that this could never happen to you! How could people be taken in so radically.

This radical deception usually happens to someone who is so desperate to find a sense of belonging, a purpose and somewhere to love and be loved. If this person happens to be a Christian, it is a very sad state of affairs but it happens. Having a sense of purpose; to be loved and to love is at the centre of the Gospel message. God the Father is the source of this love; and wants us to find this love in Him and in His way. 

There is a lie in the radical deception: 

God is not enough to meet my loneliness, I have to find relief on my own...

My sister was one such person.  She found out that her third husband was an abusive manipulator, and she told him to leave, finding herself alone for the first time in thirty years. Her first husband having died of liver failure from over drinking years prior. 

She first turned to drink; vodka, and lots of it.

Then she began trolling on Facebook,  quickly realizing there were available men out there looking for friends, or so she thought naively. 

She met this guy on the other side of the U.S. from California, and they started chatting, back and forth.  Eventually, after a few weeks, he shared with sis a sad story of needing emergency care for a sibling, and my sister being of good heart, believed him, and sent him $500.  Then they began talking about their relationship, and how well they got on together. She invited herself to Boston, where he lived, to visit, but every time she was supposed to fly there, something would come up, and he would have her cancel the flight.

For some reason, sis did not pick up on the fact that she was being scammed, everyone she spoke with did, and told her so, but she was convinced he was being truthful.

Again something came up that he needed financial help, this time she sent him $1500!  

Then he was going to come out to California and visit, but somehow was never quite able to make it.

The conversations continued over the next few weeks, and low and behold he needed more money.  So, sis went to dad to borrow against our inheritance; dad gave her $2500.  She sent it on to this guy.

Then we had an intervention, and tried to speak some sense to her.  It came to light that this guy was not a Christian, and was a Muslim.  She was setting herself up to becoming unequally yoked, if anything ever came of it.

I connected with my dad, and told him what was going on, she hadn’t said anything to dad at all of why she wanted the money, and I advised him, at least for the time being, not give her any more money, please.

Dad was perplexed about the whole thing, 91 at the time.

When it became obvious that the well had run dry, no more money, the guy stopped writing, and sis never heard from him again.

She did start chatting with a new guy, but by that time, she needed to move in with my niece because she could no longer care for herself, and she passed about a year or so later…

This is a really sad story, but it shows what lies and deception we can be caught up in when we are desperately lonely.