Outskirts Press, INC.

The true story of an online nightmare.

Online dating websites can be an effective way for busy singles to meet others, and many people have developed successful relationships after meeting their soul mates online. But lonely singles aren’t the only ones to use these sites: criminals troll them too, searching for victims to scam at their most vulnerable. Online Dating; It Can Happen to Anybody is the eye-opening story of one woman’s encounter with a catfish—a scam artist posing as a handsome, successful man looking for romance. After meeting on an international dating site, the author and “Gabriel” communicated regularly by email, and he quickly professed to have true, deep feelings for her . . . But their convoluted online relationship was filled with deception, and by the time the author discovered Gabriel’s true identity, it was too late. She had suffered financial loss as well as heartache. Her book is a cautionary tale for those who are seeking love through the miracle of modern technology, a tale that the author hopes will prevent someone else from becoming another victim of online dating scams.

The things that I had been thinking were finally confirmed. He told me he hadn't shown up in Ireland because he wasn't the man in the picture. Gabriel was a fake name that he created for the online profile. Everything about Gabriel was a lie. He told me he wasn't a white man, he was black. He described himself to me as " black like a monkey in the jungle" He was only thirty-five not fifty-three. As I listened to him talking, I was speechless ....I was so shocked. I was hurt and shaking.