<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/28/the-heartbreak-of-watching-a-parent-fall-for-dad-this-is-a-scam-have-you-given-her-money>
"Bomba wasn’t the first, but she exploded in our lives like a digital grenade.
She’s not real, I told my dad – then in his early 70s. I was in Australia at
this time, where I’ve lived for the last 13 years. Physically speaking, he was
still in California – but within himself he was adrift in a rapidly sinking
lifeboat, floating in a morass of debris primarily of his own doing. But it
must be said before I go further: my dad isn’t the bad guy in this story. Not
this time. At times, he was the bad guy in other people’s stories– but that is
another story.
If she’s not real, he countered,
then how is it that we’ve spoken on the
phone? That we video-chatted? I’ll admit that threw me. In most catfishing
stories the catfish goes to great lengths to avoid video chatting. But my dad
being the unreliable source he was, I wasn’t entirely sure he was being
truthful about that detail. It was a heartbreaking thing to have to break down
for my dad. My dad – who had once been a handsome, charismatic Lothario with
swagger, with game – now had to be told by both of his daughters that this chic
Bomba was 100% not real, not into him, not what or who she says she is. He
didn’t believe us.
Bomba had presented herself, via Facebook, as a widow living in Naples,
Florida. She and her late husband had been in the gemstone business, and she
was a millionaire. A lonely millionaire at that, looking for love and
companionship.
She’s not real, Dad. I begged him to understand.
But I’ve seen her bank statements.
Why would she show you her bank statements?
Because her money is tied up in Europe, she can’t access it, but she wanted me
to know she has it.
Dad. This is a scam. Have you given her money? Did she ask for money?
Dad?
DAD?
Needless to say, he didn’t believe me."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
