A Romance Scam

Andrea! Did you see the news last night? Oklahoma's been hit by a series of tornados. Here's a link to the local news coverage. It was terrible...our shop, our equipment and all of our records were destroyed. This summer has been filled with so much hardship, and now these storms may shut us down for good. It'll take months for our insurance claim to go through, and we will surely have gone bankrupt by then. I need you to send me $20,000 right away. I can pay you back (for this and the other loans) as soon as the claim goes through, but I don't want to lose my business. Please! You're my only hope.

Dimitri, I'm so glad you're OK. I don't know what I would have done if I lost you. I wish I could help you with the money, but I don't have that kind of cash lying around. There has got to be someplace else for you to turn. You can probably take out a loan to keep you going, or maybe the government offers some type of disaster relief. You know I love you and that I would help you if I could. I just don't have the money.

You can do something, and if you really loved me, you would. Why don't you take out a loan? I know how well your restaurant is doing, you tell me all the time. And me, I'm up to my eyeballs in debt and I've been killing myself to fast track this thing so that we can be together. Or do you want me to fail? I need that money. If you really loved me, you would do anything to get me that money.

Dimitri, this doesn't seem right. There must be help available. Hundreds of people must be in the same situation out there. It's a disaster after all. The government must be doing something. I can come out to help you rebuild if you need me. Let me help you get through this by being there for you.

You don't understand it here. There's nowhere to turn. You are my only hope, and you're letting me down. My business is going to fail because of you.

Dimitri, I am sorry. I just don't have the money.