Date scam

Single and beautiful as my best friends describes me. Single I will accept. Although I don't actually feel single, then again I didn't feel unsingle when I was in my past relationship.

I get bored easily. Boredom is my enemy. I get restless and maybe a bit reckless.

So boredom strikes. I post my details on an on-line dating service that has been advertising constantly through one of the apps I use.

Within a week, I am involved in a Nigerian scam. I get contacted by one of the most stunning guys ever, the smile, with laughter lines drew me in- you know the saying - if it's too good to be true, it isn't. Contact is made, emails and chats exchanged, photos exchanged. Included are photos of his children, happy beautiful children.

The story so far, widower, two children, looking for a partner to share lifes ups and downs. He is currently overseas working in Nigeria, building a company for an Italian firm, yes alarm bells have started pealing. A few more days of chat and then horror of horrors, his wallet has been stolen, with all his money and he has no food for his children, could I send him money through Western Union.

Those bells have started tolling loudly. Following some internet research, yes onling dating scams do exist, profiling is utilised to choose their opportunities. And I fall into this profiling. Except, while there was still that small amount of anxiety in case there were two children, I am wise enough and not that desperate enough not to do research before I act.

So a lot of laughter between myself and my best friends over my life experience and a report made to the Queensland fraud squad. I do have this overriding desire to try and contact the person who's identity has been stolen to let him know, not necessarily for his sake, but that of those two beautiful children. I know this a difficult task, how many people in this world have photographs posted? Way too many. But with a bit of luck and a bit of magical intervention who knows. I do know one thing for sure, my identity/photo is probably now being utilised to lure unsuspecting people in, hopefully not, but realistically yes.