FYI - Fakers on the internet - faking cancer

abrub
abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
edited November 2012 in Breast Cancer #1
Yes, even on this site. A group of us here were sucked in by someone in the Chat Room several years ago - ostensibly an 18 year old, single mom with Leukemia. We eventually found significant holes in her story, and outed her. Everything is as described in the article I reference below. It's long, but worth the read. My son posted this article, and I thought it was interesting:

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-lying-disease/Content?oid=15337239

This is just a reminder not to trust someone just because they say they have cancer. While most of us here are legitimate, there are people who join for their own purposes, the attention they get and/or the power that they feel jerking us around.

I don't want to be negative, but having been burned, and now having seen this article a few years later, where virtually every detail matched (including the cousin who posted for her while she was dying in the hospital, or kicked out of her family's home or....)

It really hurts to give of yourself in something so sensitive, to find that the person is faking their cancer just for attention or for the joke of it. Lots of us were very worried, tried to contact her. She threatened suicide - lots of group energy was expended on her. We need our energy to take care of ourselves, and to share with friends in need, not with fakers.

Just please be aware, and be careful if/when you exchange personal information.

Alice

Comments

  • dianehelen
    dianehelen Member Posts: 131
    #2
    Ughh people like that really
    Ughh people like that really need to be filed under the category of "There is no hope for humanity" and these individuals cast into Dantes lowest level of hell. :(

    Thanks for the warning, but how sad...
  • helen e
    helen e Member Posts: 223
    #3
    Another story
    Alice,

    It is terrible when someone does that. I just cannot understand what they get out of it. I read the story of a lady who told everyone that she was in one of the towers when they were hit and really had everyone believing her story and then was found to be a fraud. Such uncaring mean people. It's a sad world that we live in sometimes.

    Helen
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #4
    Thanks for the reminder.
    Thanks for the reminder. Very important that we stay safe. We have had a few weirdos on here that I think we have all fairly quickly realized were not legit or a bit off. I won't mention names, but I think we all know who I am talking about.
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #5
    Definately has happened here quite a few times!
    It has happened quite a few times here! Some are really blatant but some aren't quit so obvious. - they do always out themselves eventually even to those who want to/will believe anything that is written.

    Have I ever been 'hooked in' throughout life - you betcha! I have l'ived and learned' and not quite so gullable as once was. With time you learn a lot but have to be careful not to become a cynic/ so jaded that you will not believe anyone ever. There are almost always mega 'red flags'', so one needs to learn the signs and investigate, even when nothing major jumps out.

    It is a very good point to bring up - there are so many 'newbies' here - that are prime territory for. Trolls/Scammers. The vast majority of all here are exactly we 'portray 'ourselves but not all are obviously. IF something seems really strange - then rerport it so the. Poweers That Be can check it oput before too much damage is done.

    Winyan - The Power Within

    Susan
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #6
    It is terrible but their
    It is terrible but their mental status must not be very good "wanting' to pretend they have cancer...

    Denise

    sorry you were sucked in...but you have learned from experience to keep you guard up...NOT a bad thing..
  • faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy Member Posts: 319 Member
    #7
    disneyfan2008 said:

    It is terrible but their
    It is terrible but their mental status must not be very good "wanting' to pretend they have cancer...

    Denise

    sorry you were sucked in...but you have learned from experience to keep you guard up...NOT a bad thing..

    Nothing new under the sun
    It takes all kinds to make the world go round and yes, we have had our share of 'questionable' pinks.

    We could, of course, spend our lives guarded and sheltered, but that's not exactly living now is it?

    It is just like "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is"...if it is well over the top...there's a good chance it is crap and you're standing in the middle of it.

    The best thing I believe any of us can ever do is judge it against your own experience. If something strikes you as particularly odd, trust your gut. My father-in-law was a psychologist to other psychologists and he helped me to realize that it's OK to not actually like some people. There's no shame in discernment.

    Thank you, Alice for sharing a poignant reminder to be cautious.

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