I spent 2 months communicating with Harry Scout/Peter whoever he was? Yes, he was a scammer, ladies!!! I have a 2 inch notebook full of our transcripts. And while he appeared to respect boundaries, well . . .?

One evening Harry asked me to send him an erotic photo of myself (I am a second grade teacher–So, No! I don't want to see myself like that on the evening news.) He appeared to understand; but of course, red flag. So I immediately reported him to the National Bureau for Sex Trafficking. But I continued to engage with him. He appealed to my sense of romance by sending me John Legend's videos: All of Me, I Want to Grow Old with You, etc . I ultimately decided that there was no harm in our relationship as we were only chatting. He was supposedly in the UK working as a project manager on a big commercial job. Even told me the name of his firm and he apparently really worked there?? Anyway we tried several times to facetime using WhatsApp. Each attempt failed??

Next, he tries to convince me that NOTHING is going to stop him from coming to see me AND it's the height of travel restrictions during the pandemic. When I questioned him, he became angry. Hmm? Anyway, he had somehow managed to secure a flight from the UK to Washington state. Hmm?

Leading up to his supposed arrival (I have definitely at this point realized THAT this guy was a big time SCAMMER. Everything was so scripted) he starts telling me about an upcoming contract that he was bidding on. If he won this contract, it would be his last job. He would retire and we could live happily ever after. In our early conversations, I made it very clear that I had no intention of getting married, living with, or even sharing expenses with someone, etc. Two years post divorce and I am still struggling. So I wasn't buying into his fantasy. But I was still feeling like we are only chatting, no harm done yet.

He was so nervous leading up to the contract interviews and I was supportive and encouraging. After a few stressful days of waiting to hear the results, he proudly proclaimed that he had been awarded the contract. I genuinely congratulated him.

Then he tells me that in order to fulfill the conditions of the contract, he is required to get “all the equipment to the job site” in three days. He explains that he is getting an equity loan on his house in London but he only got $100,000. He is also using all his bitcoin and even called his uncle for a loan but he's still $35,000 short. He's EXACERBATED but I try to console him.

At this point, I am convinced that Harry/Peter SCOUT OR whoever the hell he was??? is what I will call a BIG TIME SCAMMER. A coworker and I start talking about our online dating experiences and begin comparing notes. Turns out that Harry Scout is also Peter . . . Same photos, same stories. Caught! 

Anyway, I still hadn't disengaged. Then Harry asks me for $35,000!

My son and I laughed and laughed because just a couple years before this, I had lost everything that I had worked my whole lifetime for except for what I could fit in my car in 20 minutes under police protection. And while I was recovering, I couldn't have loaned him $10. I texted him that I couldn't help and if he was asking me for that kind of money, he definitely didn't know me? Had he paid attention to anything that I said?

Well somehow I get that phone call that had always evaded us before this moment. His accent is so thick I have to ask him to repeat himself several times. There is a dog in distress. There had been a dog barking in a couple of our previous calls and he had explained that there was a guard dog at the apartment complex that was within walking distance to the job site. I ask about the dog. He dismisses it. “The dog is fine!” he defends. I can clearly tell that the dog is not fine and I end the call!

Harry, whoever he is? Never heard from me again! But I credit him for helping me identify a SCAMMER a mile away just through his profile. Lesson learned.

Up next, Chapter 3 Can't Get this Guy Out of my Hair