h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Online Sympathy Scams - A56030573
Author: Nosebagbear (nbb) - U14077177

HI, my second flea market rescue attmept, much less given than before so comments are all the more necessary, a few external links would also be very helpful.
cheers

A brave rescue nosebagbear, I'll give it a proper look tomorrow

hi, im likely to be away from the computer tomorrow and perhaps for all of next week so please feel free to keep piling comments up, ill just deal with them in one fowl swoop in a bit.

Interesting stuff. I believe it's a subject worthy of the Edited Guide.

I'd like to see links to well-known cases, although I appreciate this may be difficult if the perpetrators are still alive/around.

I've certainly heard of one or two sympathy scams which aren't related to online communities, and it might be interesting to compare and contrast these.

When you say 'researcher' are you referring to h2g2? If so, then I'd be inclined not to use that reference.

Icy

researcher was a person who joined h2g2 and for his first thing wanted to write about this, i dont whether he wanted to join just for this.
I will try to find some offline examples when im back in the Uk and will do some comparisons.
Any link sites that anyone could offer would be very helpful.

This is indeed an interesting topic but I'm not too sure about treatment the author has provided.
I wonder whether there is any any background available concerning the assertations made.

The 'scammer' mentioned at the beginning seems to be suffering from some form of Münchausen syndrome. Messing on the internet is probably preferable to 'messing' with your health in RL but this entry seems to focus on the "evil character willing to lie" rather than somebody who probably does 'have problems'. In other words, I think it lacks balance as regards the scammer.

The case study is, IMO, more about human gullibility than about sympathy scams.

Also, I'm not sure than the effects of the scam on the scammed aren't a little exagerated. In particular, "•The most drastic consequence affects only a few people each year. These unfortunate souls are driven to commit suicide, simply because they were kind enough to offer compassion to those with the evil character willing to lie for it.": A few suicides a year! (I can't help wondering whether these people didn't have other issues as well if they are indeed so numerous)


Perahps a little advice to the 'scammed' could be useful. Always but always take with a pinch of salt anything you see on the internet but in this kind of case perhaps people who really are affected by a disease are also lurking and getting support from the thoughts provided. In a nutshell, compassion is never wasted.

To be really politically incorrect though, I wonder if any of the scammed enjoy giving this kind of 'support' to prove how good they are while never doing anything practically useful in RL to help people in distress. It's easy to post a few 'be strong' comments while getting a socially-restrained attack of queue-rage every time a handicapped person for instance isn't 'waiting his turn'

My comments seem very negative (sorry) but it's because I find the entry thought-provoking. i would a suggest a link to Münchausen syndrome, eg. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCnchausen_syndrome

Good luck with this entry, it will indeed make a useful addition to the guide.

ahh long comments
Will take me a while to get round to doing this as im heading back to school, would be very helpful for people to post links or highlight specific areas for change so I can do this quickly when i get some free time.

In a nutshell, my comment is "Are you sure this entry is true?". I've no idea where to check facts for you and frankly doubt very strongly the assertations about the suicide of sympathy-scam victims.

But it is indeed an interesting subject. Perhaps you can tackle it when you've more time or maybe another researcher can roll up his sleeves and help with the fact-checking.

Best of luck with school

ive taken it out as i doubt that ill be able to do all the research required for this in the foreseeable future.

I didn't mean to put you off. Perhaps some other reviewers will have more positive suggestions or offer to help.