A Kilted Community? Time to put up or shut up!

[Shay]

Alan H, I totally understand where you're coming from in this, I too have been scammed by people in 'trouble,' once on livejournal from someone who needed to keep an apartment (he actually lived with his parents), and once on a parenting board- she recieved over $200 for her child's medicine, much of it from poor single moms trying to help one of their own. We later found out she had done this on multiple boards and didn't even have a daughter.

I have also given money to people in trouble and seen the good it did, or sent things like baby clothes/maternity wear to people who became lifelong penpals. I recently went to New York to visit someone I had lent money to, never really expecting any back, who surprised me by paying it back with non-monetary interest- an invitation to camp on her land. I usually try to send things, rather than money, that I would have donated to charity anyway. Perhaps this is something you may be interested in doing in the future if you do feel moved to contribute to someone- all you're out is postage.

It's a decision people have to make on their own. I hope no one flames you for presenting the sad truth, but things like these do happen, and if you open your wallet or give anything to someone else based on what they present to you, there is always a chance it's a scam, even with charities or churches or other people with their hand out. I don't think Dread has his hand out in this case, we're just doing this on our own for one of our own. I thank you for reminding people that the online world, warm and comforting though it may be to us, does have it's dark spots.