A scary meeting with an online friend
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31365)
Denmark
October 14, 2012 3:26pm CST
I just read a story about a 14-year-old girl who fell in love with her online friend. They met in a chatroom and after a while they started having private conversations as well. Her online friend told her that he was 15 years old and that he lived close to the town where her father lived.
One day when the girl was going to visit her father she asked her online friend if he wanted to meet her and they arranged a meeting in a cafe in a town close to her father's home. She was going to meet her online friend for one hour and then she would catch the train to her father's town.
In the cafe a man approached her. He introduced himself as her online friend and she was shocked because he was at least 30. She decided to be polite, talk to him for a while and never meet him again. They talked for a long time and she missed her train.
The man offered to drive her to her father's town and she accepted his offer. When she was in the car she discovered that he had been lying to her about a lot of things and he drove her in the wrong direction. He had locked the car and refused to let her leave the car. She told him that she needed a toilet break and he reluctantly agreed to stop. She ran away and managed to escape.
4 people like this
16 responses
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Oct 12
another thing voldoz and Porcospino if a person dig argree to meet ina bpulib place it wo uld b e wise to take along a friend or an older brother for that
first meeting. the mylottere I was talking about had to actually move to another town to evade the stalker her online so called friend turned out to be.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
26 Oct 12
Hi Hatley!
I agree with that. It is safer to take along another person if you are going to meet an unknown person. I just commented on your repsonse about the girl who met a man who turned out to be a stalker. Unfortunately it isn't the first time that I have heard about something like that and some people are different when you meet them in real life. A person from my husband's family also had a bad experience with an online boyfriend. He didn't stalk her, he did the opposite thing, he spent her money, took off and left her with all the bills. She is in serious debt now.
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
16 Oct 12
Yes, the story is not unrealistic because many people lie online and pretend that they are someone else. It is easy to hide your real identity online because you can be anonymous. You can pretend that you are much younger or older than you really are.
1 person likes this
@kyrararen (601)
• Indonesia
15 Oct 12
that is just sick. OK, you made a great story there but it could happen and it did actually with a worse ending. On the internet, people can easily fake their identity. youth can fake their age to be old and vice versa. I think people who use internet should have been warned at least to make themselves aware of things that might happen, that;s why parent control is necessary. and what's with the kids these days? shouldn't they not talk to strangers?
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
15 Oct 12
I got the story from a book that I read. When I read it I also thought about the fact that it could have happened in real life. The story is not unrealistic at all, and sometimes the situation ends much worse and the girl gets raped or killed. Yes, on the internet you are anonymous and you are able to hide your real age and you can pretend that you are are much younger or older than you really are. I recently read a about a man who pretended to be a 15-year-old boy even though he was actually in his 40's, he arranged a meeting with a teenage girl and pretended to be the boy's father, but of course the boy didn't exist at all.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
16 Oct 12
On the day where they met the man and the girl visited an amusement park together and the man told the girl that his son would join them a little later. His son didn't exist and the man kept on making excuses. After the visit to the amusemeent park the man invited the girl to visit him and his "son" a few days later. The girl agreed to visit them and when the girl got into the apartment the man tried to keep her from leaving, but she managed to escape before he had the chance to rape her or hurt her. She told her parents what had happened and the man was arrested.
@kyrararen (601)
• Indonesia
16 Oct 12
oh my God, then what happened? I hope it doesn't end bad.
how was her parent's reaction?
I mean, really, shouldn't they control their daughter like what she does and where she is and whom their daughter with?
2 people like this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
15 Oct 12
Hi Por!
It is really scary. The girl was too young to understand the perils involved in on line chatting and was gullible. Hope this experience would have taught a lesson to her for long time to remember.
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
16 Oct 12
Yes, I think that was the problem. She was young and gullible and she believed the things that the man told her. Even when she discovered that he had lied about his age she still decided to accept the lift that he offered her, and I think that was a very risky thing to do. She was very lucky that she managed to escape from the car, the story could have ended much worse. Hopefully she learned something from the experience and would be able to avoid similiar situations in the future, because lies like that are common on the internet and it is easy to pretend that you are someone else.
1 person likes this
@jaiho2009 (39140)
• Philippines
15 Oct 12
It's easy to tell lies on the net.
It is fine to meet online friends- but not to trust them instantly.
The girl knows that the guy is a cheat but still she trusted him.
Good thing she managed to run away or else- a worse thing might happen.
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
16 Oct 12
That is one of things that found it hard to understand (that she knew that he was a cheat and still trusted him) If I met an online friend and discovered that the person had lied about a lot of his personal details like his age I definately wouldn't accept a lift from that person, because I already knew that I couldn't trust him. I think that it is a little strange that she chose to accept the lift, but maybe she was a little gullible or trusted strangers too much.
I agree with the thing you wrote about meeting online friends. I think it is fine to meet them and sometimes they become very good friends offline, but it is not good to trust them instantly. We have to get to know them better first and meet at a public place at first.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
16 Oct 12
Yes, the story is a warning for those who meet people from the internet without thinking about the dangers. Unfortunately some internet meetings lead to bad things and some people don't manage to escape like like girl did.
1 person likes this
@romzee (937)
• Philippines
15 Oct 12
There's so many sad news and terrifying stories about online dating specially involving teenage girls. Even adult women has been victimized and this is becoming rampant and not just a few and sporadic events happening around us.
We should be vigilant specially to our teenage girls who might be deceive by this unscrupulous adults posing themselves as young boys. We should educate and make them aware of what was happening and tell them to be wary meeting unknown person they meet online.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
15 Oct 12
Yes, I think that it is important to educate the young girls about the dangers. Adults can also become victims, but young girls are especially vulnerable, because they have less experience and it might be harder for them to judge the people that they meet online. There are many positive things about the internet, but at the same time the internet has made it easier for the criminals to find their victims. On the internet you can hide your real identity and you can pretend that you are a teenager even if you are actually an adult who is looking for young girls. It is important to keep that in mind when you communicate with or arrange a meeting with people from the internet.
@romzee (937)
• Philippines
26 Oct 12
Truly, a lot of criminals find their way into our life without noticing them by using the internet. Easily they can be as our online friend as they can deceive us and pose as everything they want us to believe. Our kids are the most vulnerable to this so we much be watchful for their online activities.
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
14 Oct 12
This has always been an issue with online chatrooms, and despite your example being a fictional one it is also sadly a common one. Parents are constantly advised to protect against this type of problem, but it is very hard to keep a total check of what one's children are up to.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
15 Oct 12
That is true it isn't easy to check everything that the children are doing, and young children are not always able to understand the dangers of the situation because they have less experience than adults. The girl in my story chose accept a lift from a stranger, she already knew that he had lied to her and that she couldn't trust him, but she still entered the car and I find that hard to understand. I think that was a very risky thing to do and she was lucky that she managed to escape.
1 person likes this
@silverfox09 (4708)
• United States
14 Oct 12
I see so many stories like that its like some people that always getting scam online . I mean if you agree to meet someone and they are not what you expect smart thing is to not even let them see you .
When I was maybe 14 I agree to meet someone at a movie and when I saw that they were old , I just kept walking and I never went alone . I go with an young adult and they were also watching from the side line . I wish I was a detective because I would have just catch a perv .
Never agree to meet a stranger alone that is a big NO NO .
Never meet any where private
Dont accept drive from strangers
We learn those rule as children , why dont most follow it when they become teenagers !
You have to start asking these question
Are they not watching tv and see these stories? , Where are the parents to teach them ?, well some ignore their parents wishes and also are liars so the parents cannot tell what is going on with them .
I mean their is so much information out there . She is lucky to be alive and well .
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
15 Oct 12
If you discover that the person you are going to meet has lied about their age the best thing to do is to keep on walking, I agree with that. It was also a very good idea to bring someone with you. The girl in the story broke every rule: She met her online friend alone and hid it from her parents and she accepted a lift from a man that she didn't know. The man had lied about his age, and she knew that when she decided to accept the lift. I find it hard to understand why she still decided to accept the lift. In that situation I definately wouldn't get into the car in the first place, because I already knew that I couldn't trust him. Yes, she is lucky to be alive, much worse things could have happened.
1 person likes this
@anklesmash (1412)
•
15 Oct 12
You have to be so careful about meeting someone you have met on the internet as you have no clue who you are really talking to.On the internet anyone can pretend to be anyone.This is just as true for a grown up as it is for a child everyone who meets someone online runs a certain amount of risk that's why everyone who meets someone through the internet should meet up in a public place.Though unfortunately minors are more vulnerable and have less experience of the world to avoid dangerous situations.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
15 Oct 12
That is true, it is so easy to hide on the internet and you can pretend that you are someone else for instance a child instead of an adult because no one can see you and you are anonymous. The man from the story did that. He pretended to be a boy who was 15 years old, but he was actually 15 or 20 years older. The girl didn't realize that something was wrong and she actually fell in the love the person that she thought she knew. I agree with the things that you wrote, I think anyone runs a risk if they meet a person from the internet, but children or teenagers are more vulnerable because they have less experience and sometimes it is harder for them to discover that a person is lying.
1 person likes this
@rog0322 (2828)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
15 Oct 12
Hi,
Yep, some people are not what they really seem online when coming face to face, or as the term goes, eyeballing them. Like radio announcers of old where school girls fall in love with their voices and running away when seen up close and personal, online people are quite different online and in person.
I should exercise extra caution when meeting online people offline. Best way is, never meet them at all without a reliable backup in the background.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
15 Oct 12
Some people are different when you meet them face-to-face that is true. I have experienced that myself and I almost didn't recognize the person that I met, because he was so different from the person that I thought I had gotten to know online. Nothing bad or dangerous happened, but I was totally surpriced to talk to him in real life. Yes, we should be careful when we meet people from the internet, because we never know much the meeting is going to turn out.
@pahak627 (5347)
• Philippines
14 Oct 12
That story may happen in real life. In fact we have heard from the news that there are girls who were raped by their online friends. Wish that girls will be alert on this kind of situation. They should at least have someone with them during a so-called eyeball with online friends.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
15 Oct 12
That is the scary thing it, the story is not unrealistic at all. Unfortunately things like that also happen in real life and some people aren't as lucky as that girl and they get raped or even killed. I have met many online friends and I believe that it is possible to get a lot of positive experiences as well, but we have to be careful when we meet people for the first time because some people are very different in real life and manage to hide their true personalities when you talk to them online. I have experienced that myself. Nothing bad happened, but it is important to be careful.
1 person likes this
@watchamacallitz (1171)
• Philippines
14 Oct 12
Others dont end up as lucky as the girl in your story. Others get raped, some were even murdered. if you happen to have an online friend and if you really would like to meet up with that person, better have someone with you just to be safe.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
15 Oct 12
The girl in the story that I read was really very lucky. She managed to escape and get help, but other girls are less lucky and unfortunately some of them get raped or even killed. That is scary to think about and it is very important to be careful when we meet people from the internet. I have found several friends on the internet and some of them have become my offline friends as well. We can get a lot of positive things from the internet, but it is important to avoid the dangerous situations that you might experience if you meet in a private home or if you accept lift from a stranger, so it is best to meet at a public place.
1 person likes this
@Raine38 (12387)
• United States
14 Oct 12
And this is why parental supervision is still required in letting minors use the internet. One of the rules in our house that is applicable to my younger bro and sis in using the internet is that they should use it only during weekends and for a limited time except when there are school projects to research on and it should be done at the living room or study nook where everyone can see. We always check them in their rooms and their laptops are always in the study table near the living room. Their laptops are not allowed inside their bedrooms.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
15 Oct 12
I think that it is a very good idea to do to prevent them from using their laptops in their bedrooms and ask them to use the computers in room where the rest of the family can see what they are doing. It is much safer that way. When my brother was younger he was allowed to use the internet in his own room and he almost ended in the dangerous situation because my parents weren't watching what he was doing. Fortunately he managed to get out of the situation without any harm, but I think that parental supervision is very important.
1 person likes this
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
14 Oct 12
I saw a story like yours on dateline nbc a few months ago. Real scarry. You sure never know who you are really talking to online these days. Be carefull.
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
14 Oct 12
Yes, it is scary. It is so easy to hide your real identity online. No one can see you and you can pretend that you are someone else like the man from my story did. Of course there are also many positive meetings with online friends, but we have to be careful when we meet an online friend for the first time because we don't know if the person is different from the way that we expect. That is one is of the reasons why I always choose to meet at a public place at first.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Oct 12
rcospino yes its scary and here on mylot a few years back a mylotter girl had an online romance and he finally came to meet her. He was twice
as old as he had told her. she had met him alone and she was uncomfortable with him. she went to the bathroom in the cafe and snuck out the back door and ran home. later he stalked her and would not leave her alone. gifts sent and phone calls and her dad intervened and finally got a restraining order against him. but he kept bothering her and finally ended up in jail.the father moved the whole family as he was fed up with the older man whom the girl did not like and was afraid of.
as old as he had told her. she had met him alone and she was uncomfortable with him. she went to the bathroom in the cafe and snuck out the back door and ran home. later he stalked her and would not leave her alone. gifts sent and phone calls and her dad intervened and finally got a restraining order against him. but he kept bothering her and finally ended up in jail.the father moved the whole family as he was fed up with the older man whom the girl did not like and was afraid of.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
26 Oct 12
That must have been a terrible experience for that girl. I am sorry to hear that she had to go through something like that. Unfortunately some meetings with people from the internet don't turn out well 
I have heard about other people who have experienced similar things. Of course there are also stories with a happy end like my own story (I married a man I had met on the internet), but it is important to be careful when we meet people from the internet. Some people are very different when you meet them face-to-face and end sometimes they won't leave you alone like it happened that girl.
I have heard about other people who have experienced similar things. Of course there are also stories with a happy end like my own story (I married a man I had met on the internet), but it is important to be careful when we meet people from the internet. Some people are very different when you meet them face-to-face and end sometimes they won't leave you alone like it happened that girl.
@vidhyaprakash_2 (7116)
• India
16 Oct 12
Hi friend, sad to hear about this story. you are right, this kind of incidents are quite common in this modern days, lot of girls are fall in love with their online friends without knowing about them completely and spoil their life in this sort. Luckily the girl found a way to escape from him. Hope she never do this kind of mistakes again in her life time
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
18 Oct 12
The girl in the story was lucky, that is true. She managed to escape from the car when she discovered that the man had bad intentions, but other girls are less luucky and they get raped or even killed I hope that she learned something from the experience and doesn't take the same kinds of risks in the future. We can find some nice friends on the internet and there are many other positive things about the internet, but we have to be careful when we meet people that we don't know because some of them lie and hide their real identities.
I hope that she learned something from the experience and doesn't take the same kinds of risks in the future. We can find some nice friends on the internet and there are many other positive things about the internet, but we have to be careful when we meet people that we don't know because some of them lie and hide their real identities.1 person likes this
