Reconnected with a younger relative and now they are asking for money. Should I worry?

[Anonymous]

Don't give money. If you had been close your whole life and trusted the person and could afford it, sure I might give directly toward medical bills. This is just icky.

[Anonymous]

Op here. They reached out again saying their phone would be disconnected if this bill is missed and that the original person who they found after initially reaching out to me and who was to provide money to them did not provide them the money. How many payments do you have to miss for a cell phone disconnection? Does this sound like it could be related to surgery and missed work or longer term issue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. They reached out again saying their phone would be disconnected if this bill is missed and that the original person who they found after initially reaching out to me and who was to provide money to them did not provide them the money. How many payments do you have to miss for a cell phone disconnection? Does this sound like it could be related to surgery and missed work or longer term issue?

Do not reply and block their number. They’re scamming you. My own brother tries this crap. It will not stop. Do not enable them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. They reached out again saying their phone would be disconnected if this bill is missed and that the original person who they found after initially reaching out to me and who was to provide money to them did not provide them the money. How many payments do you have to miss for a cell phone disconnection? Does this sound like it could be related to surgery and missed work or longer term issue?

One. One single payment. So we are not talking about a very small amount of money here. You made it seem like it was thousands, like to take care of a car repair or rent.

This is a small amount of money. Give it to them. Consider it an investment in the relationship, as in, either it will work out or it won't. You may be pleasantly surprised. If your relative has been struggling financially for a long time, they think asking for help is normal. It is normal for a lot of people who struggle. Life is harder for some than others. Consider it a donation to charity and see what happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. They reached out again saying their phone would be disconnected if this bill is missed and that the original person who they found after initially reaching out to me and who was to provide money to them did not provide them the money. How many payments do you have to miss for a cell phone disconnection? Does this sound like it could be related to surgery and missed work or longer term issue?

One. One single payment. So we are not talking about a very small amount of money here. You made it seem like it was thousands, like to take care of a car repair or rent.

This is a small amount of money. Give it to them. Consider it an investment in the relationship, as in, either it will work out or it won't. You may be pleasantly surprised. If your relative has been struggling financially for a long time, they think asking for help is normal. It is normal for a lot of people who struggle. Life is harder for some than others. Consider it a donation to charity and see what happens.

Meant, we ARE talking about a very small amount of money. One single phone payment.

[Anonymous]

Op never said how much it was. I would send
$100 and be done with it. I give more to strangers and I'm low income earner doing manual labor. What was the surgery?
That said, I have never given my cousins as they are capable of same manual labor as myself, but are simply bad at managing money.
No health problems or surgeries to consider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. They reached out again saying their phone would be disconnected if this bill is missed and that the original person who they found after initially reaching out to me and who was to provide money to them did not provide them the money. How many payments do you have to miss for a cell phone disconnection? Does this sound like it could be related to surgery and missed work or longer term issue?

Do not reply and block their number. They’re scamming you. My own brother tries this crap. It will not stop. Do not enable them.

I agree. Giving the money sets a precedent that will be harder to break, so I personally would not give them the money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op never said how much it was. I would send
$100 and be done with it. I give more to strangers and I'm low income earner doing manual labor. What was the surgery?
That said, I have never given my cousins as they are capable of same manual labor as myself, but are simply bad at managing money.
No health problems or surgeries to consider.

A lot of these high earners on DCUM are incredibly nasty and selfish. Studies bear this out. It's why it's said that a rich person has as much chance of getting into heaven as a camel has of getting through the eye of a needle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. They reached out again saying their phone would be disconnected if this bill is missed and that the original person who they found after initially reaching out to me and who was to provide money to them did not provide them the money. How many payments do you have to miss for a cell phone disconnection? Does this sound like it could be related to surgery and missed work or longer term issue?

No. They are scamming you. Do not fall for it. Do not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're rich and they aren't, it's OK to send gifts.

I was in a similar situation and sent the relatives children gifts for holidays. I spent a lot of time picking them out, basing them on their interests, etc. Turns out the relative was selling all of the items. I was so mad bc based on her social media, she was spending a lot on herself and not her kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op never said how much it was. I would send
$100 and be done with it. I give more to strangers and I'm low income earner doing manual labor. What was the surgery?
That said, I have never given my cousins as they are capable of same manual labor as myself, but are simply bad at managing money.
No health problems or surgeries to consider.

A lot of these high earners on DCUM are incredibly nasty and selfish. Studies bear this out. It's why it's said that a rich person has as much chance of getting into heaven as a camel has of getting through the eye of a needle.

I donate a ton and always help a friend or relative in legitimate need. But I also know a scammer when I see one 9there are several in our large extended family) and this type can get really abusive. There are red flags all over OP's post. Posts like yours feed into the scammer's game -- guilting OP into thinking she is a bad person if she doesn't give this random person money.

[Anonymous]

According to the original post the OP just met this distant cousin, so this isn’t a “reconnection” as the thread title suggests. It’s a once, first time meeting at a recent funeral.

A fool is born every minute. Do not give this recently met cousin any money. The fact that OP has no alarm bells going off is sad. Really sad. They’re preying on you, perhaps you’re lonely and want some “family”. They’re using you. Don’t do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. They reached out again saying their phone would be disconnected if this bill is missed and that the original person who they found after initially reaching out to me and who was to provide money to them did not provide them the money. How many payments do you have to miss for a cell phone disconnection? Does this sound like it could be related to surgery and missed work or longer term issue?

One. One single payment. So we are not talking about a very small amount of money here. You made it seem like it was thousands, like to take care of a car repair or rent.

This is a small amount of money. Give it to them. Consider it an investment in the relationship, as in, either it will work out or it won't. You may be pleasantly surprised. If your relative has been struggling financially for a long time, they think asking for help is normal. It is normal for a lot of people who struggle. Life is harder for some than others. Consider it a donation to charity and see what happens.

Meant, we ARE talking about a very small amount of money. One single phone payment.

Make sure the relative doesn't live in a familial responsibility state; some extend to other relatives, some will treat an agreement to support a disabled or indigent relative as binding. Once you take on their obligation, you may not be able to get rid of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to the original post the OP just met this distant cousin, so this isn’t a “reconnection” as the thread title suggests. It’s a once, first time meeting at a recent funeral.

A fool is born every minute. Do not give this recently met cousin any money. The fact that OP has no alarm bells going off is sad. Really sad. They’re preying on you, perhaps you’re lonely and want some “family”. They’re using you. Don’t do it.

+1 I could totally see my MIL falling for this. She is desperate for extended family relationships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be polite. They'll try again and you'll be like, sorry. If they're not interested in a relationship, they'll disappear.

People can be interested in relationship and wondering if they can get financial assistance. It doesn't mean the relationship is not sincere, but it does mean that you want to set very clear boundaries

Nobody who wants a sincere relationship with someone asks them for money. Certainly not over text message and when they’ve barely even had a few actual conversations.

This^.