I Need Some Advice On This One...

[Josephine8Alexandria]

Hi all! 
Just need a wee bit of advice here... Keep in mind I am 66 and, despite being, formerly, an electronics technician (servicing two way radios and stereos of a type you all would probably call "vintage"), many of the new digital devices and their associated services and software have sort of left me behind in the dust as far as understanding goes.

Okay, on POF.com  (plenty of fish)  (I know, I know, I shouldn't be messing with those crazy things) I met a woman seemingly interested in a transgender woman or any other woman for long term.  She is CLEARLY aware of the following:
I am a non-op transgender woman, I am retired (therefore must be assumed on limited income (and I am)), and do various fun, odd jobs for a little extra money (general and medical transcription a few hours a week, providing safe rides for LGBT folks (kind of like Uber or Lyft but I am not associated with them) that happens a couple times a week, and delivery for a restaurant.

She and I traded pictures, asked about this and that, she wanted to make sure I was serious, etc, etc.  She is a Nurse, currently working in Yemen helping with injured soldiers under United Nations.  Our communications have been going on a week as of the date of this post.  She is low-key, not loud or braggy.  Seems very much enthralled with me.
Then, she asks me to, like, and I quote: "Honey can you get iTunes card for me"...
First, I do NOT know what in h--- an iTune card is.  (I guess I'm showing my age here!)  That is one of those digital thingies that I just never got involved with.  She has related to me how lonely she is on that base in Yemen quartered in a ware-house-like building with Spartan facilities.  She is on duty 7 days a week and sleeps basically alone.  She has another 5 weeks then will return to USA.  She is 42.  I listed myself as 56 because I look even younger than that.  As soon as one starts chatting with me I reveal my age.  They usually don't believe it.  My profile CLEARLY states that I am a no-op transgender woman.  So anyone contacting me knows that off the bat.

Anyway, so continuing with the iTune mystery...  So she wants me to get an iTune card for her, scratch it to reveal the number (huh?), take a picture of it (understandable) and send the picture via the cellular phone so she can use the number to acquire music (huh? Ooookayyy...)  She suggested as what I could afford but a 100-dollar iTune card preferred (I guess that means more music?)

Anyway, the thing is, is it just because I come from a long time ago, but I personally would never, ever ask someone I known for only a week to get me a 100-dollar... ANY thing.  Unless it was dire and I was starving maybe, but not for music.
Personally, I get music from the Internet, particularly Youtube.  Using a video editor, I can record the screen and get audio and video.  Then I use a converter to derive the audio only into MP3 and on it goes to my various devices (MP3 player and older style cellular phone).  Long ago, I set up direct to tape-recorder console to record off of victrolas (record players) FM radios, cartridge players and so on.  I have tons of free music, both from long ago and present.

Communication to Yemen is lousy.  We cannot voice call.  Texts often take several seconds to minutes to transfer.  She works hard everyday taking care of wounded soldiers from various countries.  She lives under Spartan conditions in what sounds like to me a Military Advance Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit.

I don't know.  Maybe folks do things different these days...  Hmm, 42 years old, 66 years old, actually only 24 years difference... did things change that much in 20 years?

Anyway, I am mostly just playing around but it WOULD BE nice to have a close cis-gender woman "buddy".  I'll have to watch this one closely and... LISTEN TO YOU ALL'S ADVICE! 

[Jaime320]

Sorry hun, sounds like a scam. Something else delaying texts is a bounce/relay, or voip. The lack of video chat is a red flag.  I've not been in a UN led effort, but if US military is on scene. Reliable Communication with home is established for morale. FaceTime/Skype easily possible. Ever seen the show catfished? Watch a few episodes and see if there are other similarities.

[Dena]

It's another version of presenting a fake personality in order to get somebody to wire them money. I am sure the cards are available on a military base and you only need to open an apple ID account then link it to a credit card to get the same purchasing power without the card. This person is simply trying to find a way to make the money in your pocket to end up in their pocket. There is a web site that I can't directly link to but you should look at. Google 419eater and you should find the site right off. They list nearly every type of scam currently being played and expose the fraud behind them.

[KathyLauren]

The whole iTunes thing is a giant red flag.  The person is a scammer.  Run!

[Jessica]

Don't get into the trap of accepting someone's friendship based on needing friendship.  Online relationships are fraught with pitfalls.
I know a woman that was wooed online by someone who proposed marriage.  She planned her life around that.  They were to move in together on the other side of the country and adopt children.  All this was timed for them to be together when she had GRS.  He never showed up and she was all alone.
Her friends, including myself, expressed concern beforehand, but she was sure this was real, because she wanted it to be real.

[AnneK]

Another scam to watch out for is someone asking for Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency.

[Dena]

I wasn't fully awake when I made my first post however there are some additional things you should be aware of. An Apple gift card is good for anything in the Apple store including a $3,000 top of the line computer. All they need to do is take the card and add it to their account when purchasing something. I suspect the reason for the slow response is at least in part due the the fact that your not the only person they are working. Also remember that the military can now provide internet support on their bases so the personal can remain in touch with their family.

If you want to test this and turn it around, say the following.

I don't really think that $100 is enough and I would like to send you $300. I think the best way to do this would be through your Apple account so if you let me know what your Apple ID is, I will make the deposit directly as a gift. 

If they are cautious, that will be the last contact you receive. If they are greedy, you will get the Apple ID and then you can let Apple know that that you suspect the account is being used to scam people. If Apple verifies it, they will shut them down and hold any money deposited to the account.

[MaryT]

Dena has a good plan there, I think.

It is almost certainly a scam, though.  Buddies don't ask for large sums of money to buy music.  There is certainly a scam in which people find that the files on their computer have been encrypted and the scammers demand payment via iTunes cards.  A similar scam existed in which people were threatened by by people claiming to be Britain's Revenue and Customs department, also demanding, unlikely as it sounds, payment via iTunes cards.

There are brave and compassionate people doing humanitarian work in Yemen.  There are also sinister organisations with members using fake identities.  Money sent carelessly to Yemen can fund international terrorism.

[AnneK]

she can use the number to acquire music

Communication to Yemen is lousy.

Lemme get this straight...  Communications are so poor she can barely text, yet is planning on downloading music?  Yeah, right!   

[Dena]

I was poking around the Apple web site for a few minutes and ran across this link which you might find informative.

[MaryT]

...  Money sent carelessly to Yemen can fund international terrorism.

Using gift cards to obtain luxury goods might seem harmless with regard to terrorism but bear in mind that goods can be resold.

[LizK]

American Military base with poor communications for staff...I didn't know they existed...I am with everyone else it's a scam...I think Dena's suggestion is a great one.

Liz


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[Josephine8Alexandria]

Well, you all, I will keep this simple.  I have shut down any and all communications with this... uh, gal (might even be a man, who knows).  I tremendously thank all of you!

I almost got reeled in by a "catfish"!

Dena, you idea is great!  Thank you!  But I am just shutting off all communications with that lady(?) immediately and that will be that.

Again, I thank all of you!  Case closed. :-)

[Josephine8Alexandria]

This site was particularly damming to the one catfishing me:

https://whatismyipaddress.com/catfish

[itsApril]

... Keep in mind I am 66 . . .  She is 42.  I listed myself as 56 because I look even younger than that.  As soon as one starts chatting with me I reveal my age.

Hello, Josephine8Alexandria!

I think you have dodged a bullet by cutting this "fish" loose!  Congratulations on not getting scammed!

I don't mean to sound judgmental, but you might want to reconsider the strategy of understating your age.  If your "friend" in Yemen had been a real woman rather than a scammer, the point in the conversation where you tell her "I'm actually 66.  I just tell people Im 56 because I look younger" would likely be a deal-killer.  Most real folks would likely have felt lied to and betrayed and ended things right there.

It's telling that the Yemen Lady just brushed it off like it was no big deal.  I would guess the reason might be that "she" had no interest in you, so it didn't matter whether you are 56 or 66 or 106.  The only number she was interested in was 100.  Namely, $100.