Reading these stories reminds me of the way my kids would tease me when I first came online and found the chat rooms. They would say, "Oh, Mom's phone will ring and when she looks at the caller ID, it'll say "Huntsville State Prison" LOL.
We go into the chat rooms because we're lonely and that is what those "men" take advantage of. I've often wondered how many women these lotharios are stringing along at any given time. I can't properly call them men, because to me they are more like predators who sit there at their computers laughing because another lonely female has fallen for their BS.

He calls himself Chuck and he's from Louisiana. Says he's in his 50s, divorced after being married 20-some years -- that he caught his wife with another man. Says he has grown children. Claims to be a Viet Nam Vet (Army) and was shot in the stomach. His IMs start out very friendly, claiming to be able to help you if you're having problems. After a time, he will use another screen name pretending to be his brother, Case. He has NO brother. He will tell you he's very wealthy: owns a huge cattle ranch, his own airplane, etc. ALL UNTRUE: He has no money. After the 5th time of not showing up to met me (he will say he's coming to see you but never shows -- there is always an earth-shattering excuse), I got suspicious and made some phone calls. I called the Chamber of Commerce in his town and talk to the guy who handles all the land surveying for that area. He told me that a person by that name does not have a cattle ranch, in fact he lives in a trailer on someone else's property and is MARRIED! I have a friend who is a police office and gave him Chuck's SS#, Drivers License #, and date of birth. He ran them for me and they were ALL false: the SS# came up belonging to a woman and the DL# came up for another woman (both in the La area), and his DOB was not a match. He has MANY screen names. He was also involved with an online friend of mine using another screen name and we both became suspicious comparing notes about the guy we were chatting up. We each recorded a phone conversation with him for each other to listen to -- it was the same voice. Another clue, he has bad sinus problems and always snorts while talking on the phone. If you're talking to him by IMs or in a private room, he will suddenly stop talking. He will later tell you his puter froze or he fell asleep from all the sinus meds -- actually he was talking to one of his other women. He will tell you: "No one has ever loved you like I do"... "When we finally meet, it will be like heaven on earth. All the angels will sing and all is right with the world" ..."I am coming for what is mine" This man has no soul and no remorse for anyone he hurts. Please, Ladies, don't fall for this man as I did. Your heart will only end up broken.

It is quite compelling to fall in love with all these online strangers when we have been given the opportunity to look inside of someone's soul and see them for who they are (or who they want to portray themselves to be???), because we have sidestepped that awkward formality of having to look them in the eye and being forced to make conversation to find out who they are.
The written word is much more enticing; it plays on the imagination. There are some incredible people online ... all shades of life are represented here, and sometimes we are able to talk to someone that we would not necessarily have the opportunity to do so in real life. But you have to be happy with the lot you have chosen for yourself. As I told Bill when we first met, there will always be someone out there who might be nicer, or sexier, or richer, or smarter, or more good-looking, but what we have is a strong commitment, a promise, a pact for life we have chosen, and that will always be first and foremost if that is what he/we choose ... and we did.
I don't know if you are looking, or are spoken for, but you must come to some sort of agreement with yourself as to what your goal is, and are you achieving it with these online liaisons.

My story reeks of 'sameness' as many of the others I've read. I was a lonely woman, married with children, but extremely unhappy in my home relationship and wanting to end it but not knowing how. I went to a very popular Beliefs chat room and noticed a person in the room who wasn't saying anything at all. I am the kind of person who likes the challenge of drawing people out, getting them to open up, etc. I began chatting with this person, asking: how are you, where do you live, those kinds of things. I eventually was successful in getting him to give me some information, (up until this point I did not know if this person was male or female) but he held back a lot, like someone who had a lot to say but didn't know where to start. One night when we were both in the room, he said he was sorry and that he should go. I thought something might be wrong and that maybe I could help, so I IM'd him. We became really close after that, but always kept it clean and decent. I really fell hard for him, and he told me he was falling for me too. He would come online at all hours and IM me, asking me to make a private room as he had something really important to talk to me about. And when I would make the room and invite him in, he'd always start out by saying:"I love you and I miss you and I want to be with you. When are you coming to Tampa? He knew I was married and so his coming to me was out of the question. I am a Christian lady and he knew that, said he was a Christian too, and we had many many discussions on the Bible and what God meant for us personally. He talked a lot about hockey, told me he was an ex pro hockey player, had played for the RedWings, even that he had the #23. But an injury, hit his head on the goal, had forced him into early retirement because the injury had damaged his brain slightly. I know nothing about hockey so I wasn't really impressed, but he relentlessly tried to teach me about the sport. He said his name was Cliff, was divorced, had no children, and couldn't wait for me and my children to come to Florida so that we could all be a family. I told him that I would have to pray about it and see what God would lead me to do. He said he fully understood and that he would wait for us forever, that he loved us that much.
Then he had to have knee surgery and told me that he would have a good friend of his pop online and let me know how he was doing once the surgery was over. I was online, waiting and someone did IM me and told me that Cliff was doing fine and that the surgery had gone smoothly, then signed off. For a few days I didn't hear from him, thinking he was too sore to do anything at the computer. So I spent my time online looking up sports pages and going to the sports chatrooms, trying to learn something about hockey that would make him proud of me! I learned that the RedWings have their own website and that there is a special chatroom for Hockey fans. I went there and asked if anyone could give me stats on Cliff ____, formerly #23 of the RedWings, who had had to retire early due to a head injury. They told me there HAS NEVER BEEN A CLIFF ____ WHO PLAYED FOR THE REDWINGS. As a matter of fact, no one ever remembered hearing the name Cliff ____ on ANY team. They did send me to a very informative website, all about hockey and it went back to the 1920's, listing every single player who had ever played in the US and Canada, and guess what -- he wasn't on the list.
A few days later, he came online, IM'd me, and asked me to make a private room for us. I did, and he started with all the stuff that he always said. By this time I was pretty sure he was playing me, and I asked him What is your name?" He said, "I told you my name is Cliff ____." I said, "How come nothing about Cliff ____ comes up anywhere online related to the Redwings?" He said nothing and left the room. I then tried emailing him but he had blocked me from sending mail to him. He also had his IMs blocked. [ Typical cowardly reaction of players. FB Staff ] The next day I was in the chatroom and a gal came in and said, "Hi. My grandpa comes to this room, his name is Cliff ____." (He said he had NO kids!) I said, "Oh really." She said, "Yes, he comes here a lot when my grandma is at work (And he said he was divorced!), he gets lonely I guess." I checked her profile and she was from the same town as him. So I created myself a new screen name and went in the room one night, waiting for him, in ambush I guess you could say, but I wanted answers! After a long time he did finally come back in the room, I said, "Hey, CLIFFY, how's the grandkids?" He was not happy at all and knew at once it was me. LOL
I thank God every day that I didn't jump at the chance to be with this man in Florida. My marriage has ended, but I'd rather be alone than to be with a man like Cliff the Phony.

My story started over 2 years ago, I was still new to AOL and was enjoying the chat rooms. My husband and I had moved to a new state, and being new and "not from around there" we were having trouble making new friends. My husband disappeared into a shell and I was desperate for conversation. On my 50th birthday, I got an email from Joe (of Gillette, WY) telling me what he would do for my birthday and where he would take me if he could, everything a woman would want to hear. I fell, hook, line, and sinker. I knew from talking to him he had been involved with someone before me, but I was blind and stupid. He would called me at work; we talked a lot on the phone. I heard every possible story on how his wife couldn't take care of his needs, that she doesn't show him enough attention and doesn't understand him. After a couple of weeks, my husband found an email on the computer from him and our marriage almost ended. We worked things out, but I would still talk to Joe on occasion. I tried staying "friends" with him. Then I found out less than a week after my husband's discovery that Joe had a "new one" already. I am sure he has/had dozens. Just notches on the bedpost for him. He travels a lot and his wife has raised the family pretty much herself. Last Christmas I finally told him off: that he is a low life, a no good bum who preys on women who are down. His wife emailed me after that, not knowing anything about us except that we just talked. She was about to have surgery. We emailed and talked for a while, then suddenly she disappeared from online.
He travels with his job and gets on line from motel rooms, and hangs out in the Over40 Earlybirds room. In short, Joe looks for someone who will type the right words so he can type one handed.

Note that he keeps his socks on     LOL

It's not so much the guys that come on with those lines that we need to worry about. We can see those guys for who they are. Least they're upfront about where they're coming from and exactly what they're looking for. It's the subtle ones, the ones who go for the heartstrings and say the right words at all the right times we have to worry about. The hardest part is figuring out if they're being sincere or not.
I'm not going to let a player change who I am. I've just learned to regroup. I've learned if I sit back and wait, the player persona eventually always "comes out" and in doing so, I did meet a very nice man on here. While it didn't work out because it just wasn't the right time for us, it was a really good experience to get back in the dating game and I learned there are nice guys out there. You just have to be patient and CAREFUL.

I met Rob online. I've love the fantasy of vampires ever since I was a child. I was going through a separation from a bad marriage and, needless to say, this man got into my head in ways that he just made me feel so good about myself. He also role-played a very romantic vampire which immediately grabbed my attention. He whisked me off my feet with his suave conversation. Once I was hooked, line, and sinker (I was living in Florida at the time), he wanted to fly from Burbank CA to Jacksonville, FLA to meet me, and it was arranged.
I stood waiting at the airport and yes he did show up ... with Catholic medals and chains around his neck ... and very intoxicated !!! I couldn't very well leave. The poor guy had just flew thousands of miles. Through our conversations, I found out he was a big time staff worker in a church in which he even resided at. (To this day I wonder if he was a priest incognito, living a double life ... but he was definitely in the administration.) And here he was acting as if he were the most romantic vampire cause he knew I loved that fantasy. And he was very good, ladies ... too good. Needless to say, he tried to sleep with me 5 minutes after I brought him to my home. But his being in the administration of a large catholic church and living there struck me weird. So he slept on the couch. I drove him back to the airport quite early the next day and learned from that silly mistake. But again, I am a woman with feelings and it wasn't easy, but it had to be done.
One thing he would often tell me was: I was his best friend, lover, and confidant and tell me he loved the girl I looked at in the mirror each day. Thanks for listening, ladies.