Kristiina, a 39-year-old nurse from Estonia, wasn’t looking for love when she joined a language exchange app — just a bit of conversation to improve her English. That’s where she met “Daniel,” a handsome man who said he was originally from the UK but currently working in Turkey on a construction project.
Daniel was polite, respectful, and always asked about her day. He never pushed anything inappropriate. He even called her “sunshine” and said talking to her made his evenings feel less lonely. Slowly, Kristiina began to look forward to his messages.
They spoke every day for three weeks. One day, Daniel sent a selfie of himself in a hard hat, smiling, dusty from work. He said he’d been thinking seriously about visiting her in Tallinn — that it would be “a fresh start for both of them.”
Kristiina felt butterflies.
Then came the problem. Daniel explained that his phone had broken and the only way he could stay in touch was if Kristiina bought him a €50 Google Play gift card so he could “unlock” international calling features on his backup device. She hesitated.
But the thought of losing contact with him felt painful.
She bought the card. Sent the code.
Daniel thanked her, then disappeared for a day. The next evening he returned — apologizing for the silence and saying his internet connection was unstable. He asked if she could help “just one more time” so he could buy data. This time, €20.
Kristiina sent it again.
But her gut started whispering.
She told a colleague, who immediately said:
“It’s a scam. Google Play cards? Really?”
Kristiina reverse searched Daniel’s photo and found it used on two other dating profiles under different names.
Heart sinking, she blocked him.
He never tried to contact her again.
Lesson Learned:
Not all scammers ask for thousands. Some start with small amounts and test boundaries. If someone you’ve never met asks for money — even just “for data” — that’s a red flag you can’t afford to ignore.