Woman’s dreamy online boyfriend she’s never seen in person sets off her coworker’s catfish alarm as every story about his life in Europe multiplies red flags: ‘She’s convinced he’s going to come back and they will get married’

Author image for Etai Eshet
Etai Eshet • Editor
May 3, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

There are fantasy boyfriends, and then there's whatever character this woman's coworker has conjured from the world's sketchiest corner of the internet. The office break room is full of mysteries, but none quite as entertaining, or unsettling a romance that sounds like a rejected Catfish episode. 

This "boyfriend" is a man of many talents and no local witnesses. His photo gallery is a slideshow of Snapchat thirst traps, every one featuring a jawline too sharp and a filter too familiar. He moved to Europe a week after this so-called relationship began, attending to a series of tragedies and inheritance plot twists that offer the narrative depth of a scammer in a hurry. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement

  • The late mother’s diamond, allegedly accrues monthly rent (as all precious gems do in the alternate reality of romance scams). There’s a secret will, viewable by no one. Just to name a few.

    FaceTime is out of the question because Europe is a third-world country with terrible connections, of course, but detailed instructions for sharing tax returns are always delivered right on time. The man claims American real estate holdings, yet can’t seem to provide an address, or apparently, a single selfie off Snapchat.

  • "I think my coworkers boyfriend isn’t real"

    Cheezburger Image 10499941120
    via Brooke Cagle

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • I think my coworkers boyfriend is scamming her- what do I do??? How, if at all, should I approach addressing this with her?
    via AdEvery3342
  • This just happened today so stay with me while I get all the details out So I've been at my job for a couple of months now and there's a girl I chat with at lunch and sometimes during break. She's been talking about her
    via AdEvery3342
  • boyfriend and I've only heard random details here and there, but today she told me more of their story and I'm starting to think he's not "real" in the way she thinks he is.
    via AdEvery3342

  • If it looks like a catfish or however the old saying goes

    SCAM
    via Lemonsoup14
  • It started when she finally showed me a picture of him. Now this guy is extremely attractive (let's go girl!) and I obviously asked to see more photos. But, as she started
    via AdEvery3342
  • showing me more photos, they all sorta looked like they were screenshots someone took from their Snapchat story and sent to someone else (like Snapchat
    via AdEvery3342
  • filters and Snapchat designs). And every photo was clearly posed and lowkey a thirst trap. Kinda weird, but whatever.
    via AdEvery3342
  • She then mentioned that they met through a dating app. Now this wasn't weird at all until she mentioned that he moved home to Europe a week after they started dating due to his mother's
    via AdEvery3342
  • Cheezburger Image 10499941632
    via Brooke Cagle

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • unexpected death. I told her this must have been so hard for her, seeing as they were only in person for a little while before he had to leave. BUT THEN, she said they never met in person! ( ()
    via AdEvery3342
  • I jokingly asked if she's ever seen the guy, and she said they can't FaceTime that often cause his connection is bad, but they text all the time. (
    via AdEvery3342
  • She then talks more and more about the reasons why he has had to stay in Europe (context: he was supposed to come home in December, but his return keeps getting pushed back). I'll list some of them down below:
    via AdEvery3342
  • • His mother had a diamond in a safety deposit box that he inherited and now has to sell it because the "rent on the diamond" has increased (what???) He has said that he will cut the diamond in half and sell one part and then turn the other half into a ring for her.
    via AdEvery3342
  • • His family is fighting over the will and there's a clause in there saying his inheritance is conditional on having a wife (any lawyer wants to chime in and tell me if this is normal because I think not). I jokingly asked if I could read it and she said he explicitly told her that no one could ever see it, which just felt a little off.
    via AdEvery3342
  • • He's sending her his tax return because finances are "weird in Europe" and she can just send it to him later (which in my brain is code for "let me get access to your bank account"
    via AdEvery3342
  • • She said he's offered to do all of her taxes, so I don't know what information she has sent over
    via AdEvery3342
  • • He allegedly has properties all over the U.S. because he's in real estate, but she's never been over to his house which is only 30 minutes away from our office.
    via AdEvery3342
  • Though he's in real estate, he hasn't been able to sell his mother's house in the last few months which makes his stay even longer.
    via AdEvery3342
  • In the newest turn of events, she has a ring (that she bought as a place holder before he gets her a "real one"). They're not "engaged" engaged, but she's convinced he's going to come back and they
    via AdEvery3342
  • will get married. She hasn't told her family because she thinks they will judge her, and she says they are planning on getting married by the end of the summer.
    via AdEvery3342
  • I just honestly don't know what to think, say, or do. It's not like we're close friends, which would allow me to have input on her life. But I don't know if I can start a conversation with "I'm pretty sure this boyfriend of yours is fake." |
    via AdEvery3342
  • researched the impact of internet scams in college for a semester and this seems to have all the signs of a scam, but a slightly different presentation.
    via AdEvery3342
  • So I guess, help? What do I say? Any chance someone has seen this before or knows how to address it? We'll only be coworkers for another year or so
    via AdEvery3342
  • before I'm back at school so I'm okay with it getting a little awkward if need be. Thoughts??!!?!? Thanks in advance :)
    via AdEvery3342

Tags

Dating-Relationships first date dating fails detective advice We Are Dating red flags dating apps red flag first dates online dating dating
Scroll Down For The Next Article