Pace resident Margie Henson encourages other local senior citizens to take extra precaution when it comes to online dating.
The 76-year-old woman said she felt scammed after meeting a local man on a popular dating website back in 2012.
“He seemed to be really proud of me,” Henson said. “He took me out and introduced me to people.”
Soon after they began dating, Henson said the man became misleading and lied to her on several occasions. The relationship even led to an incident, in which she helped him purchase a car.
“He had an older car, he was wanting to go up to Virginia (to visit family),” Henson said.
Henson said the man pressured her in helping him purchase a new vehicle.
“He said that if I didn’t give him the money, it would be handled in another manner,” she said. “I don’t know how to take something like that. I went ahead and gave (the money) to him.”
Henson said she spent $21,000 towards the new vehicle. She said the man drove the vehicle from November, 2013 to July, 2014.
“After he got that car, his attitude changed,” Henson said. “He was not the person I thought he was.”
The man became rude and often belittled her and others, she said.
The ordeal caused Henson to have stress-related health issues, she said.
Luckily, Henson took a lien out on the vehicle, in which with a local lawyer’s assistance, she was able to get the
vehicle back from the man. The vehicle was sold back to the dealership.
However, after the relationship had ended, Henson said the individual would come by her house when she wasn’t home and go through her mail. Henson eventually had to purchase a post office box.
If there is one thing, Henson would relate to other senior citizens currently looking to date online, she suggests doing a back ground check.
“I would say get a lawyer and pay a little bit of money and check them out,” she said.
Rich Aloy, public information officer with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, said adults can look into a person’s background, by simply searching via the internet.
Aloy recommends conducting an online search via Google or even searching their name on a local clerk of court’s website.
“You can’t be overly cautious,” Aloy said. “(Online dating) is a gamble.”
Henson is currently engaged to another man.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Warning for internet dating seniors