Asking Eric: Help! My friend is ready to throw her whole life away to be with online romance scammer

In an advice column, “Eric” addresses a situation where a friend is reportedly entangled with an online romance scammer posing as a famous celebrity. The writer says the friend has communicated with the person online and by phone, believes it is genuine love, and is preparing to abandon a long-term live-in relationship to pursue the scam. The friend has allegedly sent money to “Mr. Fake” and is awaiting a promised plane to travel. When the scammer said he was ill and postponed the trip, the friend still believed him. Eric warns that romance scams are common and dangerous, citing the FBI’s guidance to report cases to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov). He advises gathering information, verifying the celebrity in person and with others before spending money, involving the friend’s partner, and cutting off contact if possible. The column also suggests that logic-based appeals may not work given potential underlying issues.