Too good to be true....???

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2005
Too good to be true....???
7
Fri, 06-23-2006 - 9:06pm

Hello Ladies ,

I would like your opinion about this email I got today: this guy sounds too good to be true. I have never gotten an email of this nature before. I doubt a doctor (in his late 30’s from California (who is VERY handsome from “his”/ or the pictures in his backstage) has to use Lavalife to find dates so, my instincts are telling me “someone is playing me. Plus, I don’t consider myself as beautiful … much less “ darn gorgeous” or sexy” … Give me a break…. So, I just would love to hear what you would think, if you were in my shoes and had received the following email:
____
Subject:There must be a typo:

Now there must be a typo... It says you are 30 but that's impossible since every 20 year old woman can only fantasize of looking 1/2 as sexy as you:)

Usually I dont write someone based upon what they look like, but you are so darn gorgeous that I couldn't help myself:)

By the way, I'm xxxx. I'm a xxx year old doctor who just finished my last year of hell a few years ago(I mean fellowship, sometimes I forget:) I just moved out to California from the East Coast a couple of years ago, and love it. I finally get to put my convertible top more than just 4 times a year:)

Now I know you live a few miles away. I love to travel, I'm not bound to any area, and just couldn't resist emailing you. Plus I've flown thousands of miles to meet a woman that I click with.... And I was just in your area last week for a conference (we have at least 4-5 conferences there a year:), too bad I didn't see you online before now:(
(Winnie adds :I live in Canada..... he lives in california HELLLLO ;-)

Now I'm sure you are told this all the time, but you are absolutely beautiful, and yes, I'm sure hear it all the time:)

I'm attaching my backstage pics. Let me know if they go thru. For some reason they scanned a lot smaller on this site. If you'd like I can email them to you, and a few others that aren't on here. I'd love to take a peek at yours:) Also I was wondering if you have any online chat programs? I have yahoo and msn messenger. I'd love to chat online one night if you're up for it.
Take care.
his name )
----------------

A part of me wants to reply something along the line of “Are you kidding me, I only look naïve.” my second option is to simply send a normal reply… just to see how it goes �� without any expectations. Or drop it there are way too many red flags for it to be real.

Thanks again for your input
Winnie




Edited 6/23/2006 10:16 pm ET by funnywinnie10
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-13-2004
Sat, 06-24-2006 - 10:16am
Send a normal email and see how it goes. The guy sounds a bit young, probably spent too much time in the medical school. He just finished, as he wrote? Well, maybe he really liked your pic...
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-06-2006
Sat, 06-24-2006 - 10:43am

My feeling about this is that whether the guy is telling the truth or not (and I suspect he is at best exaggerating a few things) he is not looking for a relationship that involves meeting and eventually getting together on a permanent basis. Now I may be wrong. But the whole thing feels like someone who wants a penpal/online friend.

I was struck by his use of the term "fellowship." Among the MD's I know in the States, the term most commonly used is "residency." ("Fellowships," as I understand it, don't involve "hell.") Maybe some of the folks in the medical profession here can comment on that.

If I were you, I'd reply more-or-less normally but distinctly un-impressed. As in "I know you are exaggerating about a lot of things--including my youthfulness and beauty, but I found your e-mail intriguing." And see what happens.

Sounds like it might be fun anyway.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-13-2004
Sat, 06-24-2006 - 10:48am

<>

By fellowship he might have meant postdoctoral fellowship, I think in the medical field they are called post-doctoral fellows. I have had several friends in that status, and it can be quite intense, from what I observed.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-06-2006
Sat, 06-24-2006 - 11:19am

Ah! Yes, "post doctoral fellowship" makes sense. Except that not _everyone_ does it, so his reference to it as a routine part of medical preparation made it sound odd to me. That _would_ explain the timing, which was also bothering me a little.

(And I maintain that someone engaged in an "intense" stage of career education, especially medicine, is not going to have a lot of time to run across the country to meet someone who attracted him.)

It sounds like it might be fun to talk to the guy anyway.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-13-2004
Sat, 06-24-2006 - 11:28am

<>

Yes, that's true. And I agree that the guy sounds a little "show-offish", I particularly didn't like what he wrote about his "convertible." But I guess Winnie could give him the benefit of the doubt until she gets to know him better.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2005
Sat, 06-24-2006 - 2:38pm
Hello,
Thanks for all of your insight ladies..... It seems that "we" have picked up on the same odd details i.e. the fellowship/hell comment and the mention about his car.... As one of you said it might be fun, so I will "bite" and sent a "casual" reply to his email. I will keep you "posted" on his reply.
Have a good one.
Winnie
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-28-2006
Sat, 06-24-2006 - 2:51pm

I think he's full of crap. It's a scam of some sort or another and I'd ignore it.

One question- did he say "I was just in YOUR AREA" or did he actually say "I was just in Toronto/Vancouver/Quebec" (in other words, did he use the name of your town/city)?

Because if he said "your area", that's really weird, and it's probably a form letter. He doesn't have to change anything in it.

But think about it- if you live in Toronto, wouldn't he just say "Hey, I was just in Toronto last month!" instead of "I was in your area"? Unless he thinks that all of Canada is "your area" LOL

No, next him. It's a fake and he's not into you. If you get an answer, you'll see- sooner or later something will be complete BS.