A 68-year-old widow from Missouri recently called into “The Ramsey Show” with a problem that raised red flags for hosts Jade Warshaw and Ken Coleman. The caller, Nicky, said she was considering a relationship with an 81-year-old widower she met through a Facebook group. The two have never met in person, but he wants to get married.
Hosts Question The Relationship’s Reality
“You’re putting out the vibe, huh?” Coleman joked early in the call. But the conversation took a more serious tone when Nicky admitted, “He does not know my financial situation, but I know his completely.” She explained that he had recently left a relationship where a previous woman had access to his bank account.
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Nicky said the man had $125,000 in savings and a $100,000 annual pension, but seemed careless with money. “That $125 is burning a hole in his pocket,” she said. Her biggest concern: if they got married and he ended up needing expensive nursing home care, she might have to dip into her own finances.
“This all seems fast,” Coleman said. “Do you even like this guy?”
Warshaw and Coleman were clearly skeptical, especially after learning the two had never met in real life. “You do not have any more communication with this guy until this 81-year-old wrinkled dude shows up in his Bermuda shorts and is the real deal,” Coleman warned.
He then asked the hard question: “How do we know this isn’t catfishing? Everything you’re saying sounds like you are being completely punked and you are falling for it.”
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Nicky insisted she had seen him on video calls and that he was part of a widows’ group online, but Coleman wasn't buying it. “That’s where I would fish if I was a scammer,” she said.
Coleman then cut to the heart of the matter: “Whether it’s a scam or not, this is foolishness. You are putting your financial and your emotional situation in massive risk. This is insanity that you’re considering this.”
Warshaw echoed the concern: “Only a desperate, stupid woman would go forward with this. And you are neither of those things, so don’t do it.”
Nicky admitted she was lonely but hadn't yet met the man, who lives six hours away and claims to be visiting soon. Coleman made it clear that unless he shows up in person and courts her properly, the relationship isn't real: “If this guy’s real, if he wants to pursue you like you were when you were 22, then we have a conversation.”
The call ended with strong advice: Wait until the man shows up, if he ever does. Until then, Nicky should protect her heart and her money.
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