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Original poster

Academic contact keeps asking for money

40 replies

VictorianGothic · 27/04/2022 23:02

A while ago a scholar who I don't know personally but I had read their work with interest (pretty big in Victorian lit, former Head of Dept etc) friended me on facebook - it was a bit surprising but I do use it a lot for networking and I could see he knew lots of friends of friends. Then he sent me several messages about how life has taken a difficult turn for him since he retired, and now he regularly asks me for money, with heart-rending stories each time. I can see other academic friends are sending him money on his fund raising platform. I feel really bad for him, but he's asking me so often. I am beginning to think he must have some sort of addiction. Has anyone encountered anything like this?

OP posts:
MagneticRubberDucks · 27/04/2022 23:17

Have you previously sent him money?

parietal · 27/04/2022 23:19

that is bizarre. I would probably unfriend him & leave him be.

AdoraBell · 27/04/2022 23:24

Don’t send him money, next time he asks just say you cannot afford to support financially. Repeat every time he asks.

custardbear · 27/04/2022 23:25

Sounds scam like?!

wordleaddict · 27/04/2022 23:31

I want to know who this is now!! Most odd.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 27/04/2022 23:36

Is it definitely him?! Not a cloned account??

This sounds so completely bizarre, do you know anyone that actually knows him personally you can ask?

But either way I'd not be sending him any money!

TheOccupier · 27/04/2022 23:43

Sounds like identity theft. Steer well clear!

spotcheck · 27/04/2022 23:49

Do you send it?

AnotherTroyforHertoBurn · 27/04/2022 23:49

Had this from someone from my childhood who was utterly able to answer my obscure security questions , just said we live day to day and our future is all tied in investments and I am afraid of my fund manager.Grin

Left out the bit about the final salary and the state pension, a friend of a friend knows them and when they heard there was a mutual connection, said tell Troy he is a user.

Original poster
VictorianGothic · 28/04/2022 01:09

Wow, sorry, I didn't realise I'd get replies so fast. @MagneticRubberDucks yes, I did send him a bit of money to start with. I mean, I know how silly that sounds. But honestly, this guy is a well respected scholar & it was so strange to have this sudden request, really detailed too.

OP posts:
Original poster
VictorianGothic · 28/04/2022 01:11

@parietal and @AdoraBell you are right. That's what I need to do. Just unfriend, block. But it's playing on my mind because it's such a weird situation.

OP posts:
Original poster
VictorianGothic · 28/04/2022 01:16

@GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut no it is definitely him. Not identity theft. I guess I was wondering if there's any other Victorian lit people out there in the mumsnet universe who actually know who I'm talking about. I don't want to out the poor guy on mumsnet but he's edited a Victorian journal, he's written widely in the field - and written books I admire, too. All the people we have in common are quite senior people who I don't really want to ask. @AnotherTroyforHertoBurn I guess if I did know for sure he was a user that would put my mind at rest about not sending money. But I strongly think it.

OP posts:
Carolinenightmare · 28/04/2022 01:21

Wow - I’m in a v closely related field and trying to think of who it might be! 😮What texts does he write on?

How very odd though; recently retired senior people normally are not struggling for cash; the pension alone for them is far greater than any of us will get!

Nsky62 · 28/04/2022 01:27

Maybe huge debt before, who knows

Original poster
VictorianGothic · 28/04/2022 01:40

@Carolinenightmare yes, I keep thinking about the pension he must have as well. He was a professor - and someone whose name I immediately recognised.
Mainly publishes on literary theory but related to 19th and 20th century lit, with a focus on Dickens, later Victorian writers.

OP posts:
Pixiedust1234 · 28/04/2022 03:26

Are you 100% sure it is not a cloned account? It is a very common scam. My MIL got hers cloned and started asking for money. We see her most weeks so knew it wasn't right but if she had been a friend of a friend then we would have assumed it was a legit account. The only way to tell the difference is to speak to the person in real life ( ie not via fb or messenger etc).

Do a search and see if another account of his shows up.

Triangul8ed · 28/04/2022 06:55

I know who you have in mind, OP. I have no more info than you but I think it’s not a cloned account: everything online matches up.

AnotherTroyforHertoBurn · 28/04/2022 06:59

Sorry, I meant to add that our friend is an published academic with a leading University which is why I clicked on the thread.

Original poster
VictorianGothic · 28/04/2022 09:23

No, it's definitely not a cloned account. This has been going on for about 2 years now probably. When he first approached me with the fundraiser link I thought - well, anyone can fall on hard times, it could be any of us, it's really a very sad story. But he's just kept coming back and back. His choice as to how he lives his life. But now he's started contacting a younger colleague I mentor (who he doesn't know either, but maybe was looking through other people in our department to contact) - I warned her off but then I started to wonder how many other people he is targeting. I mean, he's obviously fallen on such hard times, whatever is going on in his life. I just need not to worry about him & block him, I know.

OP posts:
MargaretOliphant · 28/04/2022 15:21

Another Victorian academic here. I know exactly who you are referring to. I have also been asked for funds, as have colleagues of mine. I ignored them, to be honest. I’ve never met the guy. I don’t like to think of anyone in difficulty like this, but there are clearly other issues here. One email had a link to buy the person’s music as a way of supporting them.

PersephoneInTheGarden · 28/04/2022 15:36

I'm also a Victorian academic (hello) - I know who you mean and have also had these requests. I can see on social media that other people I know have sent money, but I’m afraid I’ve ignored them and haven’t had any for a while now. It’s very strange and sad.

gamerchick · 28/04/2022 15:40

He's out of order, even if he says who he is. Tell him to stop asking for money and block if he persists. Warn everyone who he might target.

nearlyspringyay · 28/04/2022 15:52

I don't understand how a clearly educated person with an ounce of brain cell would entertain this.

Carolinenightmare · 28/04/2022 15:52

It is really very very odd. I don’t know this figure personally, but I certainly know his work. But he has held at least two chairs in the U.K. and should surely be able to access his USS pension, which would be a very decent amount per month? And his medical costs would surely be covered on the NHS or reciprocal healthcare? Something really doesn’t seem to add up here. Not to mention that contacting strangers out of the blue to beg for money seems extremely strange indeed for someone who had (at least) a serious professional job.

Horcruxe · 28/04/2022 15:57

I'd just block him