Mateus, 18, spent all his savings to travel to Sao Paulo, but he ended up having to sleep in the terminal. The military police helped him collect money, raising $90 so he could return to his hometown.
In the age of the Internet, different applications and tools have become popular, making it increasingly common for people to meet people from other countries and other parts of the world.
However, just as it is easier to form friendships with people who don’t know each other physically, there is also a greater possibility for people to commit deception and scams through these means.
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That happened to Mateus, an 18-year-old Brazilian who met love online. According to information from the media Visa Oeste, Mateus maintained a relationship for two years with a girl named Luana through chat conversations.
He was very in love, and his virtual relationship was progressing more and more. The young man had the idea of moving to Osasco, the city where the alleged girl came from. It was then that he saved money he’d earned working odd jobs and bought a bus ticket to travel to go see her.
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The trip was over 600 miles long, and he was excited to meet Luana for the first time, whom he only knew through text messages.
However, when he got to Sao Paulo in Osasco, his virtual girlfriend stopped answering his messages and he lost all contact with her. When the bus arrived at the terminal, he realized that there was no one waiting for him, and as the hours passed, Luana blocked him from all social media. Mateus had been deceived.
Brigada Militar de Rio Grande do Sul
Desperate, and with only $3 in his pocket, he tried to ask for help from the military policemen guarding the terminal. One of them approached him and decided to help him, but at first, Mateus told him to wait because the young woman could appear at any moment.
The young man slept in the terminal when he realized that his virtual girlfriend wasn’t going to show up. The soldiers took care of him and began to make arrangements for him to return to his hometown. They raised almost $90 so that he could buy tickets back home.
Brigada Militar de Rio Grande do Sul
«There were times when I thought I wouldn’t be able to return. I want to thank them very much for everything they did for me», said the young man, who approached the soldiers in desperation and in tears.
Fortunately for the young man, everything turned out well, and he was able to return safely to his home in Gravataí. In addition to the money for the ticket, the policemen gave him some gifts so that he could forget that bad experience.