Q: My ex friends emotionally manipulated me into sending them money. chief said I can be liable if I keep posting online
I met two friends online a couple of years ago. I told them that I have special needs and don't understand social cues or skills. Last year, they started asking me for money via cashapp, and venmo and I sent them it. They would send me sad photos of themselves, or keep saying please when I said I didn't have money. They would tell me they loved me and cared about me, and I believed them. I sent them over 20,000 via cash app, vemno and paypal.
One of my ex friend's asked for gas money, took it and them blocked me on every socal website. He kept blocking me when I tried to ask him why he tricked me. I reached out to their college who cced their police chief. The chief got a warrant for their phones, and said he could get the snapchat messages. Months went by. I informed him of issues that occured (cousin said to send money/ex friend's employer threatened me). He got mad at me. I posted online about being hurt and videos sent by my ex friend bullying me. He got mad. I dropped the case.
A: There is a lot here. I'm going to answer your question about defamation only. Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. If what you are posting is substantially true, then you cannot be held liable for defamation.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
