My policy is that if it’s
Starting with a flag (doesn’t matter what flag, you can put Italy there for all I care)
Begging for money (Begging being the important part)
Trying to guilt trip me and/or make it seem like I’m an abhorrent repulsive morally unacceptable being not worthy of being called a human/a murderer or any other form of emotional manipulation if I do not do it
Show gory pictures (haven’t had that one yet but adding it to the list)
Unprompted tell me some sort of detailed sob story
I hit report as spam and block. Most of those are tactics used to make you do something you don’t actually want to. Emotional blackmailing by making you feel bad or like you personally are a bad person or causing the bad thing if you don’t do what’s asked of you, that’s a strategy used by scammers a lot. Emotions give you a sense of connection and obligation. Whether it be “give me the very real Nigerian prince money for a plane ticket so I can come see you my love” or “give me money or my fifty kids will starve” doesn’t really matter.
Actually the second one is worse cause it implies that if you don’t do it you’re a child murderer.
TLDR: don’t interact with people that emotionally blackmail you, especially if they are asking you to do something. Signs of emotional blackmail can be:
reading the message makes you feel bad
It makes you think it’s your personal responsibility
Implies you’re a horrible/bad person if you don’t
Overly detailed depictions of tragedy in whatever form (pictures, text descriptions, whatever)
People are dying / something bad is happening and only you can fix it
The other person doesn’t stop talking
You don’t feel like a no will be accepted / a no isn’t accepted
Compromises aren’t allowed, it’s their way or no way
You find yourself apologizing profoundly for minor things (disagreeing, saying no, not doing something that would harm you, not doing what they want without question)
You do NOT own any of them anything. In this specific situation, you don’t own anyone in a war zone money or anything else. You are NOT obliged to do what they ask of you.
You are NOT a horrible person or morally reprehensible or inherently bad for having boundaries and sticking to them. For saying no, for disengaging, for hesitating, for questioning.
Remember the relationship advice posts you’ve seen. “If your partner makes you feel bad about not doing what they want or doing your own thing, drop them, that’s emotional manipulation and toxic and you deserve better.” It’s the same here. Don’t let stranger guilt trip you into doing something you don’t want to.
IT’S OKAY TO SAY NO AND YOUR BOUNDARIES SHOULD BE RESPECTED.