There’s a special kind of distant relative who only reaches out when their bank account is empty.

So when a woman lent money to a faraway family member who promised to repay her once her house sold, the only thing that ever came back was more requests for money.

The whole thing started to look less like family and more like a scheme.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITAH for saying no to endless money requests from a distant relative abroad?

I have a distant relative abroad on my father’s side of the family (who I’ve met twice in my entire life). The last time being last year.

We’re connected on WhatsApp the way you are with distant family. Occasional birthdays, existing in the background etc… Nothing more. (My family live in London.)

So when they presented their family with a small gift, it opened the floodgates.

Last year we visited her and her family (including my father’s aunts/cousins etc)…

We gave a small gift of around £50 to each person during the visit. Looking back, I think that visit was more of an assessment than a reunion.

Shortly after, the messages started.

The family was now intent on squeezing as much cash out of them as possible.

Rapid fire. “I need your help.” “Some money.” “You help me?” “Pls reply.”

The relative in particular told me it was for a lawyer for a house sale.

After speaking with my father’s brother (who lives in London) I sent approximately £900. She promised faithfully to repay it in October when the house sold.

But of course, this didn’t happen.

October came and went. Nothing. Not even an acknowledgment. (Yes, the house WAS sold.)

She asked me not to tell my parents. Or a specific relatives abroad. I told my parents anyway.

The constant messages continued.

Fast forward… she has been sending “hello” messages every two weeks since June last year.

Photos of her son. Keeping the line warm. It was all calculated groundwork.

Then she moved on to a new target.

In Feb ’26 she targeted my elderly uncle in London (a pensioner in his late 60s) asking for £500.

She sent a barrage of messages, panicked and deleted it thinking he hadn’t seen it (he had – on his home screen).

She then pivoted to asking if there was “a job in London for my husband.” My uncle replied politely.

This was all she needed to continue her scheme.

That single reply was enough and she immediately asked for money again — the same £500. She told him not to tell other family members she’d asked. He said no clearly.

She said “ok, I’ll ask someone else” within minutes. That someone else was me.

It was so easy to see past the façade.

She messaged me again recently. Same vague script. “I need your help.” “Some money.” “Pls last time help me dii.”

No amount. No reason. No acknowledgment of the £900 never repaid.

So eventually she just stopped responding.

I’ve ignored all her recent messages. My uncle & I are completely aligned. My parents know everything.

I’m not giving her any more money. But AITAH for shutting this down completely without explanation?

What a rough situation.

Redditors chime in with their thoughts.

People like this are just out to cheat everyone around them out of their money.

Maybe her relative needed to be called out sooner.

The “block” button exists for a reason.

Just saying no is also an option.

Just because she’s family doesn’t mean she gets a free pass to be deceptive.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about siblings who treat every social outing like a weird competition.