How can you tell if someone is..?

Question

..really blind? The reason I'm asking is..

I think my cousin is lying to us. He lives in a different country, and they always ask us to send them money. We try to help them as much as we can, but when they said my cousin is blind and needs a lot of money for hospital and stuff, we continued to send them money.

But when I went back, I saw him acting pretty normal. Like crossing the street just fine. I mean, he tried to act like he's blind like mis-reading the karaoke screen while he's singing, and carrying around with him a magnifiying glass. He says he's not totally blind, but his vision is just very very blurry, blablabla. He says he's been to several hospitals all over the country, but no doctors can diagnose him. He says he has to use a special kind of computer screen so the words appear larger. He can't finish school like the rest of his friends because of it. Blablabla..

I just don't believe his stories, though. I just think he and his family are trying to look sympathetic so we can send them more money.

How can you tell if a person is really blind - or "nearly blind" without asking, obviously.

Thanks.

Wow, thanks everyone for all your valuable input. I don't know when I'll be able to go back there again but I'll definitely do all the tests you've suggested. Thanks again!! :)

Answer 1

Have a stranger throw something at him when he is not paying attention and see if he catches it as a reflex?

That does sound fishy...

Answer 2

I'd be inclined to call bull*hit.

It makes absolutely no sense for someone to carry around a magnifying glass and claim it's to help him see. That's why there are contacts or spectacles.

If his vision was very very blurry then there's no way he could see a karaoke screen to even screw up words.

He makes it sound like a melodramatic thing. You don't need a team of Doctors and Cedar Siani medical center to tell you that you have screwed up eyes. You diagnose it, get perscription glasses, or if it's bad enough, a dog, and move on.

I smell a liar definitely.

Did you happen to get a glimpse of his eyes and saw how they moved? I would assume that a blind person has lazy or awkward movements in his eyes, but if his eyes seemed to dart around left and right up and down rapidly then his eyes are focusing fine i bet.

Answer 3

There are people that are legally blind that superficially appear to be normal, crossing the streets normally, etc.

However, upon closer examination, you will find many signs of problems -- very large print books that are kept at an unusual distance when reading, for example.

Spend some time with the person, and then decide. After some time, you'll know on your own.

Answer 4

Maybe you should try telling him that you are going to send money to a charity that funds research for the blind. If he truly is blind he will be supportive of this, if he is just trying to get money from you he will probably try to talk you out of it and try to get the money for himself. It would be kind of like an experiment or a morality test. I think it is pretty creepy that someone would pretend to be blind, but it takes all kinds to make up this world.

Answer 5

Why not try another approach. Instead of sending the money - ask what the money is needed for and "purchase" whatever it is that is needed. That way you are controlling how the $$ is spent (if you choose to send it). You can also state you don't have the money as you've ran into your own financial dealings (no explanation needed there). Good luck on this one.

Answer 6

Maybe he's not really blind but has this very blurry vision which may cause him to go blind. If you want to help, just help with all your heart, no questions asked, no complaints, no doubts. Help those who are still alive, not the dead ones.

Answer 7

Stop sending money. It is a scam. A blind person can work and a person with some sight will have no problem getting a job. He is getting over on you.

Tell him you are having hard times yourself, and can no longer send him money. Cut him off.

Answer 8

plz,stop sending him money!!!hes lieing to u!!!!! hes right bout the doctors cant fix him.....but he can goto school! if he crossed the street without any problems, then he isnt blind!!!what u should do next time u visit him,is have ure parnets take him too the doctors and see if he really is blind.....how old is he anyway?
but anyways my friend she is blind really, and she still goes to school...but she walks around with a cane, and sometimess with a dog on the streets ....but plz dont let him fool u......stop sending them money!!!!!!!they lie, and cheat and stile!!!

Answer 9

u can be blind like that .a lot iof times when people go blind it is not instant blindness it can be gradual to where the eyesight keeps getting worse because of diabetes or something like that.but there is no reversing this only treatment like laser to try to slow down the loss of sight

Answer 10

Lolololol

Answer 11

Who's they? His parents? Or is it he himself who asks for the money? There are scamers in every family or extended family. Write a letter mentioning times are hard right now so unfortunately no money is able to be sent to help out. He or they will melt away like the snow in spring.