By Annabelle Lee
Every day 2 million New Zealanders log onto Facebook. For many Maori it's become a virtual marae, a place to connect with whanau and friends.
But what happens when you open your heart and your wallet to the wrong person?
Pat Tapara was duped into believing two young women were his daughters. It was a Facebook scammer convincing him he was a dad.
"She says to me, 'I really just friended you on Facebook because I wanted to let you know that you are a father to two girls, to twin girls," says Mr Tapara.
He wasn't just a father, but a grandfather. It was a simple scam -- Mr Tapara sending money to support his newfound family, the scammer sending photos of their lives. In a dark twist he was then told his grandchild had died.
"It broke my mum; it broke my siblings," says Mr Tapara.
But it was all a lie, all for money. Behind the scam was a convicted fraudster -- Hina Tutaki Waitere. She says she has done this to "astronomical numbers" and Mr Tapara gave her $18,000.
The girls' real mother worries the scam has put her children and grandchildren in danger.
"My concerns are for their safety, for my children's safety and my mokopuna's safety," says Ms Hemara.
Tutaki Waitere says she regrets what she's done. But that's cold comfort for Mr Tapara who says the money he's lost in the scam is nothing compared to losing his shot at fatherhood.
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