Scams, manipulative friendships, and unhealthy relationships can affect anyone. For autistic and other neurodivergent adults, however, certain traits and circumstances can increase the risk. Many people on the spectrum value honesty, fairness, and loyalty, qualities that make them excellent friends and partners. Those same strengths can sometimes be exploited in parasocial (one-sided) or pseudopersonal relationships: connections that feel close but lack true reciprocity. When these relationships are exploitative, they may appear supportive or affectionate on the surface, yet the underlying dynamic is manipulative and ultimately harmful.