I hope it works out for your friend as long as his eyes are very open. My bro-in-law is very socially inept. He was taken for about $25,000 (we hope it was that amount but may have been more) by a woman from Western Samoa. He met her down there. He sent her money to help her build a store. Nothing was built but the money was gone. She did put a smile on his face for awhile by utilizing her ample assests.
So - it basically came down to something my Dad told me about relationships - is the f*cking you're getting worth the f*cking you're getting?