Long Distance Relationships

So, today, on an online dating site, I received a message from a man in Hawaii.

Why?

This has happened to me on a couple occasions.  Why is this?  Is it an act of desperation?  Is it someone just not paying close attention?

I remember speaking to a man on this matter who did online dating.  He told me a story:

A very attractive woman (or, more accurately, someone with a profile picture of a very attractive woman) from another part of the country contacted him.  He was flattered.  He tried to have general conversation with her.  He noticed she's said a couple things that were odd/grammatically incorrect, but he'd thought maybe English wasn't her first language.  She'd continued to contact him.  He found it odd because she'd lived several states away, but continued to talk to her.  He asked her if she was ever in the Chicago area.  She then went into "Well, I would love to visit the area, but I cannot afford the plane fare."  He smelled a rat.  She then went on "My mom has been sick lately, I really want to visit her, but I'd need to borrow some money for the plane fare...."  He 'reported a concern'.

Are 95% of people from other parts of the country scam artists?  Or are they really desperate?  Anyone meet anyone from another part of the country online and it turned out being real?