I agree you did the right thing and she should have understood and just sent you an online holiday greeting instead.

She might be genuinely wanting friendship that moves off line to real life, or she might be a scammer of some sort.

I also think the type of site made a difference. Like if it is some social site, maybe a hobby you share, people might be more apt to become friends IRL and see each other in person someday.

It’s a slippery slope. There are dating sites, where we meet people online and then see them in person to start the most intimate of all relationships. There are sites where, in general, we stay anonymous and don’t ever really meet.

I reconnected on facebook with friends from way back when I was a child, never really knew, and had they ever invited me to a party or something, I’d have gone. They never did though, lol.

I’ve only sent paper holiday cards to people I really knew in person, and knew well. Then there are people who send holidays cards because they do business with you.

So I’m on the fence regarding your on line friend in this case. Maybe she wanted to be thought of as more than ‘a stranger’ and you were only comfortable being friends with her online in an anonymous way. That was the reason she stopped talking to you, because she’s hurt that she thought more of you than you did of her. Or she’s a scammer? IDK