Is it just me?

Is it just me? Am I just completely naive? I don't understand the reasoning behind lying to someone you have met on the internet about who you are, where you're from etc... OK, I totally understand being cautious, not giving out personal information, because after all, you don't know who is on the other end. But why not just say you don't give out personal information? What purpose does it serve to lie?

I was discussing this with a "face-to-face" friend. She and I both go to this one site to play spades. There is a man that she had become friendly with, and that I talk to, also. He had told us he was living in Arizona. Come to find out, he is actually living in Pennsylvania. His excuse for lying was that he's 50, hurt his back and is on disability, and lives with his parents because of it, and was too embarrassed to say this at first. OK, so I understand not wanting to say you live with your parents when you're 50 years old. But why lie about what state you're in? I don't get it. All this makes me do is now question anything else he has ever said, you know? Again, if you don't want someone to know your true situation, just don't say anything. Is it that hard?

I guess why this frustrates me so much is I take things at face value, for the most part. If you present yourself as a 36 year old person living in New Hampshire (for example), then that's what I accept as the truth. I don't know... am I just too gullible and naive? I know I'm repeating myself, but I really wish someone could explain what these people get out of just completely lying about everything. Unless you're a con or a perv, why lie? Either don't tell me anything, or tell me the truth. It's that simple.