If you receive a message from a person which you know, make sure you look for other ways to confirm the person’s identity most especially if they are requesting for funds from you to confirm you are chatting with the right person, and not a scammer.
I don't even bother replying to people I know, because I expect them to be able to reach me on other platforms aside telegram. To me, telegram isn't a place to engage or chat with people, so I don't really find it condusive. I have blocked so many, while leaving a few messages unopened, even messages from those I know are left unopened.
And from the image shared in the OP, I don't seem to understand how the scammer just went straight to asking for the money. The whole thing looks too direct, like there must have been a chat leak somewhere, or their personal relationship was well known, which the scammer thought that he could take advantage of.