Man Robbed after Calling Rentboy Ad

[dfw2sfo]

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2013/06/05/gay-man-says-he-was-robbed-by-escort-at-d-c-hotel/

[bigvalboy]

Very sad to see this happen, but the client made a several critical mistakes in the course of the encounter. Unless the escort is well known, going directly to a hotel room is a no no, period. Much less entering the room. I hate to be the 'Monday morning quarterback' since 'shoulda, coulda, woulda is a no brainer, but....

[Frequentflier]

I always meet in the lobby, restaurant, bar, etc. even if its someone well reviewed because....why not? Its easy safety, I think, for both the client and escort. If picking up someone at the airport, we meet at baggage claim.

[+ Gar1eth]

I always meet in the lobby, restaurant, bar, etc. even if its someone well reviewed because....why not? Its easy safety, I think, for both the client and escort. If picking up someone at the airport, we meet at baggage claim.

 

I guess I've been lucky. I've met escorts at their hotel or I've had them come to my room- and never a problem. In fact maybe I've gotten too blasé about it. When I first started, I would be down in the lobby unobtrusively watching to see if they looked like their ad. Nowadays I haven't even done that. In many cases they've had reviews on here, but I've done it for guys with no reviews too.

 

Gman

[JT Brooklyn]

I have had 1st Time Encounters from ADS that turned out really Fun! Unfortunately not all encounters go that way which DC found out.

 

As far as "well known" goes for different reasons "flying under the radar" and not being mentioned on Daddys is not the end of a Working Guys Career..Many do well not being Promoted....

[marylander1940]

I guess I've been lucky. I've met escorts at their hotel or I've had them come to my room- and never a problem. In fact maybe I've gotten too blasé about it. When I first started, I would be down in the lobby unobtrusively watching to see if they looked like their ad. Nowadays I haven't even done that. In many cases they've had reviews on here, but I've done it for guys with no reviews too.

 

Gman

 

Me too, I always meet them at their hotel room. I guess you have a sixth sense when it comes to trust or not an escort.

 

I know escorts who would never meet at the lobby, this isn't a "blind date" and who had appointments cancelled because the clients didn't like having to wait for the escort to come and pick them up using his card to activate the elevator.

 

I think this kind of crime is very unlikely. How many more times can the "escort" do this over and over again? He'll get caught eventually.

[Daverwr]

I guess I've been lucky. I've met escorts at their hotel or I've had them come to my room- and never a problem. In fact maybe I've gotten too blasé about it. When I first started, I would be down in the lobby unobtrusively watching to see if they looked like their ad. Nowadays I haven't even done that. In many cases they've had reviews on here, but I've done it for guys with no reviews too.

 

Gman

 

I'm guilty also! Most of the time, before joining this Forum, I would always have escorts come directly to my hotel room. I've even had them come directly to my apartment! I was fortunate to have a cool doorman when I lived in NYC. If he didn't get a call from me once the gentleman arrived, he would come up or send Security. I guess God really does protect fools and children. (I of the former!)

[rvwnsd]

I always meet in the lobby, restaurant, bar, etc. even if its someone well reviewed because....why not? Its easy safety, I think, for both the client and escort. If picking up someone at the airport, we meet at baggage claim.

 

I think it is a false sense of security, not easy safety. A smart thug won't act like a thug in public.

 

Me too, I always meet them at their hotel room. I guess you have a sixth sense when it comes to trust or not an escort.

 

I agree with you 100%

 

I know escorts who would never meet at the lobby, this isn't a "blind date" and who had appointments cancelled because the clients didn't like having to wait for the escort to come and pick them up using his card to activate the elevator.

 

I think this kind of crime is very unlikely. How many more times can the "escort" do this over and over again? He'll get caught eventually.

 

I agree with that as well. The victim should have reported the crime to the police. He knew the room number, so there would be no trouble locating them.

[JulianLondon]

Story from the UK.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2336215/Bisexual-millionaire-father-paid-628-000-blackmail-sex-life-rent-boy-secret.html

[maninsoma]

I, too, have met guys at their hotel rooms. I would still do so, even if I'm taking a chance on someone who doesn't have reviews.

 

The big mistake this guy made was ENTERING the hotel room when the person who answered the door wasn't the person who placed the ad. Why go into the room to say, "Sorry, this isn't going to work out" if it's obvious some kind of fraud is going on? I have, in fact, had to turn around and walk away at the door a couple of times. I don't think it was a criminal set-up in either case, but if someone opens the door and does not match the photos in the ad, I'm not going to waste my time having a conversation with him.

[marylander1940]

...The big mistake this guy made was ENTERING the hotel room when the person who answered the door wasn't the person who placed the ad... I have, in fact, had to turn around and walk away at the door a couple of times...if someone opens the door and does not match the photos in the ad, I'm not going to waste my time having a conversation with him.

 

Brilliant!

 

May I suggest that the 3 other guys hiding at the hotel room are a clear sign of things not going to work from the very beginning, unless they had plans to stay quiet for 1 hour.

 

I think this mugging scene is more likely to happen if you invite someone to your place from backpage who doesn't have his credit card stored on that site's record (because is a free site) or someone from manhunt who paid with a money order, in both cases the 2 guys have prepaid cellphones.

 

I know there's some backpage fanatics in this forum who had wonderful experiences with guys they met there and willing to discover the new diamond in the rough. Let's be honest if you have your SH#$IT together and want to pay your college, a car or get out of debt as an escort, go big or don't do it...

 

Dreaming of a young gay boy or straight boy to be seduced by a generou$ older man at a bar and taken home could be also problematic, if it's too good to be true, it is.

 

I know some of yinz will reply saying you can pay rentboy or men4rentnow with a money order to and use a prepaid cellphone (untraceable unless you start posting jihadist videos ) but if you just want a few bucks to get by, why not trying muggings at Windows (also know as Widows in DC) or backpage?

[Steven_Draker]

The victim should have reported the crime to the police. He knew the room number, so there would be no trouble locating them.

 

Very often the victim of this kind of robbery wouldn't report it to the police for obvious reasons.

[Frequentflier]

I think it is a false sense of security, not easy safety. A smart thug won't act like a thug in public.

 

 

 

I agree with you 100%

 

 

 

I agree with that as well. The victim should have reported the crime to the police. He knew the room number, so there would be no trouble locating them.

 

The point of meeting in public is to make sure they look like the photos they emailed or sent by text. If they don't, pass on the meeting and in a public location you don't even have to approach the person. A "thug" is less likely to commit a crime against you if he's sent you his pictures. If they injure or worse the client their photos are in his email and/or in the text message history. You can't so easily walk away when you've knocked on their hotel door. You apparently feel more comfortable meeting a stranger by knocking on their door...good luck with that and hope your sixth sense isn't on vacation that day or mistaken - cause it will be too late then. And not all thugs look like thugs. As for reporting the crime to the police ("the victim should have reported the crime to the police"), not everyone is going to be ok going to the police to say they got rolled by a male escort they met on line or in some other way. I know I wouldn't do that given I have a job and life I don't want turned upside down and made public. Everyone should come up with their own procedures before and when meeting a stranger and if something doesn't seem right, retreat. Lastly, leave a message somewhere in case you go missing. On the fridge, in your voice mail, with a friend, somewhere. Regardless of how I or others here might try to sound, none of us are experts in personal safety and the only was to be absolutely safe is "don't hire")

[marylander1940]

I'm sorry but I have to reply to this paranoia. The point of meeting in public is to make sure they look like the photos they emailed or sent by text. I know a lot of escorts who wouldn't meet at a lobby, I don't recall this meeting at a public place must-do-behavior been mentioned in reviews or forum comments before, I'm afraid of saying I don't meet at the lobby because I might be called terrible names now, but I belong to the silent majority who meets at the hotel room. If they don't, pass on the meeting and in a public location you don't even have to approach the person. You need binoculars or Superman's vision to inspect he's in good shape. A "thug" is less likely to commit a crime against you if he's sent you his pictures. If they injure or worse the client their photos are in his email and/or in the text message history. The cellphone is easier to trace back to the owner, an email with an IP address too, but pictures? Could be someone else's pictures? You can't so easily walk away when you've knocked on their hotel door. Unless you bring a gun, I get the feeling Fox News should run weeks of news about this wide spread new kind of crime happening all over the city and the need for a concealed weapon. You apparently feel more comfortable meeting a stranger by knocking on their door... I repeat, first time you must meet someone at the lobby or you asked to be mugged is said in this forum this year, as an obvious thing to do, Monday Quarterback as someone mentioned earlier. good luck with that and hope your sixth sense isn't on vacation that day or mistaken - cause it will be too late then. Is like my mother talking to me. And not all thugs look like thugs. Some of them are good looking? They pass as preppy boys As for reporting the crime to the police ("the victim should have reported the crime to the police"), not everyone is going to be ok going to the police to say they got rolled by a male escort they met on line or in some other way. I know I wouldn't do that given I have a job and life I don't want turned upside down and made public. I agree with you, the victim is blamed too, "she asked for it, she was dressed like a slut". Everyone should come up with their own procedures before and when meeting a stranger or a relative, neighbor, a divorce lawyer, dogs walking on the street, etc. and if something doesn't seem right, retreat Or reload like Sarah Palin would do. Lastly, leave a message somewhere in case you go missing. On the fridge, in your voice mail, with a friend, somewhere. A stone might fall on your arm and you'll be trapped for 127 hours and forced to amputate it with a Swiss army knife, it happened to my neighbor, a cousin, a guy I'm dating and all over town. Regardless of how I or others here might try to sound, none of us are experts in personal safety and the only was to be absolutely safe is "don't hire". Don't talk to strangers, don't make eye contact with them, hide from them, don't meet new people, don't make new friends, don't live...)

 

I can't wait to see all the reviews starting with: I was hiding behind the column when I spotted him...

[bigvalboy]

The point of meeting in public is to make sure they look like the photos they emailed or sent by text. If they don't, pass on the meeting and in a public location you don't even have to approach the person. A "thug" is less likely to commit a crime against you if he's sent you his pictures. If they injure or worse the client their photos are in his email and/or in the text message history. You can't so easily walk away when you've knocked on their hotel door. You apparently feel more comfortable meeting a stranger by knocking on their door...good luck with that and hope your sixth sense isn't on vacation that day or mistaken - cause it will be too late then. And not all thugs look like thugs. As for reporting the crime to the police ("the victim should have reported the crime to the police"), not everyone is going to be ok going to the police to say they got rolled by a male escort they met on line or in some other way. I know I wouldn't do that given I have a job and life I don't want turned upside down and made public. Everyone should come up with their own procedures before and when meeting a stranger and if something doesn't seem right, retreat. Lastly, leave a message somewhere in case you go missing. On the fridge, in your voice mail, with a friend, somewhere. Regardless of how I or others here might try to sound, none of us are experts in personal safety and the only was to be absolutely safe is "don't hire")

 

FF is exactly correct. There are stories that could fill the pages of this forum about clients who, against better judgment, entered the homes and hotels of strangers and quickly became victims. Over the years I know of an untold number of friends who succumb to these circumstances. Relying on, or believing that we somehow have the ability to sense someone who has the intention to harm us has landed many clients in the hospital, and worse.

 

Long ago I set about establishing some guidelines as to how I meet escorts. It is a long list that covers almost every situation. I have spoke about them here before and won't bore everyone with repeating them, but suffice it to say that I never break a rule that I have established nor go against my better judgment...I trust no one...period. When my personal safety is an issue, I take every precaution. You only need to let your guard down one time, because once you become a victim, you will never ever forget the experience, and you will never forget the look on a friends face when you go to the hospital to see them after some escort has robbed and beat the Hell out of them.

 

I let my guard down once while in Montreal, and in my gut I knew that what I was doing was foolish, but I kept telling myself that it was gonna be OK.....it wasn't of course, and he robbed me. That was years ago and it still makes me mad that I broke one of my rules in the process of hiring him. In the end I got lucky, I lost my wallet and dignity, but was not harmed.

 

Anyway, I have come to realize that people are gonna do what they want regardless of what others say...sooooo this is just my humble opinion....

[+ Gar1eth]

You know meeting in a public place is only going to protect you from the total scammers who have sent you false pictures or had an ad with false pictures. Otherwise they can be the exact person you were attracted to in their ad and still rob or beat the you-know out of you once you are alone. In my multiple years of hiring- I've had less than 10 guys come to my place. Usually it's because my place is a mess, but also because I'm a little uncomfortable with strangers knowing where I live. I mean I work- or at least before I lost my job- during the day. And no one else is at home when I'm gone. And of the less than 10 escorts I've had over- two I had brought in from out of town for an overnight of weekend- so very unlikely they were to come back to town and rob me in future days. And one of the other guys I had come over twice- with a few years in between visits. He was a nice guy the 1st time- and I think with several reviews. I wasn't really worried about him.

 

But in general I've met at the escort's place or hotel, a bath house, or they have come to my hotel.

 

Gman

[+ Gar1eth]

FF is exactly correct. There are stories that could fill the pages of this forum about clients who, against better judgment, entered the homes and hotels of strangers and quickly became victims. Over the years I know of an untold number of friends who succumb to these circumstances. Relying on, or believing that we somehow have the ability to sense someone who has the intention to harm us has landed many clients in the hospital, and worse.

 

Long ago I set about establishing some guidelines as to how I meet escorts. It is a long list that covers almost every situation. I have spoke about them here before and won't bore everyone with repeating them, but suffice it to say that I never break a rule that I have established nor go against my better judgment...I trust no one...period. When my personal safety is an issue, I take every precaution. You only need to let your guard down one time, because once you become a victim, you will never ever forget the experience, and you will never forget the look on a friends face when you go to the hospital to see them after some escort has robbed and beat the Hell out of them.

 

I let my guard down once while in Montreal, and in my gut I knew that what I was doing was foolish, but I kept telling myself that it was gonna be OK.....it wasn't of course, and he robbed me. That was years ago and it still makes me mad that I broke one of my rules in the process of hiring him. In the end I got lucky, I lost my wallet and dignity, but was not harmed.

 

Anyway, I have come to realize that people are gonna do what they want regardless of what others say...sooooo this is just my humble opinion....

 

I don't remember all your Do's and Don't's -- so actually it might be helpful- especially as we have some newer guys on the Forum now. While almost certainly not everyone will agree with your precautions, they may give people some ideas they should consider. Even old dogs like myself can occasionally learn something new.

 

Gman

[BaronArtz]

What surprises me most in the story of the DC rip-off, is that hotel security didn't investigate. Even though the 'John' implored the staff at the front desk not to call the police, hotel security should have done something. This incident was at a Hilton, not a flea bag motel. Surely, the Hilton doesn't want prostitution going on at its premises, nor other crimes based on prostitution.

[marylander1940]

Surely, the Hilton doesn't want prostitution going on at its premises, nor other crimes based on prostitution.

 

First of all thanks for finally admitting that escorting in 99% of cases involves prostitution, you dared to say the P word.

 

Hotels want whatever brings their money as long as it doesn't disturb the other guest when they want to sleep at night.

[maninsoma]

I agree. Just because you meet someone in the lobby and he matches the photos sent doesn't mean the session is going to go well. While I somewhat understand the logic behind the thinking that a total scammer isn't going to have sent you his actual photos via email, I personally don't think that meeting someone at the door of their hotel/residence is much riskier than in a lobby. As I wrote earlier, if the person opening the door doesn't match the photos, I just turn around and leave. (I've only had to do this a couple of times.) I suppose a criminal might be tempted to grab you as soon as they open the door and you're turning around, but if they're going to do that they might just as well rob random strangers on the sidewalk at night when there are few people around (and the victims very well may be intoxicated) and little chance of a security camera filming the incident.

 

 

 

You know meeting in a public place is only going to protect you from the total scammers who have sent you false pictures or had an ad with false pictures. Otherwise they can be the exact person you were attracted to in their ad and still rob or beat the you-know out of you once you are alone. In my multiple years of hiring- I've had less than 10 guys come to my place. Usually it's because my place is a mess, but also because I'm a little uncomfortable with strangers knowing where I live. I mean I work- or at least before I lost my job- during the day. And no one else is at home when I'm gone. And of the less than 10 escorts I've had over- two I had brought in from out of town for an overnight of weekend- so very unlikely they were to come back to town and rob me in future days. And one of the other guys I had come over twice- with a few years in between visits. He was a nice guy the 1st time- and I think with several reviews. I wasn't really worried about him.

 

But in general I've met at the escort's place or hotel, a bath house, or they have come to my hotel.

 

Gman

[bigvalboy]

I agree. Just because you meet someone in the lobby and he matches the photos sent doesn't mean the session is going to go well. While I somewhat understand the logic behind the thinking that a total scammer isn't going to have sent you his actual photos via email, I personally don't think that meeting someone at the door of their hotel/residence is much riskier than in a lobby. As I wrote earlier, if the person opening the door doesn't match the photos, I just turn around and leave. (I've only had to do this a couple of times.) I suppose a criminal might be tempted to grab you as soon as they open the door and you're turning around, but if they're going to do that they might just as well rob random strangers on the sidewalk at night when there are few people around (and the victims very well may be intoxicated) and little chance of a security camera filming the incident.

 

But I am guessing that this person went beyond the door and stepped inside. Not smart...Otherwise how would it been possible for him to be assaulted? If he had not entered, and someone rushed out of the bathroom, which is usually several feet inside the room, he could have run. So my guess is that he entered, and the accomplices came out of the bathroom from behind him.

 

AND I still maintain it is easier to walk away from an uncomfortable situation in a public place rather than at the door of a private residence or at the room of an escort that is many floors up and down a quiet hallway of a hotel. I never bring and escort in or go to the room of an escort in a conventional hotel. When I travel, if my intention is to hire, I stay at a gay friendly establishment, always. The last place I stayed, after establishing a friendly rapport with the gentlemen that was on at night, I told him that I was hiring an escort and even showed him the picture of the guy on his website. I asked him if something went wrong, how fast would security respond? I then met the escort for drinks at the hotel bar by the pool, where numerous people could see who I was with, and introduced him to the bartender.

 

Do I over plan and over think this out? Yeah probably, but by the time I start the session, I can focus on fun and not on whether or not he might steal my wallet or watch....IMO anyway.

[LouieD]

A somewhat similar situation happened to me in Chicago about five years ago. The escort, who was from m4rent, came to my room and after I was undressed robbed me. I called hotel security which called the police. I had two hotel security guys and two police officers in my room and a report was taken. They said they would catch the guy via hotel security cameras and the ad I showed them with the phone number in it. Nothing ever came of it, despite my follow-up calls... and the Chicago Police Department has a special unit that deals with this type of crime. Chicago's Finest at work.

[+ Gar1eth]

I never bring and escort in or go to the room of an escort in a conventional hotel. When I travel' date=' [i']if [/i]my intention is to hire, I stay at a gay friendly establishment, always. The last place I stayed, after establishing a friendly rapport with the gentlemen that was on at night, I told him that I was hiring an escort and even showed him the picture of the guy on his website. I asked him if something went wrong, how fast would security respond?

 

I've never stayed at that overtly gay friendly an establishment in my life. That sounds like some place in Palm Springs or Key West. If those places are more common- which I admit they might be- than I know about- maybe you could help us by giving us a list of properties in their respective cities.

 

Gman

[bigvalboy]

I've never stayed at that overtly gay friendly an establishment in my life. That sounds like some place in Palm Springs or Key West. If those places are more common- which I admit they might be- than I know about- maybe you could help us by giving us a list of properties in their respective cities. Gman

 

lol lol...What? You mean like your travel agent would? Gman you crack me up. Gay resorts are everywhere, and I mean everywhere. There must be thousands nation wide, I can't possibly compile that kind of a list. There are dozens right here in Fort Lauderdale, from Palm Beach south to the 'Keys' and west to Tampa/St Pete. If you are traveling, just go to the Internet and punch in gay resorts or gay bed and breakfasts in the city that you plan on going to and most everything will come up. You will often find them in even the remote locations, and dozens in every major city.

 

My two favorites are the "Parker Guest House" in San Francisco...and the "Royal Palms Spa and resort in Fort Lauderdale, but you will have dozens to choose from depending on your budget. I prefer the intimacy, personal attention, and the ability to just be myself.

 

They are clearly a very different kind of experience, and not for everyone. It is really a personal choice. Some are glorified bath houses and some are like 5 stars resorts.

 

If you go to TripAdvisor.com you will see some of my reviews for the two resorts that I mentioned above. Hope this helped....

[instudiocity]

I can't wait to see all the reviews starting with: I was hiding behind the column when I spotted him...

Mine would start, "I was hiding my fully-erect column behind the nearest sofa when I totally unloaded in my trousers as he approached..."