Scam? Too Jaded?

[LaffingBear]

Tired of most of the Grindr and copycat apps... I'm trying one called Surge. Overall, I'm finding its much less about immediate hookups. But I'm experiencing one thing that makes me wonder.

 

Most of the replies are locals. Looks: its an eye-of-beholder thing... but all across the range.

 

Surge works by showing pics and profiles based on geography, and communication is possible only when both guys swipe-right and match. Lately, there are guys who are initially in my area in whom I indicate interest. They are younger, nice-looking, but not model-looks. Not the look we would associate with fake rentguys. Often have pics with children. They all eventually have profile changes indicating they're thousands of miles away. They say they're in the military, working through internet proxies because of military location-info restrictions. They want to come home to a relationship.

 

Eventually, after some chat, they provide an email address and ask for mine, citing military restrictions on e*communications.

 

My question: Is this a known scam? One I've just never heard or read about? Or something new?

 

I haven't given and won't give my email contact. Im 99.9% certain they're not legit. Although it's disappointing to see military-service exploited, and to be presented with evidence that I'm so jaded that I won't believe some guys in military just want contact back home.

 

Anyone know about this particular scam, of pretend military service to gain access to ?????

[seattlebottom]

Yes it's a scam. The military angle is a well known scam and there's even a website with the pictures most often used in this type of operation.

[+ Tarte Gogo]

What do they get out of the scam? They ask you for money to pay for the flight back home?

[rvwnsd]

What do they get out of the scam? They ask you for money to pay for the flight back home?

I don't know. Several guys have sent me messages on A4A about being good soldiers, looking for love and not hookups, etc. One went on about being a single gay dad of a couple of kids.

[+ Kman]

yes, I've had this happen they didn't ask for my email, but asked for money/get a hotel room for him.

[LaffingBear]

Well... maybe its the Surge app... or ??.. But its happened 3 more times since I created this post.

 

I asked one guy directly.... and he said "they wanna catfish. Use fake profiles." Weird, he was sort of admitting.... although he wasnt claiming to be military. The tipoff is that he went from profile saying he was 15 miles away... to 2300 miles away, within 10 minutes. Apparently, they can manipulate reported location on Surge.

 

I assume the request for my email is for ID theft initiation.

[Rudynate]

I don't know. Several guys have sent me messages on A4A about being good soldiers, looking for love and not hookups, etc. One went on about being a single gay dad of a couple of kids.

 

 

Yes, I've had it happen twice. Both times the guys were amazing looking. The first was supposed to be a captain in an airborne unit on a top secret deployment to Turkey. Total hunk. Suddenly, he stopped communicating and his account was closed. The second was a beautiful hunky blond boy in Afghanistan who loved animals. Very quickly, he started asking for little things, ITUNES gift cards, etc. When I grew tired of the game and stopped responding to his texts, he kept texting me, asking what he had done wrong, why was I hurting him so.

, etc., etc.

Edited April 21, 2018 by Rudynate

[Rudynate]

I wonder if they aren't bots.

[LaffingBear]

A little frustrating. A healthy sense of skepticism is a good thing. But the need to be ever-vigilant, or on-guard, has a cost. Hence the title of the thread.

[rvwnsd]

Yes, I've had it happen twice. Both times the guys were amazing looking. The first was supposed to be a captain in an airborne unit on a top secret deployment to Turkey. Total hunk. Suddenly, he stopped communicating and his account was closed. The second was a beautiful hunky blond boy in Afghanistan who loved animals. Very quickly, he started asking for little things, ITUNES gift cards, etc. When I grew tired of the game and stopped responding to his texts, he kept texting me, asking what he had done wrong, why was I hurting him so.

, etc., etc.

I receive the messages from hunks on a regular basis and upon clicking their profiles receive a message that the account no longer exists. That tells me A4A shut down the account. There's another flavor, though - the profile pics are taken from a distance and they feature the "good soldier" and a couple of kids or dogs or what looks like a community event. Those are the ones where the "good soldier" "writes" these long emails. Each time they press me for my phone number and each time I say something like "oh, gosh, I prefer to wait til I know someone to provide my phone number." After a few more messages I block them, report them, and move on.

 

For those who are wondering why I even engage the "good soldier" it is analogous to my cats chasing the laser pointer dot. They know it is me making the dot happen and they know it isn't a real mouse/insect/tasty morsel of food/insert other item cats like to chase. They also know it is fun.

[Rudynate]

I receive the messages from hunks on a regular basis and upon clicking their profiles receive a message that the account no longer exists. That tells me A4A shut down the account. There's another flavor, though - the profile pics are taken from a distance and they feature the "good soldier" and a couple of kids or dogs or what looks like a community event. Those are the ones where the "good soldier" "writes" these long emails. Each time they press me for my phone number and each time I say something like "oh, gosh, I prefer to wait til I know someone to provide my phone number." After a few more messages I block them, report them, and move on.

 

For those who are wondering why I even engage the "good soldier" it is analogous to my cats chasing the laser pointer dot. They know it is me making the dot happen and they know it isn't a real mouse/insect/tasty morsel of food/insert other item cats like to chase. They also know it is fun.

 

 

Agree, they are fun. The airborne captain swept me off my feet. He hadn't asked for anything yet and wanted to meet me in LA when he got back from Turkey.

[rvwnsd]

Agree, they are fun. The airborne captain swept me off my feet. He hadn't asked for anything yet and wanted to meet me in LA when he got back from Turkey.

Funny, but MY military guy wanted to meet me in LA, too! I don't recall whether he was stationed in Turkey, though. If he was, I'm giving that two-timing son-of-a-so-and-so a piece of my mind when we meet. Not a big piece, just a little piece. Have to conserve brain cells for the shirtless marine stationed in Turkmenistan who wants to meet up in Fargo, ND when he gets back.

 

To be clear: they military guys don't sweep me off my feet. The fun part is toying with them. Maybe a better analogy would be the kitties batting around the bird-like feather toy before they "smother" it.

[LaffingBear]

I'm reminded of the advice of seasoned political neighborhood canvassers. To newbies.

 

"The people who support our cause will tell you - quickly. The people who demonstrate significant interest, take up your time.... they support the opposition. They're intentionally wasting your time, to keep you from accomplishing your goals."

[Rudynate]

Funny, but MY military guy wanted to meet me in LA, too! I don't recall whether he was stationed in Turkey, though. If he was, I'm giving that two-timing son-of-a-so-and-so a piece of my mind when we meet. Not a big piece, just a little piece. Have to conserve brain cells for the shirtless marine stationed in Turkmenistan who wants to meet up in Fargo, ND when he gets back.

 

To be clear: they military guys don't sweep me off my feet. The fun part is toying with them. Maybe a better analogy would be the kitties batting around the bird-like feather toy before they "smother" it.

 

 

No, I don't fetishize military guys either.

[rvwnsd]

No, I don't fetishize military guys either.

Now give me a firefighter...

[Rudynate]

Now give me a firefighter...

 

Last summer, I worked with a special trainer at a fitness studio in SOMA to prepare for a fitness event. Every Thursday morning I would see a tall redhead working out who had the most beautiful build. It was the kind of build you see only on tall men - broad shoulders, long arms, softball biceps, big hands, long legs, big calves, lean and athletic. I looked forward to seeing him every Thursday. When my trainer told me he was a firefighter, I thought, "Yep, makes sense." I saw him just the other day in a completely different part of town and my heart leapt.

[BasketBaller]

I have now had similar experiences to the OP. I decided to try Surge, and in a week have had four guys start to chat, always appearing to be about 2 miles from me. Nice looking, ordinary guys. But very odd language, saying "am" for "I am," ending many sentences with "okay" with no question mark, almost immediately calling me "baby," etc. One said he was Army but didn't reply when I asked what he did in the Army. Usually their location changes to thousands of miles away, as much as 5500. And they all want to take the chat to Kik without explaining why. Since I usually let it drop at that point no one has asked me for anything or suggested meeting, but it definitely reeks of some kind of scam.

[rvwnsd]

I have now had similar experiences to the OP. I decided to try Surge, and in a week have had four guys start to chat, always appearing to be about 2 miles from me. Nice looking, ordinary guys. But very odd language, saying "am" for "I am," ending many sentences with "okay" with no question mark, almost immediately calling me "baby," etc. One said he was Army but didn't reply when I asked what he did in the Army. Usually their location changes to thousands of miles away, as much as 5500. And they all want to take the chat to Kik without explaining why. Since I usually let it drop at that point no one has asked me for anything or suggested meeting, but it definitely reeks of some kind of scam.

Well, if you talk to the guy from Turkey he is all yours. If he two-times on @Rudynate with me, he'll two-time with you, too!