Okay, I got the creepiest Snapchat of my life last night.
So by all means, I’ve been a hoe. Up until the last few months, I was on Grindr/Tinder begging for attention - looking for anything in the rural Midwest. My Snapchat & Instagram were posted, I sent nudes, I occasionally would hook up with guys if I could get some kind of authentic responses or details. Definitely not safe, but I took precautions.
Last night, a random username added me (not unusual, I need to get my name off of dating apps if I want to date someone). However, the user handle seemed like spam at first. Until I got a snapchat that looked like a real mirror pic - it was so fishy, however.
I’ve received “fishy” yet “convincing” photos from men before. I would genuinely try to investigate and determine who I was actually talking to. A lot of the times, now I realize, I wouldn’t determine anything. I would forget any interaction and move on with my life.
Last night I received a photo on snapchat from one of these perceived cases and I told them straight-up that I wasn’t interested. That I have been seeing someone, and that I don’t think it’s appropriate to message them if all they’re looking for are nudes/hook-ups.
Turns out, this user sends me a video of several printed screenshots pasted to a wall or a poster board, something - some kind of printed archive of photos to use for catfish. This man could take snaps of these photos to make it seem like it was an actual mirror pic/nude/selfie from a random profile seeking hookups or chat.
I’m awestruck that this is an actual method predators use to seek out young men like myself. I feel so singled out and afraid. However, I don’t think there is anything I can do. I am paranoid. I want to move. I have had my snapchat location on public for enough time and engaged with either this single user or other users for long enough that they have to know where I live. This is scary.
If anything, I hope I’m not the only person who didn’t realize that this was a thing. That sometimes you receive random, strange, fishy snapchats from appealing men that happen to be a printed & pasted screenshot on some creep’s deskroom wall. It is just something I have never been aware of. From now on I plan on using strict caution on social media - with Snapchat especially.
Please let me know if this is new to you or seems striking. I have just been at a loss of thought.
