The Story:
Henrik, 32, met “Shanice” on TikTok. She was flirty, fun, and said she liked “European men.” They moved to Signal the same night. She sent him cute selfies and even voice notes.
After a few days, she said her phone plan was about to expire and she needed €15 to stay online. Henrik agreed — small price to keep chatting.
Then came a second request. And a third. The amounts grew. One day she asked for a €50 Google Play card so she could “buy a better mic for their private calls.” But every time he asked for a video call, she dodged it.
Henrik reverse searched her images. The girl was a Nigerian influencer — and had no idea her photos were being used.
Lesson:
Small requests build into big ones. If someone keeps needing help to “stay online,” it’s likely they’re trying to keep you hooked just long enough to extract as much as possible.