Introduction:
It all starts innocently: a friendly follow, a like, maybe a cute comment under a TikTok video. But for scammers, this is the bait — and they’re patient. They don’t ask for money right away. They build trust first. This is Mikael’s story, a 34-year-old from Estonia, who found out how fast digital flirting can turn into emotional manipulation.
The Story:
Mikael received a TikTok message from a woman named “Sophia.” Her profile was full of trendy dances, funny lip-syncs, and stylish photos. She complimented one of his woodwork videos and struck up a light conversation.
A few days later, she said:
“Hey, TikTok is a bit public — do you have WhatsApp or Telegram? It’s easier to talk there.”
Once they moved to Telegram, their chat became more playful, even flirty. Sophia sent a few selfies and voice messages, saying she really liked his vibe. She never asked for anything at first — just attention.
After about two weeks, she brought up her situation:
“I want to send you a cute video but my data plan is low… it’s embarrassing to ask, but can you help me with €15 just to recharge?”
Mikael didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t a big sum, and they had shared quite a bit already. He sent the money.
Next time, she asked for a little more:
“Can you get me a €30 Google Play card? I’ll use it for a private stream I want to invite you to.”
But when Mikael asked for a live video call first, she kept avoiding it. “Bad connection,” “Too late at night,” “My camera is broken.” The excuses piled up. After he refused to send anything else, Sophia disappeared. Her Telegram profile was deleted, and her TikTok account became private.
Later, Mikael searched her pictures through reverse image search — they were all stolen from a Brazilian Instagram model.
Lesson Learned:
Scammers on platforms like TikTok use charm and patience to build fake emotional connections. If someone you barely know is asking to move to encrypted apps and eventually asks for small “favors,” it’s usually the beginning of a scam. Trust is earned, not bought — and no real person will put a price tag on emotional connection.