40+ single woman (so already a scammer target). I have a largish social media following so I get DMs from guys all over regularly (not a flex just the nature of the biz)
Met a guy on Instagram a week or so ago. He’s a real, verifiable person in the USA, has a public profile (although not verified), appears in interviews and news articles, has a notable family member who is a professional athlete.
I’m in Australia though…
We’ve spoken on FaceTime multiple times, so I know he exists and looks like his photos.
But some things are giving me pause and I want an outside perspective.
Things that feel legit:
He’s a real, searchable public figure with a documented career
We’ve FaceTimed (not just texted or voice called)
He has a large extended family presence online, including a well-known relative
Things making me uncomfortable:
Got emotionally intense very quickly, calling me “baby,” soul connection, talking about finding a life partner, all within weeks
Has mentioned he hasn’t really looked at my Instagram. Which feels odd if you’re supposedly flying internationally to meet someone?
Moved the conversation off Instagram to WhatsApp early on
Has floated big plans flying me to a major US city for an event with his family
Works in investments/finance
I’m a single woman in my 40s and I know that makes me a target. The FaceTime thing makes me feel like it’s probably real, but the emotional pacing feels off.
Has anyone seen scams operate this way even with real FaceTime? Could someone be using a real person’s identity somehow? Or am I just not used to someone being keen?
Thank you in advance.
UPDATE: This is the wildest part and honestly so subtle but so telling…
So I woke up today and trusted my gut and sent him this “have you seen the tinder swindler?”
And he left me a voice note saying “I don’t even know what the tinder swindler is…”
And then randomly changed the subject to this:
“I feel like you’d be good at this—random US trivia. I might start throwing a few your way here and there. :)”
I’m like *confused Travolta meme* because that is not a normal person response to my message.
It’s giving some kind of boiler room where multiple people are chiming in on the convo….