By Dear Straight People,
In recent times, scams have become increasingly prevalent. One particular scam has infiltrated Grindr, a widely used networking platform for MSM (men who have sex with men).
A Twitter thread initiated by @DiscreetGaySG has shed light on a new Grindr scam, gaining significant attention with over 43,000 people reached at the time of writing.
Scammer’s Tactics
This scam involves an impersonator using an attractive topless Asian man’s profile picture to lure potential victims. As the thread unraveled, it was revealed that the picture was a catfish.
The scammer chats up potential targets on Grindr in Chinese, eventually coaxing them to switch to other messaging platforms like Telegram, Whatsapp, or LINE. They initiate a video call, claiming it is necessary to “vet each other’s body.”
However, during the call, a pre-recorded explicit video of the impersonated individual is played, attempting to entice the victim into engaging in cam sex.
Extortion Strategy
Following the video call, the scammer sends a lengthy text to the victim, demanding a payment of $3,000. If the target refuses to pay up, the scammer will release the recorded video of the victim online, thereby making them an “internet celebrity“.
Intriguingly, the author of the Twitter thread reported not undressing during the call, suggesting that the threatening text was an automated message.
Scam Started In Hong Kong
The Twitter thread gained significant traction, with numerous gay men sharing their own encounters with similar scams. Some users speculated that the scam originated in Hong Kong, before spreading to Singapore.
The conversation surrounding this issue reached such a magnitude that even the person being impersonated by the scammer chimed in, confirming the fraudulent use of his photo.
For those interested, the complete Twitter thread can be viewed below. It is worth noting that the author of the thread is an OnlyFans creator, whose page primarily contains adult-oriented content.
Stay safe on Grindr everyone!
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I want to share my experience with Grindr too if I may. I’ve been using the app for about two weeks now
Lately though, I have several people greeted me on Grindr. When the first time it happened, I paid no mind. He asked what was I looking for on the app, then just like what you wrote, he invited me to chat over Whatsapp, saying that he didn’t use Grindr much
I thought nothing of it but I entertained the idea anyway since he seemed to be polite so far. We talked, we got to know each other, said he’s from Singapore who was working in Jakarta, and currently was living with his uncle. We exchanged photos (though I’m now convinced the photo was not of himself) and the guy seemed to be so awfully forward. Occasionally he mentioned something about him being engaged in short-term crypto trading using Binance, and one day, he asked me to join him.
Since we just started to get to know each other for a couple of days, there was no way I would immediately trust him to go with that, especially since he was being so insistent. When I refuse, he sounded offended and we have stopped talking since
Ever since then, I’ve come across several more people who do the same. All start asking what am I looking for on Grindr, they gave their numbers, invited us to chat on Whatsapp instead, and said something about crypto trading. All of them claim to be Singaporeans and live with their uncles. Second time, I felt strange but still went along with it anyway until that crypto talk. When a third guy show up, greeting in a similar manner, I felt weirded out
I haven’t been on Grindr again since then and there has been no one talked to me. Except ones who are only into it for fun, which is not what I’m not looking for. I just want to meet new friends, have a coffee, and talk