Stranger Danger!! (actually Catfishing 🙄)

[Deadbed1968]

Hello Lit Family!

<rant>

This thread is targeted mostly towards the guys, but it’s really applicable for everyone in the forums. In recent days I have been apparently targeted by some very sketchy accounts on here purportedly being women “new to the platform” looking to start a conversation. The accounts are brand new and have either no posts or just a couple posts in the forums.

I try to be an open minded, and friendly person, so I usually give everyone the benefit of the doubt.
Because I’m this way, and because I figured that as a guy, I wouldn’t generally be a target for bad actors (sad situation I know. I’m sorry to our members identifying as women) so I leave my PMs open. However I am seeing an uptick in sketchy PMs.

I wanted to warn my fellow Lit members to be careful when you respond to unsolicited messages. Avoid disclosing any personal or financial details without first putting on your detective hat, and looking deeper into who that PM is coming from. Have fun, but protect yourself!

</rant>

DeadBed1968

 

[AnnieLit]

Avoid disclosing any personal or financial details without first putting on your detective hat, and looking deeper into who that PM is coming from.

Really?! You should have stopped at "Avoid disclosing any personal or financial details". Period. It doesn't matter who the questions are coming from, if they are asking for any of that on THIS site, block and report immediately, there is absolutely no legitimate reason for this type of questions.

Even if you are entering some sort of pay-to-play situation, there is no room for questions. Here is the price per week/month/session/whatever unit. Either you are interested in paying it or not. If you are, this is the way to make the transfer. That's it.

 

[000zing]

Virtually all of the little/no posting history 'females' on here are males... especially ones who approach you and even more especially ones whose usernames are overtly female. Sad but true.

 

[Deadbed1968]

Really?! You should have stopped at "Avoid disclosing any personal or financial details". Period. It doesn't matter who the questions are coming from, if they are asking for any of that on THIS site, block and report immediately, there is absolutely no legitimate reason for this type of questions.

Even if you are entering some sort of pay-to-play situation, there is no room for questions. Here is the price per week/month/session/whatever unit. Either you are interested in paying it or not. If you are, this is the way to make the transfer. That's it.

You are absolutely right @AnnieLit. The second I see any questions that hint at my financial situation I immediately block. I have no interest whatsoever in that type of interaction, and it’s the reddest red flag there is.

 

[AnnieLit]

Virtually all of the little/no posting history 'females' on here are males... especially ones who approach you and even more especially ones whose usernames are overtly female. Sad but true.

Everyone had to be new at some point LOL
My first couple Lit "friends" when I just got here had zero posting history, though they had pretty old accounts. There wasn't anything fishy about them at all, they just preferred to stay in the shadows. In private conversations they both were very open, actually, much more open than they should have been as after a month or so of chatting I was able to find both of them online. As in find their real names, work, etc.

And what's wrong with female usernames? I much prefer usernames that can be used in a conversation, that I can address a person by. And I want people to address me the same way.

 

[000zing]

I stand my ground. As said: sad but true.

 

[wisguy281]

I had some PM me yesterday. New to Lit, zero posts, wanted to know more about me and chat using a different app. Seemed a bit suspicious. The messages stopped when I replied I don't have those apps.

 

[AnnieLit]

I had some PM me yesterday. New to Lit, zero posts, wanted to know more about me and chat using a different app. Seemed a bit suspicious. The messages stopped when I replied I don't have those apps.

Just out of curiosity, which apps they suggested? Skype is dead. Kick is popular enough that anybody who uses anything outside of Lit probably has it by now. What else is there?

 

[wisguy281]

Telegram and another one I don't recall and hadn't heard of before. I ended the conversation when she replied so sad.

Things seemed a bit fishy to me when I said I was from Wisconsin, 59, retired and she said she was 37, independently wealthy and in Chicago. I thought Telegram was used more by people in Europe.

I've been in contact with another person in the UK that uses discord.

 

[UsuallyPresent]

! had 2 out-of-the-blue messages yesterday, but both were bland greetings without asking for anything, yet. If they ask I’ll report ‘em, but I’ll play nice whilst they do the same. Everyone’s new at some point, after all.

 

[hardbiker82]

I just had a new one this morning — so thanks for the thread and continued warning. I am the same way — I don’t give out too much personal information (nothing really identifiable) and when they want to chat outside of Lit, I do the same — don’t have those.

I don’t mind chatting with new users (or veteran users) as long as they’re legit.

 

[Pad_Foot]

Yup

What’s App and Telegram are the main go to’s

Nope!

Also?? How many legit Lit women are DMing guys out of the blue? That never happens to me even when I ask for questions

 

[AnnieLit]

Yup

What’s App and Telegram are the main go to’s

Nope!

Also?? How many legit Lit women are DMing guys out of the blue? That never happens to me even when I ask for questions

Not exactly out of the blue, but sometimes I DM first if we start talking on the board and there is something that I don't want to post publicly or just don't want to spam someone else's thread.

 

[AnnieLit]

Telegram and another one I don't recall and hadn't heard of before. I ended the conversation when she replied so sad.

Things seemed a bit fishy to me when I said I was from Wisconsin, 59, retired and she said she was 37, independently wealthy and in Chicago. I thought Telegram was used more by people in Europe.

I've been in contact with another person in the UK that uses discord.

Telegram used for the most part in the post Soviet countries. But it is also used by people in the US that are FROM those places. Basically, when you have family and friends on the other side of the world, you use what they are familiar with. (I absolutely HATE Telegram, but unfortunately have to use it sometimes for non-Lit related purposes.)

 

[AnnieLit]

Yup

What’s App and Telegram are the main go to’s

Nope!

Also?? How many legit Lit women are DMing guys out of the blue? That never happens to me even when I ask for questions

The main problem with WhatsApp (and I think Telegram as well, but there I am not sure) is that you have to connect it to your phone number and that number is visible to whoever you are talking to. And you can't use google voice number or something like that, it has to be a real number through a provider. Which means that your anonymity goes out the window.

 

[Pad_Foot]

The main problem with WhatsApp (and I think Telegram as well, but there I am not sure) is that you have to connect it to your phone number and that number is visible to whoever you are talking to. And you can't use google voice number or something like that, it has to be a real number through a provider. Which means that your anonymity goes out the window.

B I N G O
or... bin fucking GO!!
That's the game!!

 

[Pad_Foot]

Not exactly out of the blue, but sometimes I DM first if we start talking on the board and there is something that I don't want to post publicly or just don't want to spam someone else's thread.

but... you have a presence on LIT... so........... OK...
In fact any guy here would LOVE these sorts of DM's!!

 

[Deadbed1968]

I know when I was new here, I didn’t start off by PMing random people. I participated in the discussions and got to know people first. Longevity is a decent measure of trustworthiness (not perfect).

 

[Deadbed1968]

The main problem with WhatsApp (and I think Telegram as well, but there I am not sure) is that you have to connect it to your phone number and that number is visible to whoever you are talking to. And you can't use google voice number or something like that, it has to be a real number through a provider. Which means that your anonymity goes out the window.

Good information! Thank you Annie!

 

[Deadbed1968]

Telegram used for the most part in the post Soviet countries. But it is also used by people in the US that are FROM those places. Basically, when you have family and friends on the other side of the world, you use what they are familiar with. (I absolutely HATE Telegram, but unfortunately have to use it sometimes for non-Lit related purposes.)

Wait until you start getting asked to use WeChat!!

 

[wisguy281]

I got another unsolicited DM's from a new member with 0 posts from BlueOceanBlood with the following message:

Hello, nice to meet you. How are you? I'm truly new here, and I genuinely appreciate your kindness and patience as I get acclimated. I'm looking forward to learning from you and contributing in any way I can.

 

[Deadbed1968]

Yeah, those mimic what I was getting too.

 

[UsuallyPresent]

Thirded. Even so, I won't report until/unless they do something offensive/ask me to be dumb. If they do, 'course, that report button's never very far away

 

[UsuallyPresent]

I use Telegram. It does require a phone number to get going, but then it is possible to hide your number from other users you chat with. Nobody gets my number! I just identify with a username. I like Signal too. This doesn’t require a number at all and is very secure.

Frankly, ain't no such thing as 100% secure.

https://www.securitymagazine.com/ar...ulnerabilities-in-high-security-communication (limited # of free articles)

https://spectrum.ieee.org/telegram-security

Etc. Realize that there's a lotta eyes on data out there and a lotta people paid to find ways around encryption.

 

[UsuallyPresent]

Good job I only speak with one person there then! I don’t think it’s ever been safe to do anything ‘private’ online…. less and less so as time goes by, sadly.

It’s never been 100% safe from the eras of old hand-switched telephones or people shaving off wax seals through the present. The best thing, for the modern day, is that there’s so much data flowing you’re probably just lost in the weeds unless you do something which draws attention. Small mercies, aye, but better’n none.