Alright peeps and meeps, listen up! When did Instagram become the new dating site for scammers, creeps, and the US military?
I’ve started having this weird trend happen on my Instagram: randos trying to follow me and/or send me messages. It’s a little weird! And what’s even more weird, 95% of them all have US Military profile pictures.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I melt over a guy in uniform just as much as the next girl, but what’s the deal here? Is this the new thing to be doing?
My Instagram is private. I post pictures of my kidlets on there and my life and I’m all for keeping my life private like the good old days. I only add people who I know and like to my Instagram feed. But I have to admit, a few of these randos have caught my attention. Guys in uniforms! It can’t be helped!
Don’t worry, I’m not getting sucked into them like I’m sure they want, but just like why did they decide to pick my profile? It seriously intrigues me to the point of actually talking to them. Sure, I have an adorable profile picture but they can’t see the rest of my profile unless I allow them to follow me. Which I don’t. But I will strike up a conversation with one from time to time.
Now I have some rules for adding randos to anything. First of all, if you have 1 photo posted and it’s from the very same day you asked to follow me, and you are following 100 people but have zero followers – I’m not following you. I don’t care who your profile says you are. Mostly the randos just send a message request and not a follow request, so that’s all good. If you have followers and more than one day of activity then I’ll probably give your profile a look over and maybe consider replying to your message. Secondly, if you are going to pout and fuss over getting off the Instagram chat, then don’t even talk to me. Don’t tell me you love me or what to continue talking to “see where this goes.” I have no space in my life for you right now, or actually ever because you’re a scammer but still, go flatter someone else’s ego.
Okies so there was a person from last week that I actually replied to. Obviously, he’s in the US military. Says he’s in the army, a captain, and is stationed in Afghanistan right now. He said he was looking for a friend in the search field and found my profile. His profile was private and he had almost as many followers and people he followed which is odd and intriguing. He also had so many posts! All of them are like the motivational poster type of posts, but maybe that’s just his jam? I don’t know. Might this actually be a real person? Not a scammer? He messaged and sent a follow request, which again is super odd. So I took the leap. Most of you know I’m in a “boys are all stupid” phase anyway so what’s one more that will prove that philosophy?
We send a few messages back and forth to each other but he says he’s been “enjoying the conversation and can we keep chatting as friends” which is a classic line of the scammers. Of course, you say yes, let’s talk as friends. But shortly after he says “let’s keep up good connection on WhatsApp” and that’s a big hells to the no from me. And I told him so, even though he goes “the nature of my job means I can’t converse here”. Like legit, I hardly even give my WhatsApp out to guys from dating sites when I’m actually on them. I don’t want people having my number even if it is easy to block them and blah blah blah. No. Just no. But if you can’t converse in an Instagram chat, what’s the difference to a Whatsapp chat? Makes no sense to me! Surprisingly, he’s the longest to last out the conversation stage – almost a week of messages before I stopped getting messages!
I’m still not sure why I get these people – and all with military profile pictures.
Hows about you? Do you have this problem with Instagram? Or any other social media sites that you’re on?
Also: OMG why has the WordPress editor switched now?! I hate that when I delete a word, it also deletes the space before it and then I have two words smushed together when I just typed the wrong first letter and I HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!! This is so lame. Boo WordPress! BOO!
I get women on the “military” trend too FYI. Grainy fake pictures and since when do people in the military have all this time for Instagram. I finally just took my picture down and started erasing people and only allow dogs to follow me. No… literal dogs and their families. I only use it for the chatter anyway so why anyone would mysteriously “find” me there and want to talk is beyond me.
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Haha exactly! Maybe I should only follow dogs on Instagram too? Seems like a solid life choice for happiness hehe
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It honestly is 😂 Dogs and craft/art and artisan or local business sites. Magic!
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Seems like I need a new way of living! Haha thanks for the advice, you are now my life coach. Expect random requests about silly advice moving forward
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You put yourself on display for all to see, why are you surprised? This whole social media madness is ridiculous.
You chose a picture to post for the world to see and somehow your annoyed that people want to connect?
Quit with the narcissism. Be real girl. If you didn’t want the attention then why have a profile in the first place?
I wonder how many other people you creep on, on social media.
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Wow, that was unnecessary! She literally just said that her profile is private and not for all to see. And who are you to judge anyway?
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And here come the knights in shining armor to defend!!!! She still has a profile picture that is available. Judge, hmmmmm, so she is not judging the people contacting her?
Why are you judging me?
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Wow – ok, I honestly thought I had deleted your first comment to avoid your attitude on my blog but since it’s here and you’re still with the negative comments, I’ll have my say.
First of all, don’t call me girl. I’m not your girl. Secondly, don’t jump on my followers like that. You posted a slightly hostile comment so don’t be all up tight if someone takes offence to that. If you want to have your negativity, feel free to keep that to your own blog. Not here where you’ve been around for like half a minute.
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Wow, I came in here with some reality and you want to censor me! Hmmm, do what you will it’s your blog anyway.
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I’m sorry but there is a way to say what you want to in a respectful way. That’s how things roll here. If you’re not ok with that, it’s totally fine to not interact with my blog and the community of great people I have here.
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Like I said do whatever you want. Just know that it is quite hypocritical to censor me. You stated something and I commented. If you don’t like it, why are the comments enabled on your blog?
If all you want is positivity, I must ask what is so wrong that you cannot discuss differences of opinion?
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I didn’t say it all had to be positive. I said respectful. There’s a difference. Any further comments from you which lack basic conversation respect will be deleted.
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The fuck???! Totally unnecessary!
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Says you! Whoever you are! What a mouth on this girl!
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My man loves my mouth 😋😂
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LOL, he says that to all the girls!
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Maybe. But the rest of the girls are irrelevant until I catch him. I play fairly. But as per your blog you haven’t dated in over 2 decades so it sounds like you must be hungry by now, eh? Poor thing. No wonder you have to blow off so much steam on the internet, where you can’t be confronted LOL. Have a wonderful day asshole! 😘
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I never had that, but I sometimes have very random follow requests! The whole stalking thing I experienced made me so much more conscious of all the weird people lurking out there…
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I normally just ignore them but sometimes I’m just in the mood to mess with some scammers haha! Like those people who will string along telemarketers lol
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I do that sometimes too! 😂 There’s a scam going on in the UK where they call and tell you stuff like ‘you were involved in a road accident in 2007?’ and I go along with it, ask for details and then tell them ‘oh, it’s weird that you have all those info because I didn’t have a license in 2007 and I didn’t live in this country…’ They usually hang up really quick! Haha! 😜 Thanks for the follow on Instagram by the way, I followed you back!
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Hehehe! That’s a great way to get them! I’ve heard of people telling telemarketers that they just need to find a pen and they’ll be right back, and then just leave the phone on the counter for like 2 hours haha
And I saw! Yay! 💛
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A good friend of mine fell for the soldier in Afghanistan routine. They’re scammers in Africa. Don’t accept any.
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Lol yeah the level of English skills in the messages are a dead give away! I’m never under the impression that they are real people who aren’t scammers
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Either my last comment went to your spam folder, or you have blocked me.
In any regard, my point has been proven.
Thanks for the assistance.
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Why are you even here? Do you get off on picking stupid fights with nice people on the Internet? Makes me sad for you really!
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Thanks? I was just participating in the conversation.
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I get it on my personal AND the blog instagram. I have made a few posts about flirting in the DMs and such – stressing how badly it freaks and creeps me out. I block them generally. And my personal is private so I’m like you.
Also you can change it back I believe. They’re still working kinks out in the editor so maybe tweet them and let them know about it!
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Lol I guess the point of the post was that I’m surprised scammers have moved into using Instagram as a dating site. I can understand Facebook or Twitter where it’s posting about your personal life and people can get a sense of who you are and are encouraged to interact with people they don’t know, but this is Instagram. It’s just sharing pictures of what you ate for dinner lol!!
And I will look into switching it back! I’ve been avoiding it forever. And will definitely try to let them know about it!
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I know what you mean. But we share more about our locations in other places. As well as things we don’t think about. Which is why my personal is so private. Plus my Facebook is super private and my personal Twitter. You have to be following me to see anything. And for Facebook we much have a mutual friend for you to be able to add me.
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Oh yeah I’m the same with my Facebook privacy settings! Switched it all over to Uber private when I was in teachers college. I don’t have a personal twitter so it’s just the blog one. I’m slowly moving more and more away from social media. I’m not loving how everything is shared there and out in the open for everyone to see. I like the private side of my life to stay private (aside from what I post here but this is like my personal journal so over sharing happens lol) I haven’t even posted to my Facebook account since July. Except for one post letting people know they still had time to do Christmas cards for Any Canadian Soldier lol
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Ok, I haven’t had any US military but I do get some strange messages from people on Instagram! Just last week someone offered to pay me £100 for my running shoes and were very specific that they must be worn and dirty…what the? The internet is such a wonderful, yet very strange place!!
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I’m 99.99999% sure that none of theses people are actually from the US military! Lol just shocked at the new medium that scammers are using that’s all!
And you are right! The internet is a very strange place haha
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What the *#@%!? You might be winning the internet strange messages for the day!!
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Haha, right?!
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Hey boo. First of all? FUCK that guy. Literally. The one with all the shit to say. Wow! Where do these assholes come from?! Second: this never happens to me but I’m thinking it’s because I’m
Not private and because I state that I’m married in my profile lol. But either way, they seem like scams for sure. Don’t give in to the internet girl. Look at the shit that comes from it (see above)
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Oh don’t worry doll face! I don’t give into the internet. It can be a great place. It brought me you! 😘 how could it be bad?!
I’m just surprised that scammers thing Insta is an appropriate place for dating scams. Some people’s children, amiright?
Love you lots lady!
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Right back at ya!!!! I’m over here taking off my hoop earrings and my sandals like “come at me bro!!” LOL sorry about that.
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haha it’s all good. I just try to stay out of his comments after I said what I had to say to him. If you two want to go at it, feel free haha
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Ely, you always make me smile you hilarious crazy lady. 😀
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Aww girl love ya!!! LOL you know these internet arguments can be fun sometimes, when you’re bored and don’t take thing personal LOL. I’m awful. Xoxo
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Haha isn’t she just great?!
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Oh yeah. I’ve suddenly started getting friend requests from US military men as well. Hilarious. I just block them and don’t engage.
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Lol I usually block and ignore too but the one I was talking about here I just couldn’t haha! Sometimes it’s fun to engage the scammers
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They are fake profiles, my friend. They reel you in, telling you they are military and serving somewhere and then they slowly start asking you to send them either money or other items. I LOVE engaging the scammers. They are not very bright!
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lol I’m just surprised that they are using Instagram as their platform. Like I can understand other platforms to engage with people (Facebook, tumblr, etc) but why instagram? But it is another form of social media so as much as it surprises me, it totally makes sense as well lol
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Yup.
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