A few years ago, I played Douyin and added a friend, a girl. She added me first, and her profile showed she was 25 years old, the same age as me.
My first reaction was, "This woman must be a scammer!"
Because I was too bored and wanted to see what the deal was this time, "Whatever tricks you have, just show me. I’ll sit quietly and watch your performance!"
I have seen or experienced many scams, including those selling tea for grandfathers, those whose relatives were sick and needed hospital fees, those claiming to lead me to become a millionaire, and those in online relationships asking for red envelopes. Scams come in all forms, and I always adhere to one principle: if I pay, I lose.
As long as I don’t pay, what can you do to me? I felt a bit smug about that.
After the friend request was accepted, I opened her social media and found it was only visible for three days. I was puzzled and didn’t know what she had posted before. Generally, scammers don’t set their social media to be visible for just three days; they need a persona.
A persona comes not only from chatting between two people but also greatly reflects a person's character through social media content.
For example, my mom posts a long-standing picture saying, 'Family harmony brings prosperity!'
This shows that my mom is someone who values family harmony.
My dad likes to post pictures of himself on social media. Most of the time, he hugs himself with both arms, and his eyes are bright and fiery.
What does this indicate? It indicates that my dad is a very career-oriented person.
I had previously added a scammer who sold tea. Her social media was mostly sharing daily activities and feelings, accompanied by a beautiful selfie (which was a plus). Over time, I really thought she was the person described in her posts.
So when one day she suddenly tried to sell me her grandfather's tea, I thought if it weren't for my preconceived notions, I might not have been able to react. What a big game!
This time, I also had preconceived notions.
Ordinary appearance, and no obvious family background; what did she want by adding me as a friend?
We started with simple chatting, and I learned what she did, her hobbies, but of course, she wouldn’t tell me her home address or bank card password.
We didn’t chat much. I’m quite straightforward and didn’t know what to say. When the girl saw I wasn’t speaking, she also fell silent.
Later, from time to time, she would check on me, "Have you eaten? What are you doing? Have you slept? How's work?"
I have never actively initiated a chat with her.
About two months later, one day I suddenly realized that girl didn’t post on social media, so I asked her why. She retorted, "Why would I post on social media?"
Soul-searching question.
Like-minded people.
After that, I thought I had really made a friend online.
One time, my mom sent me a 拼夕夕 (Pinduoduo) request to help her share and support her. I casually forwarded it to a few people in my recent contacts. After an hour, only she replied to me with an 'ok' emoji.
She previously told me she graduated with a degree in English. When I was tutoring my junior high nephew in English homework, there was a cloze test I was unsure about. I took a photo and asked her, and she replied in seconds, clearly explaining the meaning.
She's definitely a female academic elite. I had my nephew add her on WeChat, saying that he could ask her if he didn’t understand anything in the future.
Later, my nephew gave me feedback that that sister taught better than their English teacher.
I felt a bit ashamed of my initial preconceived notions.
As an apology, I sent her a red envelope with the note 'Thank you for your patient guidance with my nephew.' She replied, 'What’s this for?' The red envelope was automatically returned after 24 hours.
I felt even more embarrassed.
On New Year's Eve, the whole family was playing cards. I had nothing to do, so I sent her a blessing. Surprisingly, she directly called me on video. I nervously clicked to accept.
"What made you think of calling me on video?" I asked with a smile.
"I just suddenly wanted to see what you look like, hahahaha!"
"I saw it, hope I didn’t scare you!"
"Not at all; you're pretty much what I imagined!"
"What do you think I look like?"
"Pretty much what I see now."
……
We chatted back and forth.
In the video, she seemed lively. In my original impression, she should have a quiet image. She’s not considered beautiful but definitely not ugly. If I had to compare, she resembles Xu Da Sao’s wife; I wonder if anyone remembers, she’s the kind that grows on you.
I first learned she came from a single-parent family. Her mother wasn’t home at the moment, and she didn’t say where she had gone. On New Year's Eve, being alone at home, I felt a bit sorry for her.
About two years later, we had known each other for three years.
We became friends. I went to the city where she lived. She lived with her mom, who was a gambler. They rented a very small one-bedroom apartment, and she always slept on the sofa.
She made me think carefully; this is her family situation, should I still be with her?
I suddenly asked her a question: "Why did you add me on Douyin?"
She said, "I felt a good connection just by looking at your face."
I remembered that I made a bet with a friend, and the loser had to post a selfie on Douyin…
So, she said I was just like she imagined!
I sold my unfinished house in my hometown and took 800,000 to Qingdao. I rented a three-bedroom apartment and brought her mom over to take care of her together.
Her mom has kind eyes and a gentle temperament, not at all like a gambler, though I felt awkward asking too much about it.
I found a job nearby, and we planned to get married in another year. This was mainly her idea; she said she wanted to work hard with me.
She works at a foreign trade company, and I’m a programmer.
One night, she suddenly disappeared, and my 800,000 also vanished without a trace. I asked her mom, but she didn’t say anything, so I reported it to the police.
The police found her in a KTV.
She was 'skating' with a few girlfriends!
She has never worked at any foreign trade company; she has always been working as a service staff in KTV.
It’s not her mom who gambles; it’s her.
She had already scammed several people before, and I was probably the most successful target she had.
