Lately I have noticed an increase in women discussing/complaining about the oddly high number of creepy weird men following them on Instagram…
THE STORY
…Here’s the thing, they aren’t just “creepy weird men”. They are scammers. Typically the end goal of the scam is money. Here is how the scenario plays out. A good-looking typically widowed single dad who happens to be a doctor/surgeon, businessman or some other similarly successful career follows a woman on Instagram. His (usually very few) posts show shots of him with his adorable motherless child(ren). Or perhaps he’s just a fun carefree single guy in which case his photos include shots of him doing all sorts of manly type activities like deep sea fishing or skydiving. Then again, he might be a US soldier/officer and you will see shots of him in action wherever he is presumably deployed.
The next step is the DM. He messages the woman telling her things like “you are a beautiful angel” or “your smile lit up my world” or some other similar absurd nonsense followed with the “please respond so we can get to know each other better”. More often than not, the DM’s are written in broken English. After the woman takes the bait, he moves the conversation to email. After weeks, or months, of wooing then he asks for money for something absurd like his child needs money for a field trip or he has lost his home and needs cash to relocate. My favorite has to be the soldier deployed overseas who needs money for a plane ticket home. C’mon, seriously? Do you really think that our military sends troops overseas and then makes them pay for their own way home?? Once the scammer has milked the unsuspecting woman for everything she has (or if she refuses to send cash), he along with his profile, vanishes in the wind.
My friends, this isn’t a new scam. It has been making the rounds on Facebook and dating sites for years. I’m not sure why the recent upsurge on Instagram, but it is simply the same scam on a different social media platform. I kid you not, yesterday alone, I reported/blocked over 20 of these accounts…20!!! We always tell our children to be vigilant and wary of strangers online, but it is imperative that we do the same. While it might sound ridiculous to you that a grown ass woman could fall for something like this, I can tell you, it happens.
I know an individual in real life who was (and still is) being taken in by one of these scammers. He found her via Facebook, and although I and many others have not only told her repeatedly, but provided her with evidence that it is a scam, she continues to send him money that she does not have to spare. She still thinks that he will be coming home soon and they are going to make a home together. I kid you not. I’ve linked a few articles for you here, here and here.
As you can see, the threat is real. Here are a few things to look for as well as what to do if you’re approached by a suspected scammer on Instagram:
- Look at the Follower/Following numbers. Does the account have a very low number of Followers, but a very high number of Followings?
- Is the user profile vague or sounds to good to be true?
- Is there only a small number of posts? Do the posts have a generic feel to them?
- Has the account sent you a DM full of ridiculously complimentary nonsense and/or asked you to get to know them better?
- DO NOT RESPOND to the DM!
- Immediately report the account to Instagram. Once it’s reported, Instagram automatically blocks it for you.
- If for whatever reason you aren’t comfortable reporting the account, then block it.
It’s a scary world in which we now live, so it is up to us to stay vigilant and informed. We have to not only protect ourselves, but each other. Please feel free to share this post!
THE OUTFIT
The last few weeks the weather has been unseasonably cool, thus occasionally requiring a jacket of some sort. It seems that transitional weather has made a return, that is until the annual back to school sweltering heatwave hits. When I put together an outfit that involves transitional dressing, like this one, it includes a combination of both Summer and Fall pieces…hence, the use of the word transitional.
Instead of pairing shorts with my graphic tank top, I went with my camo pants. I kept the footwear in the Summer season with sandals, but added my embroidered denim jacket on top to provide additional coverage. I chose the embroidered denim jacket as opposed to one of my plain jackets because I like the mix of the graphic on the tank, the camo print and the embroidery.
THE TIP
For me, when I think “transitional outfit” a few key things come to mind. First, an additional light layer on top like a denim jacket, blazer or lightweight cardigan or sweater. Second, is color. Oftentimes you can keep your pieces lightweight, but if you throw in a more Fall-like hue, for example burgundy, mustard yellow, rust or olive green the look becomes more seasonally transitional. Color is the perfect way to balance Summer/Fall dressing. I’ve linked a few pieces here that are perfect for Summer into Fall transitional outfits:
1. Ribbon Embellished Jacket// 2. Embroidered Jacket// 3. Polka Dot Blazer
4. Rust Cardigan// 5. Open Weave Pullover// 6. Burgundy Peplum Top// 7. Burgundy Floral Skirt// 8. Rust Floral Maxi// 9. Yellow Floral Skirt
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Pants: GAP (Similar); Jacket: Chico’s (Similar); Tank Top: The Ageless Rebellion
