Romance/Social Engineering Scams in ID Community
Honestly, yeah—I've seen this too. People slide into your DMs acting like they're your friend, then suddenly they're pushing some "private vendor deal." That whole love-bombing then money request pattern? Spot on. If someone won't talk in public or starts pushing gift cards, just run. First thing, always check the trusted vendor list. And report that stuff fast—it's the only way to keep this community safe, tbh.
Yeah, totally agree. I've been here a few years and watched way too many people get burned by the long con—someone plays friendly for weeks, then hits you with a sob story and a "deal." Honestly, the biggest red flag is when they try to move you off-platform for payment. That's a dead giveaway. So just stay sharp, trust your gut, and never let urgency override logic. Easy to say, harder to do, but it's worth it.
Yeah, the "Sarah" thing almost got me too. That whole long con with fake bonding and then suddenly needing help with orders? That's the big tell. I mean, real people aren't just available at 3 AM or cycle through love-bombing and anger that fast. Trust your gut if they start pushing for business favors. Honestly, keeping your social and transaction accounts separate—that's saved me more than once.
Yeah, I've seen these get way more sophisticated too. The 'babe' thing right off the bat is a dead giveaway, but the long con ones? Honestly scary. They'll invest weeks. My personal rule: if anyone I've never met IRL starts love‑bombing or asks about my collection or payment methods, I call it out immediately. Tbh the best advice in here is to loop in a trusted member before you send anything. These scammers rely on isolation.
Yeah, I've seen this exact pattern way too many times. That "I have a special backchannel to the vendor" line? Always the giveaway. If they're pressuring you to send money to them instead of the vendor directly, it's a scam — plain and simple. Honestly, good write-up. Hopefully this saves some new folks from getting burned.